Plough tillage with straw enhances soil fertility rice productivity and lowers GHG emissions

What is it about?

Straw incorporation promotes rice productivity and soil fertility under Tillage management practices, particularly in paddy fields. This practice was evaluated under three rice-based cropping systems of China (single rice, double rice, and rice-wheat cropping systems). We investigated rice yield, CH₄, N₂O, area, and yield-scaled emissions arising from different straw-incorporated tillage patterns, and we discovered that tillage with straw affected rice yield by ~6.8~3.2%, ~9.1~9.0%, and 9.8~2.1% in single rice, rice-wheat, and double rice cropping systems, respectively. Straw impacted CH₄ emissions, but tillage influenced its impact irrespective of the rice cropping system. The highest CH₄ emissions occurred in the order of reduced tillage + straw, rotary tillage + straw, and plow tillage + S under single rice, rice-wheat, and double rice cropping systems, respectively. Cumulative CH₄ emission of plow tillage + straw decreased significantly by 46% compared to reduced tillage + straw in the single rice cropping system, while under rice-wheat and double rice cropping systems, cumulative CH₄ emission of plow tillage + straw decreased by 19.0% and 13.2%, respectively, compared with rotary tillage + straw. Lower methanogenic abundance of plow tillage + straw translated into the lowest cumulative CH₄ area and yield-scaled emissions in single rice and double rice cropping systems. In our study, we concluded that to maintain high rice yield and reduce GHG emissions from straw incorporation, PT + S is recommended for a rice-based cropping system.

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Why is it important?

Most farmers cultivate rice in paddy fields and neglect the importance of using plow tillage, which can enhance deep root penetration for nutrient absorption. Moreover, most of the farmers burn their straw after harvest to make up for the short time between harvest and the planting of the next rice season. Meanwhile, many of the soils being used for rice cultivation are degraded in carbon. Our study provides scientific bases for the need to incorporate the rice straw back into the field to retain the nutrients in the soil. The key importance is that when you take away food from the soil, you have to feed back the soil. This is an environmental sustainability and a win-win approach.

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