Effect of Soil Texture and Tillage Method on Rice Yield and Methane Emission during Rice Cultivation in Paddy Soil

As the amount of rice straw collected increases, green manure crops are used to provide the needed organic matter. However, as green manure crops generate methane in the process of decomposition, we tested with different tillage depths in order to reduce the emission. The atmosphere temperature of the chamber was 25~40°C during the examination of methane and soil temperature was 2~10°C lower than air temperature. The redox potential (Eh) of the soil drastically fell right before irrigated transplanting and showed -300~-400 mV during the cultivating period of rice (7~106 days after transplant). When hairy vetch was incorporated to soil and the field was not irrigated, the generation of methane did not occur from 12 to 4 days before transplanting rice and started after irrigation. Regarding the pattern of methane generation during the cultivation of rice, methane was generated 7 days after transplanting, reached the pinnacle at by 63~74 days after transplanting, rapidly decreased after 86~94 days past transplanting and stopped after 106 days past transplanting. When tested by different soil types, methane emission gradually increased in loam and clay loam during early transplant, whereas it sharply increased in sandy loam. The total amount of methane emitted was highest in sandy loam, followed by loam and clay loam. In all three soil types, methane emission significantly reduced when tillage depth was 20 cm compared to 10 cm. The rice growths and yield were not affected by tillage depth. Therefore, reduction of methane emission could be achieved when application hairy vetch to the soil with tillage depth of 20 cm in paddy soil.