Nutrient management may reduce global warming potential of rice cultivation in subtropical India

Agricultural practices contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; therefore, it is essential to modify the production technologies. We analyzed decadal variation in CO2 and CH4 over a major rice cultivating area in subtropical India using GOSAT satellite data, which shows a sturdy increase. Furthermore, we carried out long-term field experiments with different nutrients management in the research farm to validate CERES–Rice (Crop Environment Resource Synthesis) and DNDC (De-nitrification and Decomposition model) models. The variations in Global warming potential per kg rice grain production over 90 years (2005–2095) are also projected. This study used a simulation technique to predict the rice yield using CERES–Rice and GWP using the DNDC model for three varied nutrient management treatments: chemical fertilizer (CF) at full (100%) recommended level (CF100), organic fertilizer using vermicompost at full recommendation (VC100), and integration of organic and chemical fertilizer (VC50 + CF50). The CF100 treatment showed the highest rate of increase in GWP as 0.014 and 0.021 kg CO2eq kg-grain season−1 in RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, respectively. Integrating organic fertilizers with chemical fertilizers may give a nearly similar yield in later decades of the century in both RCP 4.5 and 8.5 climate scenarios with substantial reductions (77% in RCP 4.5 and 66% in RCP 8.5) in the rate of change in GWP as compared to sole chemical fertilizer application. This study recommends integrated nutrient management using organic fertilizers as a feasible way to limit the GHG emission from rice fields and minimize global warming in future climate scenarios.