Methane flux measurements from paddy fields in the tropical Indian region

Abstract

Methane flux measurements have been made from paddy fields in the Thanjavur region in southern India from September 1991 to January 1992. This is a major rice growing area having plenty of river and rain water. A perspex chamber was used to cover the plants. Samples from this chamber were collected using a metal bellows pump in small sample bottles. The methane flux values estimated from the analysis of these samples are mostly in the range of 15–25 mg m −2h −1. These preliminary results, from natural fields, give higher flux values than estimates from some other regions in India, as well as average values for the mid-latitude region, but values lower than from China.