Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and grain arsenic and lead levels without compromising yield in organically produced rice

• Published in: Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol. 295; p. 106922
• Main Authors: Islam, Syed Faiz-ul, de Neergaard, Andreas, Sander, Bjoern Ole, Jensen, Lars Stoumann, Wassmann, Reiner, van Groenigen, Jan Willem
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.06.2020
• Subjects: ammonium; animal manures; arsenic; biogas; biogeochemical cycles; biomass; cadmium; Carbon payment; composts; Dissolved organic carbon; dry season; drying; farmers; field experimentation; food safety objective; food security; global warming potential; Global warming potentials; grain yield; greenhouse gas emissions; greenhouse gases; Heavy metals; lead; Methane; methane production; Microbial biomass carbon; mineral fertilizers; Nitrous oxide; Organic fertilisers; Redox potential; rice; Root biomass; soil water; structural equation modeling; Structural equation modelling; water management; water resources; Methane; Dissolved organic carbon; Microbial biomass carbon; Root biomass; Structural equation modelling; Carbon payment; Nitrous oxide; Organic fertilisers; Global warming potentials; Redox potential; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 0167-8809; 1873-2305
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2020.106922

•e-AWD water regime reduced seasonal CH4 emissions up to 85 %.•DOC was reduced up to 47 % which was linked to the reduction of CH4 emissions.•Grain As, Pb and Cd levels were reduced up to 65, 72 and 33 % respectively.•Root biomass and length increased up to 72 %, which was linked to the yield increase.•Yield-scaled GWPs were reduced up to 84 % compared to conventional CF practice. Flooded rice production is crucial to global food security, but there are associated environmental concerns. In particular, it is a significant source of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and a large consumer of water resources, while arsenic levels in the grain are a serious health concern. There is also a tendency to use more organic fertilisers to close nutrient cycles, posing a threat of even higher GHG emissions and grain arsenic levels. It has been shown that alternate wetting and drying (AWD) water management reduces both water use and GHG emissions, but success at maintaining yields varies. This study tested the effect of early AWD (e-AWD) versus continuous flooding (CF) water management practices on grain yields, GHG emissions and grain arsenic levels in a split-plot field experiment with organic fertilisers under organic management. The treatments included: i) farmyard manure, ii) compost, and iii) biogas digestate, alone or in combination with mineral fertiliser. The e-AWD water regime showed no difference in yield for the organic treatments. Yields significantly increased by 5–16 % in the combination treatments. Root biomass and length increased in the e-AWD treatments up to 72 and 41 %, respectively. The e-AWD water regime reduced seasonal CH4 emissions by 71–85 % for organic treatments and by 51–76 % for combination treatments; this was linked to a 15–47 % reduction in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), thereby reducing methanogenesis. N2O emissions increased by 23–305 % but accounted for <20 % of global warming potential (GWP). Area and yield-scaled GWPs were reduced by 67–83 %. The e–AWD regime altered soil redox potentials, resulting in a reduction in grain arsenic and lead concentrations of up to 66 % and 73 % respectively. Grain cadmium levels were also reduced up to 33 % in organic treatments. Structural equation modelling showed that DOC, redox, ammonium and root biomass were the key traits that regulated emissions and maintained yield. Despite the fact that the experiment was conducted in the dry-season when soil moisture conditions can be relatively well-controlled, our findings should be confirmed in multi-year studies in farmers’ fields. These results suggest that in flooded rice systems receiving organic amendments or organic management, the e-AWD water regime can achieve multiple environmental and food safety objectives without compromising yield.