Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Methane Production, Oxidation, and Emission from Indian Rice Soils

  • Published:
Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to investigate methane (CH4) production, oxidation, and emission from flooded rice soils. Incorporation of green manure (Sesbania rostrata) into rice fields led to a several-fold increase in CH4 emission. A stimulatory effect of organic sources on CH4 production in soil samples was noticed even under nonflooded conditions. Addition of rice straw at 1% (w/w) to nonflooded soil samples held at −1.5 MPa effected a 230-fold increase in CH4 production over that in corresponding unamended soil samples at 35 d, as compared with a threefold increase in rice straw-amended soil over that in unamended soil under flooded conditions. In a study involving two experimental field sites differing in water regimes but planted to the same rice cultivar (cv Gayatri) and fertilized with prilled urea at 60 kg N ha−1, the field plots with deep submergence of around 30 cm (site I) emitted distinctly more CH4 than did the plots with continuous water depth of 3–6 cm (site II). Likewise, in another incubation study, CH4 production in flooded soil samples increased with a progressive increase in standing water column from 5 mm to 20 mm. Application of carbamate insecticide, carbofuran, at 2 kg ai ha−1 to rice fields retarded CH4 emission through enhanced CH4 oxidation. Hexachlorocyclohexane was found to inhibit CH4 emission. The results suggest the need for extensive research efforts to develop technologies with dual objectives of environmental protection and crop productivity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achtnich C, Bak F & Conrad R (1995) Competition for electron donors among nitrate reducers, ferric iron reducers, sulfate reducers and methanogens in anoxic paddy soil. Biol Fertil Soils 19:65–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Adamsen APS & King GM (1993) Methane consumption in temperate and subarctic forest soils: rates, vertical zonation and responses to water and nitrogen. Appl Environ Microbiol 59:485–490

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • Anastasi C, Dowding M & Simpson VJ (1992) Future CH4 emissions from rice production. J Geophys Res 97:7521–7525

    Google Scholar 

  • Bedard C & Knowles R (1989) Physiology, biochemistry and specific inhibitors of CH4, NH4 + and CO oxidation by methanotrophs and nitrifiers. Microbiol Rev 53:68–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Boeckx P, van Cleemput O & Meyer T (1998) The influence of land use and pesticides on methane oxidation in some Belgian soils. Biol Fertil Soils 27:293–298

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronson KF & Mosier AR (1991) Effect of encapsulated calcium carbide on dinitrogen, nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide emissions from flooded rice. Biol Fertil Soils 11:116–120

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • van Cleemput O, El-Sebaay AS & Baert L (1983) Evolution of gaseous hydrocarbons from soil: effect of moisture content and nitrate level. Soil Biol Biochem 15:519–524

    Google Scholar 

  • Conrad R & Rothfuss F (1991) Methane oxidation in the soil surface layer of a flooded rice field and the effect of ammonium. Biol Fertil Soils 12:28–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Crutzen PJ (1991) Methane's sinks and sources. Nature 350:380–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Crutzen PJ (1995) On the role of CH4 in atmospheric chemistry: sources, sinks and possible reductions in anthropogenic sources. Ambio 24:52–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Debnath G, Jain MC, Kumar S, Sarkar K & Sinha S (1996) Methane emissions from rice fields amended with biogas slurry and farmyard manure. Clim Change 33:97–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Denier van der Gon HAC & Neue HU (1995) Influence of organic matter incorporation on the methane emission from a wetland rice field. Global Biogeochem Cycles 9:11–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Holzapfel-Pschorn A & Seiler W (1986). Methane emission during a cultivation period from an Italian rice paddy. J Geophys Res 91:11803–11814

    Google Scholar 

  • Houghton JT, Meria Filho LG, Callander BA, Harris N, Kattenberg A & Maskell K (1996) IPCC report on Climate Change 1995: The Science of Climate Change. WGI contribution to the IPCC second assessment report on methane emission from rice cultivation. London: Cambridge University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Khalil MAK & Rasmussen RA (1991) The global methane cycle. In: Abrol YP, Wattal PN, Gnanam A, Govindjee, Ort DR, Teramura (eds) Impact of Global Climate Changes on photosynthesis and Plant Productivity, pp 641–651, New Delhi: Oxford and IBH Publishing Co 387

    Google Scholar 

  • Khalil MAK & Rasmussen RA (1993) Decreasing trend of methane: unpredictability of future concentrations. Chemosphere 26:803–814

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimura M (1992) Methane emission from paddy soils in Japan and Thailand. In: Batjes NH & Bridges EM (eds). World Inventory of Soil Emission Potentials, WISE report 2. Wageningen: International Soil Reference and Information Centre, p 43–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumaraswamy S (1998) Studies on methane production and its fate in rice paddy ecosystem. PhD thesis, Bhubaneswar: Utkal University

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumaraswamy S, Ramakrishnan B, Satpathy SN, Rath AK, Mishra S, Rao VR & Sethunathan N (1997a) Spatial distribution of methane-oxidizing activity in a flooded rice soil. Plant Soil 191:241–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumaraswamy S, Rath AK, Bharati K, Ramakrishnan B & Sethunathan N (1997b) Effect of pesticides on methane oxidation in a flooded tropical rice soil. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 59:222–227

