Abstract
Methane (CH4) emission fluxes from rice fields as affected by water regime, organic amendment, and rice cultivar were measured at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, using manual and automatic sampling techniques of the closed chamber method. Measurements were conducted during four consecutive cropping seasons (July to October) from 1994 to 1997. Emission rates were very low (between 16 and 40 kg CH4 m−2 season−1) when the field was flooded permanently. These low emissions were indirectly caused by the high percolation rates of the soil; frequent water replenishment resulted in constant inflow of oxygen in the soil. The local practice of intermittent flooding, which encompasses short periods without standing water in the field, further reduced emission rates. Over the course of four seasons, the total CH4 emission from intermittently irrigated fields was found to be 22% lower as compared with continuous flooding. The CH4 flux was invariably affected by rice cultivar. The experiments conducted during 1995 with one cultivar developed by IRRI (IR72) and two local cultivars (Pusa 169 and Pusa Basmati) showed that the average CH4 flux from the intermittently irrigated plots without any organic amendment ranged between 10.2 and 14.2 mg m−2 d−1. The impact of organic manure was tested in 1996 and 1997 with varieties IR72 and Pusa 169. Application of organic manure (FYM + wheat straw) in combination with urea (1:1 N basis) enhanced CH4 emission by 12–20% as compared with fields treated with urea only. The site in New Delhi represents one example of very low CH4 emissions from rice fields. Emissions from other sites in northern India may be higher than those in New Delhi, but they are still lower than in other rice-growing regions in India. The practice of intermittent irrigation--in combination with low organic inputs--is commonly found in northern India and will virtually impede further mitigation of CH4 emissions in significant quantities. In turn, the results of this study may provide clues to reduce emissions in other parts of India with higher baseline emissions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adhya TK, Rath AK, Gupta PK, Rao VR, Das SN, Parida KM, Parashar DC & Sethunathan N (1994) Methane emission from flooded rice fields under irrigated conditions. Biol Fertil Soils 18:245–248
Adhya TK, Bharati K, Mohanty SR, Mishra SR, Ramakrishnan B, Rao VR, Sethunathan N (2000) Methane emissions from rice fields at Cuttack, India. Nutr Cycling Agroecosyst, this issue
Bharati K, Mohanty SR, Padmavathi PVL, Rao VR & Adhya TK (2000) Nitrification inhibitors and methane production in a flooded alluvial soil. Nutr Cycling Agroecosyst, this issue
Chen Z, Li D, Shao K & Wang B (1993) Features of CH4 emission from rice paddy fields in Beijing and Nanjing. Chemosphere 26:239–245
Cicerone RJ & Shetter JD (1981) Sources of atmospheric methane: measurements in rice paddies and a discussion. J Geophys Res 86:7203–7209
Cicerone RJ, Shetter JD & Delwiche CC (1983) Seasonal variation of methane flux from California rice paddy. J Geophys Res 88:11022–11024
Cicerone RJ & Oremland RS (1988) Biogeochemical aspects of atmospheric methane. Global Biogeochem Cycles 2: 299–327
Debnath G, Jain MC, Kumar S, Sarkar K & Sinha SK (1996) Methane emission from rice fields amended with biogas slurry and farm yard manure. Climate Change 33:97–109
GEIA – Global Emission Inventory Activity (1993) Report on the 3rd workshop, Amersford, 31 Jan-02 Feb 1993, A.F. Bowman (ed), Bilthoven, The Netherlands, 83 p
Holzapfel-Pschorn A, Conrad R & Seiler W (1985) Production, oxidation, and emission of methane in rice paddies. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 31:149–158
Huke RE & Huke EH (1997). Rice area by type of culture: South, Southeast and East Asia. International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines, 15 p
Hutchinson GL & Mosier AR (1981) Improved soil cover method for field measurement of nitrous oxide flux. Soil Sci Soc Am J 45:311–316
Inubushi K, Muramatsu Y & Umerayasi M (1992) Influence of percolation on methane emission from flooded paddy soil. Jpn J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 63:184–189
IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1996) Climate Change 1995. The Science of Climate Change. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press. 572 p
Khalil MAK & Shearer MJ (1993) Atmospheric methane: sources, sinks and role in global change. Chemosphere 26:201–217
Lindau CW, Bollich PK & De Laune RD (1995) Effect of rice variety on methane emission from Louisiana rice. Agric Ecosyst Environ 54:109–114
Mitra AP (1992) Greenhouse gas emission in India: 1991 Methane campaign. Science Report No. 2, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi
Mitra S, Jain MC, Kumar S, Bandyopadhyay SK & Kalra N (1999) Effect of rice cultivars on methane emission. Agric Ecosyst Environ 73(3):177–183
