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• FATI facility increased canopy temperature by 1.4–2.1 °C in a double rice cropping system. • Experimental warming changed the starch fine structure of indica rice. • Experimental warming deteriorated cooking and eating quality of indica rice starch. To evaluate the actual response of rice starch physicochemical properties to climate warming, a field warming experiment was conducted with four indica rice cultivars using free-air temperature increase (FATI) facility in a double rice cropping system. FATI facility increased rice canopy temperature by 1.4–2.1 °C during the entire growth period. The responses of starch physicochemical properties to experimental warming were basically consistent for both early and late rice. On average, experimental warming increased the starch relative crystallinity, granule average diameter, and amylopectin average chain length by 14.3%, 6.9%, and 2.4%, respectively. These resulted in starch with lower swelling power, water solubility, and pasting viscosity, but higher gelatinization temperatures and gelatinization enthalpy. Our study indicated that experimental warming affected the rice starch physicochemical properties, and would provide some useful information on how to guide the rice starch end use in food and non-food industries under climate warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]