As rice is a major staple food worldwide and is therefore cultivated in vast areas of the world, production of Methane (GHG) from rice fields and its bad impact on the environment is discussed. Considering the environmental damage cost, is it advisable to cultivate rice? Any estimates, please.
Irrigated rice comprises 50% of the world-harvested rice area and contributes 70% to total rice production. Because of assured flooding during the growing period it is the primary source of methane. Rainfed rice emits less methane due to periods of droughts. Upland rice, being never flooded for a significant period of time, is not a significant source of methane Of the wide variety of sources of atmospheric CH4, rice paddy fields are considered one of the most important.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 1996) estimated the global emission rate from paddy fields at 60 Tg/yr, with a range of 20 to 100 Tg/yr. The representative global methane emissions from rice fields as estimated by different authors are in the range of 20-280 Tg CH4/yr.
Rice paddies are one of the largest man-made sources of methane, and rice is the world’s second-most produced staple crop. We have to balance between rice production and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions such as methane from rice. See a similar thread where same issues has been discussed before. What is the future of agricultural production in the context of greenhouse gases?https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_the_future_of_agricultural_production_in_the_context_of_greenhouse_gases
References
1.K. Minami and H. U. Neue. 1994. Rice paddies as a methane source . Climatic Change.27 (1): 13-26. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01098470
2.Methane Emissions from Rice Cultivation: Flooded Rice Fields.http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gl/guidelin/ch4ref5.pdf
3.What is the future of agricultural production in the context of greenhouse gases?https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_the_future_of_agricultural_production
Dear Colleague, you can find data on GHG emissions from rice cutivation, for each country of the world, for the period 1961-present, here: http://faostat3.fao.org/faostat-gateway/go/to/browse/G1/GR/E.
The FAO database also includes projections for 2030 and 2050, based on projected population growth, business as usual energy demand and diets.
Thanks Dr Francesco; For such an valuable link. With all regards
Dr Dubey
Othe person to contact here at Murdoch University would be Prof. Richard Bell. I'l sure he would assist, time permitting.
Dr Kirbia has discussed the things actually you were looking for. Apart from methane, I would also like to add, rice cultivation in some part of the world under anaerobic condition produce H2S. Specially in cases where grains are harvested and straw is left under water for decomposition.
Yes, Rice field produces CH4. But it also produces oxygen. I have done research and published on the dynamics of DO (dissolved oxygen) in ponded water of paddy field. It goes beyond supersaturation during day time due photosynthesis. Is any body work on DO (dissolved oxygen) in paddy field. We have to balance CH4 production with oxygen production to assess the environmental damage.
Thanks Dr M.I.M Mowjood for your reply. It is good and new field of research to work on DO in paddy fields. Here are few links may be helpful to you.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02878902
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00380768.1978.10433121
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00380768.1992.10416697
Thanks.
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