Abstract
A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the influences of indigenous phototrophs on methane (CH4) emissions from a paddy soil where rice straw was incorporated or was surface-applied. During the cultivation, half of the pots were covered with aluminum foil, except for the minimum space for rice plants, to prevent ambient light reaching the floodwater or the soil surface. Growth of oxygen-producing phototrophs was hardly observed in the unilluminated plots, whereas intensive growth of algae, duckweed and hydrophytes was found in the illuminated ones. Plant growth was not affected by the different treatments. Seasonal changes in CH4 emission determined by a closed chamber method indicated that illumination had no or only minor effects on CH4 emissions when rice straw was incorporated or was not applied, but significantly reduced CH4 emissions when rice straw was surface-applied. Methanogenesis occurring in the soil-floodwater interface was further investigated in two lab-scale model experiments measuring methanogenic activity. As a result, more activated methanogenesis was found in the surface-applied rice straw and the soil around the straw compared with the soil incubated without rice straw. The magnitude of the methanogenic activity in the rice straw incubated under illuminated conditions was significantly lower than that incubated in the dark. Consequently, this study demonstrates that methanogenesis in paddy soil occurs even in the soil-floodwater interface if plant residues like rice straw exist, and such methanogenesis is likely to be suppressed by growth of indigenous phototrophs under illumination.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aulakh MS, Wassmann R, Rennenberg H (2000) Methane emissions from rice fields—quantification, mechanisms, role of management, and mitigation options. Adv Agron 70:193–260
Bharati K, Mohanty SR, Singh DP, Rao VR, Adhya TK (2000) Influence of incorporation or dual cropping of Azolla on methane emission from a flooded alluvial soil planted to rice in eastern India. Agric Ecosyst Environ 79:73–83
Bont JAM de, Lee KK, Bouldin DF (1978) Bacterial oxidation of methane in rice paddy. Ecol Bull 26:91–96
Bossio DA, Horwath WR, Mutters RG, van Kessel C (1999) Methane pool and flux dynamics in a rice field following straw incorporation. Soil Biol Biochem 31:1313–1322
Chareonsilp N, Buddhaboon C, Promnart P, Wassmann R, Lantin RS (2000) Methane emission from deepwater rice fields in Thailand. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 58:121–130
Cheng W, Chander K, Inubushi K (2000) Effect of elevated CO2 and temperature on methane production and emission from submerged soil microcosms. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 58:339–347
Clément B, Merlin G (1995) The contribution of ammonia and alkalinity to landfill leachate toxicity to duckweed. Sci Total Environ 170:71–79
Dannenberg S, Conrad R (1999) Effect of rice plants on methane production and rhizospheric metabolism in paddy soil. Biogeochemistry 45:53–71
Gilbert B, Frenzel P (1995) Methanotrophic bacteria in the rhizosphere of rice microcosms and their effect on porewater methane concentration and methane emission. Biol Fertil Soils 20:93–100
Hanaki M, Ito T, Saigusa M (2002) Effect of no-tillage rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivation on methane emission in three paddy fields of different soil types with rice straw application. Jpn J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 73:135–143
Harada N, Nishiyama M, Matsumoto S (2001) Inhibition of methanogens increases photo-dependent nitrogenase activities in anoxic paddy soil amended with rice straw. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 35:231–238
Holzapfel-Pschorn A, Seiler W (1986) Methane emission during a cultivation period from an Italian rice paddy. J Geophys Res 91:11803–11814
Inubushi K, Hori K, Matsumoto S, Umebayashi M, Wada H (1989) Methane emission from the flooded paddy soil to the atmosphere through rice plant. Jpn J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 60:318–324
Inubushi K, Hori K, Matsumoto S, Wada H (1997) Anaerobic decomposition of organic carbon in paddy soil in relation to methane emission to the atmosphere. Water Sci Tech 36:523–530
Kaku N, Ueki A, Ueki K (1999) Sample preparation for methanogenic activities of heterogeneous flooded rice soils. Microb Environ 14:151–156
Kimura M, Asai K, Watanabe A, Murase J, Kuwatsuka S (1992) Suppression of methane fluxes from flooded paddy soil with rice plants by foliar spray of nitrogen fertilizers. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 38:735–740
King GM (1990) Regulation by light of methane emission from a wetland. Nature 345:513–515
