Mitigation strategy to contain methane emission from rice-fields

Methane is primarily a biogenic gas, which is implicated in global climate change. Among all the sources of methane emission, paddy fields form the mo st dominant source. An experiment was conducted with a common paddy crop (O ryza sativa var. Vishnuparag) by amending the soils with different organic manures and biofertilizers with a view to find out an inexpensive strategy to mitigate methane emission from the rice-fields. The results revealed tha t there was a seasonal change in the CH4 flux, registering a peak at headin g stage in all treatments. The application of rice straw before flooding an d the biofertilizer after flooding enhances CH4 efflux from the rice-fields significantly, while composts of cowdung and leaves did not stimulate CH4 production and, rather, decreased CH4 fluxes. As soil pH and temperature we re optimum for methanogenesis, it was likely that the organic C and the red ox potential mainly modulated methane production and its emission through r ice plants.