Assessing Seasonal Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Furrow-Irrigated Rice with Cover Crops

Sandhya Karki, M. Arlene A. Adviento-Borbe, Joseph H. Massey and Michele L. Reba
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Sandhya Karki: Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
M. Arlene A. Adviento-Borbe: Delta Water Management Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
Joseph H. Massey: Delta Water Management Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
Michele L. Reba: Delta Water Management Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Improved irrigation management is identified as a potential mitigation option for methane (CH 4 ) emissions from rice ( Oryza sativa ). Furrow-irrigated rice (FR), an alternative method to grow rice, is increasingly adopted in the Mid-South U.S. However, FR may provide a potential risk to yield performance and higher emissions of nitrous oxide (N 2 O). This study quantified the grain yields, CH 4 and N 2 O emissions from three different water management practices in rice: multiple-inlet rice irrigation (MIRI), FR, and FR with cereal rye ( Secale cereale ) and barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) as preceding winter cover crops (FRCC). CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes were measured from May to September 2019 using a static chamber technique. Grain yield from FR (11.8 Mg ha −1 ) and MIRI (12.0 Mg ha −1 ) was similar, and significantly higher than FRCC (8.5 Mg ha −1 ). FR and FRCC drastically reduced CH 4 emissions compared to MIRI. Total seasonal CH 4 emissions decreased in the order of 44 > 11 > 3 kg CH 4 -C ha −1 from MIRI, FR, and FRCC, respectively. Cumulative seasonal N 2 O emissions were low from MIRI (0.1 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ) but significantly higher from FR (4.4 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ) and FRCC (3.0 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ). However, there was no net difference in global warming potential among FR, FRCC and MIRI. These results suggest that the increased N 2 O flux from furrow-irrigated rice may not greatly detract from the potential benefits that furrow-irrigation offers rice producers.

Keywords: continuously flooded rice; cover crops; greenhouse gas; irrigation; row rice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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