Despite the rising climate impact, improved farm management could reduce emissions by about 10% without compromising yields.
Despite the rising climate impact, improved farm management could reduce emissions by about 10% without compromising yields.
A new study from University of Maryland researchers found that global greenhouse gas emissions from rice production have doubled in the last 60 years, despite worldwide initiatives to lower the crop’s climate impact. It’s the most comprehensive global assessment of rice-related greenhouse gas emissions to date, analyzing methane, nitrous oxide and soil carbon changes from 1961 to 2020. The research was published May 22 in the journal Nature Food.
Rice is a daily staple food for over half of the world’s population. Ninety percent of the world’s rice supply comes from Asia, where the grain is cultivated in fields known as rice paddies. Rice paddies are flooded continuously, creating low-oxygen conditions that choke out weeds and allow rice to flourish. However, low-oxygen soil is also the perfect environment for bacteria that produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas driving near-term climate warming.
Read More: University of Maryland
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