Water-saving ground cover rice production system reduces net greenhouse gas fluxes in an annual rice-based cropping system

Abstract. To safeguard food security and preserve precious water resources, the technology of water-saving ground cover rice production system (GCRPS) is being increasingly adopted for rice cultivation. However, changes in soil water status and temperature under GCRPS may affect soil biogeochemical processes that control the biosphere–atmosphere exchanges of methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). The overall goal of this study is to better understand how net ecosystem greenhouse gas exchanges (NEGE) and grain yields are affected by GCRPS in an annual rice-based cropping system. Our evaluation was based on measurements of the CH₄ and N₂O fluxes and soil heterotrophic respiration (CO₂ emissions) over a complete year, and the estimated soil carbon sequestration intensity for six different fertilizer treatments for conventional paddy and GCRPS. The fertilizer treatments included urea application and no N fertilization for both conventional paddy (CUN and CNN) and GCRPS (GUN and GNN), and solely chicken manure (GCM) and combined urea and chicken manure applications (GUM) for GCRPS. Averaging across all the fertilizer treatments, GCRPS increased annual N₂O emission and grain yield by 40 and 9%, respectively, and decreased annual CH₄ emission by 69%, while GCRPS did not affect soil CO₂ emissions relative to the conventional paddy. The annual direct emission factors of N₂O were 4.01, 0.09 and 0.50% for GUN, GCM and GUM, respectively, and 1.52% for the conventional paddy (CUN). The annual soil carbon sequestration intensity under GCRPS was estimated to be an average of −1.33 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, which is approximately 44% higher than the conventional paddy. The annual NEGE were 10.80–11.02 Mg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the conventional paddy and 3.05–9.37 Mg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the GCRPS, suggesting the potential feasibility of GCRPS in reducing net greenhouse effects from rice cultivation. Using organic fertilizers for GCRPS considerably reduced annual emissions of CH₄ and N₂O and increased soil carbon sequestration, resulting in the lowest NEGE (3.05–5.00 Mg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Accordingly, water-saving GCRPS with organic fertilizer amendments was considered the most promising management regime for simultaneously achieving relatively high grain yield and reduced net greenhouse gas emission.