Methane emission from fields with differences in nitrogen fertilizers and rice varieties in Taiwan paddy soils

Flooded rice fields are one of the major biogenic methane sources. In this study, methane emission rates were measured after transplanting in paddy fields with application of two kinds of nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium sulfate, NH4+–N and potassium nitrate, NO3−–N) and with two kinds of rice varieties (Japonica and Indica). The experiment was conducted in fields located at Tainan District Agricultural Improvement Station in Chia-Yi county (23°25′08′′N, 120°16′26′′E) of southern Taiwan throughout the first and the second crop seasons in 1999. The seasonal methane flux in the first crop season with NH4+–N and NO3−–N ranged from 2.48 to 2.78 and from 8.65 to 9.22 g CH4 m−2; and the values ranged 24.6–34.2 and 36.4–52.6 g CH4 m−2 in the second crop season, respectively. In the first crop season, there were significantly increased 3.1–3.7-fold in methane emission fluxes due to plantation of Indica rice. In comparison of two rice varieties, the Indica rice variety showed a tendency for larger methane emission than the Japonica rice variety in the second crop season. Moreover, ammonium sulfate treatment significantly reduced CH4 emissions by 37–85% emissions compared to potassium nitrate plots. It was concluded that the CH4 emission was markedly dependent on the type of nitrogen fertilizer and rice variety in Taiwan paddy soils.