Influence of Silicon on Reduction of Methane Emissions for Sustainable Rice Production

Abstract

The increasing human population requires greater rice production and methane is the second most potent greenhouse gas emitted from rice soils under anaerobic conditions. To address this, an experiment was carried out in two phases. In the first phase of the experiment, Si content accessed in the rice index leaves and recorded the mean values of 2.50, 2.48, 2.51 and 2.43% at Jagtial, Warangal, Rajendranagar and Rudrur varietal display plots in Telangana. For the second phase of field experiment, one with high Si (JGL-3855) and another with low Si (RNR-2354) content genotypes were selected with each four levels of N (0, 80, 120 & 160 kg ha-1) and Si (0, 200, 400 & 600 kg ha-1) in strip plot design. Conjunctive application of N and Si to both genotypes, JGL-3855 recorded significantly higher grain and straw yield compared to RNR-2354, among the different combinations of Si and N, application 160 kg N + 600 kg Si ha-1 recorded significantly higher grain and straw yields (7180 and 9693 kg ha-1). The treatments which received a higher dose of Si@600 kg ha-1 in combination with N@ 80, 120 and 160 registered the lower emission of methane@ 25.7, 24.6 and 24.3 mg m-2 hr-1 and there was a significant scaling down of pest and disease incidence was noticed in treatments wherever increased Si doses (0, 200, 400 and 600 kg ha-1) were included.