Strategies to Mitigate Methane Emissions and Improve Irrigation Efficiency in a Rice-Soybean Rotation

Agriculture is responsible for a significant portion of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Rice cultivation has a higher global warming potential (GWP) than most other cereal crops, largely due to the methane (CH4) emissions associated with continuous flooding. To address these concerns, research has focused on non-continuous flooding strategies (row irrigated rice; recirculating irrigation pump system; mid-season drainage; aerobic rice; furrow-rice) in an effort to mitigate CH4 emissions and reduce water use.

Four independent experiments were conducted to determine the difference in freshwater demand for irrigation between 1) continuously (Flood) and intermittently (Intermittent) flooded rice production systems in Mississippi; 2) intermittently flooded and furrow-irrigated (Furrow) rice production systems in Arkansas; 3) intermittently flooded and furrow-irrigated rice production systems in Mississippi; and 4) furrow-irrigated versus a furrow-irrigated system that recirculated captured tailwater (Recirculating).

This study aims to: collect water level information, crop and irrigation management, green house gas emissions, and runoff water quality at the field scale in rice/soybean rotation in northeastern Arkansas using commercially available equipment and tools.