Asia dominated world's total greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddy in recent decades: Study

Asia accounted for more than 90 per cent of the worlds total greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddies during 20012020 with Southeast Asia contributing the largest share according to a study published in the journal Nature FoodThe study found that greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddy fields have doubled since the 1960s to the equivalent of 11 billion tons of carbon dioxide annuallyResearchers led a team from Boston College US said practical farm changes could cut methane emission and support global climate targets without reducing food productionOur goal was to understand the full climate impact of rice systems not just methane but all major greenhouse gases together and to identify realistic pathways for mitigation lead author Hanqin Tian professor of earth and environmental sciences Boston College saidWhile rice feeds more than half of the worlds population it has a growing climate footprint with flooded paddies emitting methane and nitrous oxide two powerful greenhouse gasesThe researchers combined a machine learning algorithm trained on more than 21000 field observations a processbased ecosystem model and a global metaanalysisThe team quantified total emissions identified key drivers such as land expansion and residue management and evaluated how future mitigation strategies could contribute to climate targets including methane reduction goals under international initiativesThe researchers said that as rice farming intensifies worldwide understanding its methane footprint and how to reduce it without threatening food security has become a global priorityMethane is a major contributor particularly in regions such as East Asia while Africa is emerging as a new hotspot due to expanding rice cultivation the team foundThis study provides the most comprehensive global assessment of ricerelated greenhouse gas emissions to date covering methane nitrous oxide and soil carbon changes from 1961 to 2020 Tian saidAsia dominated global rice paddy soil GHG greenhouse gas emissions contributing 902 per cent of the global total during 20012020 and 611 per cent of the global increase relative to 19611980 with Southeast Asia accounting for the largest share the authors wroteAnnual global rice cultivation was found to range from 3974 million acres in 2015 to 426 million acres in 2024Two dominant drivers were identified behind the sixdecade surge in emissions an expansion of rice cultivation particularly in developing regions which has increased total emissions globally and an intensified residue incorporation where crop residues are returned to flooded soils boosting methane productionDespite increasing emissions the study highlights a clear opportunity improved farm management could reduce emissions by about 10 per cent without compromising yieldsKey strategies include optimising water management to reduce methane formation reducing an excessive return of residue to soils and improving nitrogen fertiliser efficiencyThese are practical scalable solutions that farmers can adopt today They offer a meaningful pathway for agriculture to contribute to nearterm climate targets including methane reduction goals coauthor Susan Pan associate professor of engineering at Boston College saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever