Effect of nitrogen application on greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen uptake by plants in integrated rice-crayfish farming

Abstract

Integrated rice–crayfish farming is an ecological rice farming mode. However, limited research has examined the comprehensive impacts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nitrogen (N) uptake, and N utilization in rice under this farming modality. Herein, a dual-factor experiment was performed from 2021 to 2022 to assess the comprehensive impacts of N application and rice farming mode on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, N uptake, N utilization, and rice yield in paddy fields. Under N application, the rice–crayfish co-culture exhibits a 2.3 % decrease in global warming potential (GWP) and a 17.3 % increase in greenhouse gas intensity relative to the rice monoculture. Moreover, the N uptake of rice within the rice–crayfish co-culture is 5.2 %–10.4 % higher than that in the rice monoculture. However, owing to low rice yield under the rice–crayfish co-culture, its N partial factor productivity decreases by 5.6 %–22.6 %, while N agronomic efficiency is reduced by 18.3 %–46.9 % compared with the rice monoculture. In addition, N application significantly inhibits CH4 emissions from paddy fields in the rice–crayfish co-culture mode. Compared with no N application, the CH4 emissions and GWP of N-applied treatment are decreased by 12.1 %–31.0 % and 6.0 %–15.8 %, respectively. Hence, N regulation might reduce GHG emissions in rice–aquatic animal co-culturing agriculture. Collectively, the results of this study suggest that switching from a rice monoculture to rice–crayfish co-culture can mitigate GHG emissions and promote rice N uptake; however, continuously improving the productivity of co-culturing agriculture is key to achieving high N utilization efficiency and low environmental impact.