Methane Emissions from Drill-Seeded, Delayed-Flood Rice Production on a Silt-Loam Soil in Arkansas

Abstract

Rice ( L.) production is unique among staple food crops because the majority of the growing season typically occurs under flooded-soil conditions. Flooding the soil leads to anaerobic conditions, which are a precursor to methane (CH) production. However, no known research has investigated CH emissions from the drill-seeded, delayed-flood rice production system common in Arkansas, the leading rice-producing state in the United States. Therefore, research was conducted in 2011 to determine the effects of vegetation (rice and bare soil), chamber location (in- and between-rice rows), and nitrogen (N) fertilization (optimal and no N) on CH emissions from a silt-loam soil. Methane fluxes measured weekly from flooding until flood release were affected by vegetation, chamber location, and sample date ( < 0.05). In-row CH fluxes were <0.7 mg CH-C m h until 20 d after flooding (DAF) and <1.0 mg CH-C m h from between-row and bare soil until 41 DAF and were unaffected by fertilization over time. The largest weekly measured CH flux (31.9 mg CH-C m h) was observed from in-row rice at 41 DAF. Post-flood-release CH fluxes were affected by vegetation, fertilization, chamber placement, and sample date ( < 0.05) and accounted for approximately 3 to 7% of the season-long CH emissions. Methane emissions averaged 195 kg CH-C ha per growing season and were unaffected by fertilization. Direct measurement of CH emissions from drill-seeded, delayed-flood rice grown on a silt-loam soil will improve the accuracy of assessments of the carbon footprint and long-term sustainability of rice.