Greenhouse gas emission, water quality and straw decomposition as a function of rice postharvest field management

ABSTRACT The objective of this paper was to evaluate the quality of water drained after the use of the knife-roller (an implement used to incorporate rice residues after harvest), the partial global warming potential (pGWP) and straw decomposition as a result of postharvest field management of irrigated rice. The experiments were conducted during the 2018 and 2019 offseason and the treatments consisted of several water drainage periods (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days) after a field pass with a knife-roller. In addition, a nonflooded harvest treatment without straw management was included. Analysis of drainage water three days after a pass with the kniferoller showed a reduction in total soluble solids by 94% compared to zero days. Nitrogen and soluble phosphorus were not influenced by the treatments. However, potassium levels increased as the drainage period increased, which is related to the period between harvest and drainage. As the electrical conductivity is influenced by the concentration of ions, it showed the same response curve as the potassium levels and, for pH, there were small oscillations influenced by the temperature. The total CH4 emission and the pGWP were higher when the water depth remained for a longer period. However, the N2O emissions were higher in the absence of soil submersion. Water should be drained three days after a pass with the knife-roller in order to reduce potassium loss and suspended solids as well as pGWP. The use of the knife-roller accelerated the process of straw decomposition in relation to the unmanaged straw treatment.