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumaraswamy S, Rath AK, Satpathy SN, Ramakrishnan B, Adhya TK & Sethunathan N (1998) Influence of an insecticide carbofuran on the production and oxidation of methane in a flooded rice soil. Biol Fertil Soils 26: 362–366

    Google Scholar 

  • Lampe K (1995) Rice research:food for 4 billion people. GeoJournal 35:253–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Lelieveld J, Crutzen PJ & Dentener FJ (1998) Changing concentration, lifetime and climate forcing of atmospheric methane. Tellus 50B:128–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindau CW, Bollich PK, DeLaune RD, Mosier AR & Bronson KF (1993) Methane mitigation in flooded Louisiana rice fields. Biol Fertil Soils 15:174–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovely DR & Klug MJ (1983) Sulfate reducers can outcompete methanogens at freshwater sulfate concentrations. Appl Environ Microbiol 45:187–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Megraw SR & Knowles R (1987) Methane consumption and production in a cultivated humisol. Biol Fertil Soils 5:56–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Minami K (1994) Methane from rice production. Fert Res 37:169–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Minami K & Neue HU (1994) Rice paddies as a methane source. Clim Change 27:13–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra S, Rath AK, Adhya TK, Rao VR & Sethunathan N (1997) Effect of continuous and alternate water regimes on methane efflux from rice under greenhouse conditions. Biol Fertil Soils 24:399–405

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitra AP (1992) Greenhouse gas emission in India, 1991 Methane Campaign. Scientific Report No. 20. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and Ministry of Environment and Forest. New Delhi: National Physical Laboratory

    Google Scholar 

  • Mosier A, Schimel D, Valentine D, Bronson K & Parton W (1991) Methane and nitrous oxide fluxes in native, fertilized and cultivated grasslands. Nature350:330–332

    Google Scholar 

  • Neue HU (1993) Methane emission from rice fields. BioScience 43:466–474

    Google Scholar 

  • Neue HU, Lantin RS, Wassmann R, Aduna JB, Alberto MCR & Andales MJF (1994) Methane emission from rice soils of the Philippines. In: Minami K, Mosier AR & Sass RL (eds) CH4 and N2O: Global Emissions and Controls from Rice Fields and other Agricultural and Industrial Sources, pp 55–63, Tokyo, Japan: Yokendo Publishers

    Google Scholar 

  • Neue HU, Ziska LH, Matthews RB & Dai Q (1995) Reducing global warming-the role of rice. GeoJournal 35:351–362

    Google Scholar 

  • Oremland RS & Capone DG (1988) Use of specific inhibitors in biogeochemistry and microbial ecology. Adv Microbial Ecol 10:285–383

    Google Scholar 

  • Parashar DC, Mitra AP, Gupta PK, Rai J, Sharma RC, Singh N, Koul S, Ray HS, Das SN, Parida KM, Rao SB, Kanungo SP, Ramasami T, Nair BU, Swamy M, Singh G, Gupta SK, Singh AR, Saikia BK, Barua AKS, Pathak MG, Iyer CSP, 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, Lal G, Chaudhary A & Sinha SK (1996) Methane budget from paddy fields in India. Chemosphere 33:737–757

    Google Scholar 

  • Ponnamperuma FN (1972) The chemistry of submerged soils. Adv Agron 24:29–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramakrishnan B, Satpathy SN, Adhya TK, Rao VR & Sethunathan N (1995) Methane production in two Indian rice soils. Geomicrobiol J 13:193–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao VR (1998) Methane emission from rice based cropping system. Final report on ICAR AP Cess Fund Project. Cuttack: Central Rice Research Institute

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao DN & Mikkelsen DS (1977) Effect of rice straw additions on production of organic acids in a flooded soil. Plant Soil 47:303–311

    Google Scholar 

  • Rath AK (1998) Studies on methane emission from tropical rice soils. PhD thesis, Bhubaneswar: Utkal University

    Google Scholar 

  • Rath AK, Mohanty SR, Mishra S, Kumaraswamy S, Ramakrishnan B & Sethunathan N (1999a) Methane production in unamended and rice-straw amended soil at different moisture levels. Biol Fertil Soils 28:145–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Rath AK, Swain B, Ramakrishnan B, Panda D, Adhya TK, Rao VR & Sethunathan N (1999b) Influence of fertilizer management and water regime on methane emission from rice fields. Agric Ecosyst Environ 76:99–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Sahrawat KL & Parmar BS (1975) Alcohol extract of neem (Azadirachta indica L.) seed as nitrification inhibitor. J Indian Soc Soil Sci 23:131–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Sass RL, Fisher FM, Harcombe PA &Turner FT (1990) Methane production and emission in a Texas rice field. Global Biogeochem Cycles 4:47–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Sass RL, Fisher FM, Wang YB, Turner FT & Jund MF (1992) Methane emission from rice fields: the effect of floodwater management. Global Biogeochem Cycles 6:249–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Satpathy SN (1997) Factors affecting methane emission in tropical rice soil. PhD thesis, Bhubaneswar: Utkal University

