Crop management affecting methane emissions from irrigated and rainfed rice in Central Java (Indonesia)

Abstract

Methane (CH4) emissions were determined from 1993 to 1998 using an automated closed chamber technique in irrigated and rainfed rice. In Jakenan (Central Java), the two consecutive crops encompass a gradient from low to heavy rainfall (wet season crop) and from heavy to low rainfall (dry season crop), respectively. Rainfed rice was characterized by very low emission at the onset of the wet season and the end of the dry season. Persistent flooding in irrigated fields resulted in relatively high emission rates throughout the two seasons. Average emission in rainfed rice varied between 19 and 123 mg CH4 m−2 d−1, whereas averages in irrigated rice ranged from 71 to 217 mg CH4 m−2 d−1. The impact of organic manure was relatively small in rainfed rice. In the wet season, farmyard manure (FYM) was completely decomposed before CH4 emission was initiated; rice straw resulted in 40% increase in emission rates during this cropping season. In the dry season, intensive flooding in the early stage promoted high emissions from organically fertilized plots; seasonal emissions of FYM and rice straw increased by 72% and 37%, respectively, as compared with mineral fertilizer. Four different rice cultivars were tested in irrigated rice. Average emission rates differed from season to season, but the total emissions showed a consistent ranking in wet and dry season, depending on season length. The early-maturing Dodokan had the lowest emissions (101 and 52 kg CH4 ha−1) and the late-maturing Cisadane had the highest emissions (142 and 116 kg CH4 ha−1). The high-yielding varieties IR64 and Memberamo had moderately high emission rates. These findings provide important clues for developing specific mitigation strategies for irrigated and rainfed rice.