Neue HU & Sass RL (1998) The budget of methane from rice fields. IGACtivities 12:3–11
Neue HU, Lantin RS, Wassmann R, Aduna JB, Alberto CR & Andales MJF (1994) Methane emission from rice soils of the Philippines. In: Minami K, Mosier A & Sass RL (eds) CH4 and N2O: Global Emissions and Controls from Rice Fields and Other Agricultural and Industrial Sources, pp 55–63, Yokendo, Tokyo, Japan
Neue HU, Wassmann R, Kludze HK, Wang B & Lantin RL (1997) Factors and processes controlling methane emissions from rice fields. Nutr Cycling Agroecosyst 49:111–117
Parashar DC, Rai J, Gupta PK & Singh N (1991) Parameters affecting methane emission from paddy fields. Indian J Radio Space Phys 20:12–17
Parashar DC, Mitra AP, Sinha SK, Gupta PK, Rai J, Sharma RC, Singh N, Kaul S, Lal G, Chaudhary A, Ray HS, Das SN, Parida KM, Rao SB, Kanung SP, Ramasami T, Nair BU, Swamy M, Gupta SK, Singh AR, Saikia BK, Barua AKS, Pathak MG, Iyer CPS, Gopalakrishnan M, Sane PV, Singh SN, Banerjee R, Sethunathan N, Adhya TK, Rao VR, Palit P, Saha AK, Purkait NN, Chaturvedi GS, Sen SP, Sen M, Sarkar B, Banik A, Subbaraya BH, Lal S & Venkatramani S (1994) Methane budget from Indian paddy fields. In: Minami K, Mosier A & Sass RL (eds) CH4 and N2O: Global Emissions and Controls from Rice Fields and Other Agricultural and Industrial Sources, pp 27–39, Tsukuba, Japan: NIAES Series 2
Ponnamperuma FN (1972) The chemistry of submerged soils. Adv Agron 24:29–36
Ramanathan V, Cicerone RJ, Singh HB & Kiehl JT (1985) Trace gas trends and their potential role in climate change. J Geophys Res 90:5547–5566
Rennenberg H, Wassmann R, Papen H & Seiler W (1992) Trace gas exchange in rice cultivation. Ecol Bull 42:164–173
Sass RL, Fisher FM, Haracombe PA & Turner FT (1990) Methane production and emission in a Texas rice field. Global Biogeochem Cycles 4:47–68
Sass RL, Fisher FM, Harcombe PA & Turner FT (1991) Mitigation of methane emissions from rice fields: possible adverse effects of incorporated rice straw. Global Biogeochem Cycles 5:275–287
Schuetz H, Holzapfel-Pschorn A, Conrad R, Rennenberg H & Seiler W (1989) A three-year continuous record on the influence of daytime season and fertilizer treatment on methane emission rates from an Italian rice paddy field. J Geophys Res 94:16405–16416
Seiler W, Conrad R & Scharffe D (1984) Field studies of methane emission from termite nests into the atmosphere and measurements of methane uptake by tropical soils. J Atmos Chem 1:171–186
Sinha SK (1995) Global methane emission from rice paddies: Excellent methodology but poor extrapolation. Curr Sci 68 (6):643–646
US-Environmental Protection Agency (1991) Methane emissions and opportunities for control. EPA/400/9-90/9007, US EPA, Washington DC
Wang B, Neue HU & Samonte HP (1997) Effect of cultivar difference ('IR72', ‘IR65598’ and ‘Dular’) on methane emission. Agric Ecosyst Environ 62:31–40
Wassmann R, Neue HU, Lantin RL, Aduna JB, Alberto MC, Andales MJ, Tan MJ, Denier van der Gon HAC, Hoffmann H, Papen H, Rennenberg H & Seiler W (1994) Temporal patterns of methane emissions from wetland ricefields treated by different modes of N application. J Geophys Res 99:16457–16462
Wassmann R, Wang MX, Shangguan XJ, Xie XL, Shen RX, Papen H, Rennenberg H & Seiler W (1993) First records of a field experiment on fertilizer effects on methane emission from rice fields in Hunan Province (PR China). Geophys Res Lett 20:2071–2074
Wassmann R, Neue HU, Bueno C, Lantin RS, Alberto MCR, Buendia LV, Bronson K, Papen H & Rennenberg H (1998) Methane production capacities of different rice soils derived from inherent and exogenous substrates. Plant Soil 203:227–237
Wassmann R, Neue HU Lantin RS, Buendia LV & Rennenberg H (2000a) Characterization of methane emissions from rice fields in Asia 1. Comparison among field sites in five countries. Nutr Cycling Agroecosyst, this issue
Wassmann R, Neue HU, Lantin RS, Makarim K, Chareonsilp N, Buendia LV & Rennenberg H (2000b) Characterization of methane emissions from rice fields in Asia 2. Differences among irrigated, rainfed and deepwater ecosystems. Nutr Cycling Agroecosyst, this issue
Yagi, K, Minami K & Ogawa Y (1990) Effects of water percolation on methane emission from paddy fields. Res Rep Div Environ Planning, National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences 6:105–112
Yagi K, Tsuruta H & Kanda K (1994) Effect of water management on methane emission from rice paddy fields. Res Rep Div Environ Planning, National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences 10:61–70
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jain, M., Kumar, S., Wassmann, R. et al. Methane Emissions from Irrigated Rice Fields in Northern India (New Delhi). Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 58, 75–83 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009882216720
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009882216720