Ladha JK, Tirol-Padre A, Daroy MLG, Punzalan G, Watanabe I (1987) The effects on N2 fixation (C2H2 reduction), bacterial population and rice plant growth of two modes of straw application to a wetland rice field. Biol Fertil Soils 5:106–111
Lampe K (1995) Rice research: food for 4 billion people. GeoJournal 35:253–259
Matsuguchi T, Yoo ID (1981) Stimulation of phototrophic N2 fixation in paddy fields through rice straw application. In: Wetselaar R, Simpson JR, Rosswall T (eds) Nitrogen cycling in Southeast Asian wet monsoonal ecosystems. Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, pp 18–25
Minoda T, Kimura M (1996) Photosynthates as dominant source of CH4 and CO2 in soil water and CH4 emitted to the atmosphere from paddy fields. J Geophys Res 101:21091–21097
Miura Y, Watanabe A, Kimura M, Kuwatsuka S (1992) Methane emission from paddy field. Part 2. Main route of methane transfer through rice plant, and temperature and light effects on diurnal variation of methane emission. Environ Sci 5:187–193
Mosier AR (1998) Soil processes and global warming. Biol Fertil Soils 27:221–229
Mowjood MIM, Kasubuchi T (1998) Dynamics of dissolved oxygen (DO) in ponded water of a paddy field. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 44:405–413
Nouchi I, Mariko S, Aoki K (1990) Mechanism of methane transport from the rhizosphere to the atmosphere through rice plants. Plant Physiol 94:59–66
Pfennig N, Trüper HG (1989) Section 18. Anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria. In: Staley JT, Bryant MP, Pfennig N, Holt JG (eds) Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology, vol 3. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 1635–1709
Ponnamperuma FN (1972) The chemistry of submerged soils. Adv Agron 24:29–96
Sass RL, Fisher FM (1997) Methane emissions from rice paddies: a process study summary. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 49:119–127
Sass RL, Fisher FM, Harcombe PA, Turner FT (1991a) Mitigation of methane emissions from rice fields: possible adverse effects of incorporated rice straw. Global Biogeochem Cycl 5:275–287
Sass RL, Fisher FM, Turner FT, Jund MF (1991b) Methane emission from rice fields as influenced by solar radiation, temperature, and straw incorporation. Global Biogeochem Cycl 5:335–350
Takai Y, Kamura T (1966) The mechanism of reduction in waterlogged paddy soil. Folia Microbiol 11:304–313
Ueki A, Nishida S, Kumakura M, Kaku N, Kainuma Y, Hattori C, Fujii H, Ueki K (1999) Effects of organic matter application, temperature, and sunshine duration on seasonal and annual variations of methanogenic activity in wetland rice field soil. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 45:811–823
Wang WC (1991) Ammonia toxicity to macrophytes (common duckweed and rice) using static and renewal methods. Environ Toxicol Chem 10:1173–1177
Wassmann R, Neue HU, Alberto MCR, Lantin RS, Bueno C, Llenaresas D, Arah JRM, Papen H, Seiler W, Rennenberg H (1996) Fluxes and pools of methane in wetland rice soils with varying organic inputs. Environ Monit Assess 42:163–173
Watanabe I, Hashimoto T, Shimoyama A (1997) Methane-oxidizing activities and methanotrophic populations associated with wetland rice plants. Biol Fertil Soils 24:261–265
Yagi K, Minami K (1990) Effect of organic matter application on methane emission from some Japanese paddy fields. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 36:599–610
Yagi K, Tsuruta H, Minami K (1997) Possible options for mitigating methane emission from rice cultivation. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 49:213–220
Yang SS, Chang HL (1998) Effect of environmental conditions on methane production and emission from paddy soil. Agric Ecosyst Environ 69:69–80
Yoo ID, Kimura M, Wada H, Takai Y (1984) Effects of application of different rice straw on biological N2-fixation in paddy soils. Jpn J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 55:455–459
Yoo ID, Kimura M, Wada H, Takai Y (1990) The release of organic and inorganic nutrients from soils surface-applied with rice straw and its contribution to biological N2-fixation. Jpn J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 60:579–585
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of the Saitama Prefecture Agriculture and Forestry Research Center in providing us with the soil which was used in the experiments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harada, N., Otsuka, S., Nishiyama, M. et al. Influences of indigenous phototrophs on methane emissions from a straw-amended paddy soil. Biol Fertil Soils 41, 46–51 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-004-0793-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-004-0793-8