Field data on pre-season rice straw degradation using a microbial substrate and the effects on methane emissions during rice cultivation

• Published in: Data in brief Vol. 49; p. 109383
• Main Authors: Jumat, Fauzi, Rahman, Mohammad Hariz Abdul, Bakar, Syuhaidah Abu, Shakri, Nur Alyani, Kamaruzaman, Rahiniza, Bakar, Nurul Ain Abu, Rashid, Mohd Aziz, Suptian, Mohd Fairuz Md, Ab Malek, Rashidah, Zulkifle, Nur Liyana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.08.2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Data; Enzyme activity; Methane emission; Microbial substrate; Soil nitrogen; Soil organic carbon; Methane emission; Enzyme activity; Microbial substrate; Soil organic carbon; Soil nitrogen
• ISSN: 2352-3409; 2352-3409
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109383

Rice straw is one of the most abundant biomass wastes derived from rice cultivation activities. The current rice straw management practice during the wet (rainy) season in Malaysia involves the integration of straw into the soil. This practice offers both advantages and disadvantages to rice farmers and the environment. Straw integration may improve nutrient availability while concurrently causing high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the increase in soil carbon activity. In this work, the use of microbial substrate to enhance the degradation of straw was compared to an existing technique that used no additional inputs during soil integration. The data collected consisted of overall microbial enzyme production, soil organic carbon, soil nitrogen content, seasonal greenhouse gas emissions, plant characteristics, and crop yield. In brief, these data can be used as means of demonstrating the effects of improved straw degradation during the pre-season on the overall GHG emissions during the planting season.