Work

The environmental trade-offs of applying soil amendments: Microbial biomass and greenhouse gas emission dynamics in organic rice paddy soils

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A major challenge of organic rice production is obtaining optimal nutrient levels while maintaining environmental sustainability . Here, we investigated the effects of organic management practices via the application of organic soil amendments on soil microbial biomass and changes in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in rice paddy , affecting global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI). Different N sources: chicken liter pellet (CLP), NatureSafe® (NS), and their mixture (CLP + NS) were amended to rice paddy field at varying N rates: 0, 50, and 150 kg N ha −1 . Organic management in rice paddy resulted in a range of outcomes, including variations in soil microbial biomass carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), CO 2 and CH 4 emissions, GWP, and GHGI. A notable increase in microbial biomass was observed in the rice paddy when CLP was applied at 150 kg N ha −1 . No significant difference in the cumulative CO 2 emissions was observed across most treatments, except for the treatment with NS applied at 50 kg N ha −1 , which emitted significantly less CO 2 . Significant positive correlations were identified between different N application rates of organic soil amendments and the soil microbial biomass , the emissions of CO 2 and CH 4 , and the GWP rate but negatively correlated with the GHGI. Amending paddy soils with NS at 150 kg N ha −1 significantly enhanced rice yield, thereby offsetting the GHG emissions per unit of production. This study highlights that applying NS at this rate serves as a potential mitigation strategy, achieving both high-yielding rice production and minimizing greenhouse effect .

Source: Applied Soil Ecology

DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105977

Authors: Hendra Gonsalve W. Lasar, Suman Lamichhane, Fugen Dou, Terry Gentry

Institution: Texas A&M University

Language: English

Topic: Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics

Subfield: Soil Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Zero hunger, Responsible consumption and production, Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,320