    Google Scholar 

  • Satpathy SN, Rath AK, Mishra S, Kumaraswamy S, Ramakrishnan B, Adhya TK & Sethunathan N (1997) Effect of hexachlorocyclohexane on methane production and emission from flooded rice soils. Chemosphere 34:2663–2671

    Google Scholar 

  • Schütz H, Holzapfel-Pschorn A, Conrad R, Rennenberg H, & Seiler W (1989) A 3-year continuous record on the influence of daytime, season and fertilizer treatment on methane emission rates from an Italian rice paddy. J Geophys Res 94:16,405–16,416

    Google Scholar 

  • Seiler W, Holzapfel-Pschorn A, Conrad R & Scharffe D (1984) Methane emission from rice paddies. J Atmos Chem 1:241–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Sethunathan N (1997) Methane production from tropical Indian rice soils. Final report of the project. Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology. Cuttack: Central Rice Research Institute

    Google Scholar 

  • Sethunathan N, Neue HU, Parashar DC, Wassmann R, Rao VR, Adhya TK & Ramakrishnan B (1998) Greenhouse effect and mitigation options. In: Mohanty SK et al. (eds) Rainfed Rice for Sustainable Food Security. Cuttack: Central Rice Research Institute and Association of Rice Research Workers. p 409–424

    Google Scholar 

  • Sextone AJ, Revsbach NP, Parkin TB & Tiedje JM (1985) Direct measurement of oxygen profiles and denitrification rates in soil aggregates. Soil Sci Soc Am J 49:645–651

    Google Scholar 

  • Shao KS & Li Z (1997) Effect of rice cultivars and fertilizer management on methane emission in a rice paddy in Beijing. Nutr Cycling Agroecosyst 49:139–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Steele LP, Dlugokencky EJ, Lang PM, Tans PP, Martin RC &Masarie KA (1992) Slowing down of the global accumulation of atmospheric methane during the 1980's. Nature 358:313–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Takai Y (1970) The mechanism of methane fermentation in flooded paddy soil. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 16:238–244

    Google Scholar 

  • US-EPA –United States Environmental Protection Agency – (1990) Overview of methane's contribution to global warming. In: Methane Emissions and Opportunities for Control, EPA 1400/9-90/007. Washington: US-EPA/Air and Radiation. p 2–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang ZP, DeLaune RD, Lindau CW & Patrick Jr WH (1992) Methane production from anaerobic soil amended with rice straw and nitrogen fertilizers. Fert Res 33:115–121

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang ZP & Patrick Jr WH (1995) Fertilization effects on methane production potential in a Chinese flooded rice soil. Proceedings of the Fourth Annual IRRI-EPA-UNDP Planning Meeting of Methane Emission from Rice Fields, 19-25 Nov 1995, Chonburi, Thailand

  • Winfrey MR & Zeikus JG (1979) Microbial methanogenesis and acetate metabolism in a Meromictic lake. Appl Environ Microbiol 37:213–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Wassmann R, Schütz H, Papen H, Rennenberg H, Seiler W, Dai A, Shen R, Shangguan X & Wang M (1993) Quantification of methane emission from Chinese rice fields (Zhejiang Province) as influenced by fertilizer treatment. Biogeochemistry 20:83–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Wassmann R, Papen H & Rennenberg H (1993b) Methane emission from rice paddies and possible mitigation strategies. Chemosphere 26:201–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Yagi K & Minami K (1990) Effect of organic matter applications on methane emissions from Japanese paddy fields. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 36:599–610

    Google Scholar 

  • Yagi K, Tsuruta H, Minami K, Chairoj P & Cholitkul W (1994) Methane emission from Japanese and Thai paddy fields. In: Minami K, Mosier AR, Sass RL (eds) CH4 and N2O: Global Emissions and Controls from Rice Rields and other Agricultural and Industrial Sources, pp 41–53, Tokyo, Japan: Yokendo Publishers

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan XY & Cai ZC (1996) Effects of nitrogen fertilizer, soil moisture and temperature on methane oxidation in paddy soil. Pedosphere 6: 175–181

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. N. Sethunathan

    Present address: CSIRO Land and Water, PMB2, Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India

    N. Sethunathan, S. Kumaraswamy & A. K. Rath

  2. Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Karl-von-Frisch-Str., D-35043, Marburg, Germany

    B. Ramakrishnan

  3. Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, 753006, India

    S. N. Satpathy, T. K. Adhya & V. R. Rao

Authors
  1. N. Sethunathan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Kumaraswamy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. K. Rath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B. Ramakrishnan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. N. Satpathy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. T. K. Adhya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. V. R. Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sethunathan, N., Kumaraswamy, S., Rath, A.K. et al. Methane Production, Oxidation, and Emission from Indian Rice Soils. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 58, 377–388 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009891913511

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009891913511

Keywords

Search

Navigation