Drain rice fields to cut methane

Scientist Yan Xiaoyuan of the Chinese Academy of science has found new and improved ways to cut down methane in rice fields globally 30 per cent . If the fields are drained at least once every growing season and rice crop waste is applied once every off season. Methane is a large contributor to the subject of global warming and is produced by certain types of bacteria in oxygen disadvantaged areas. "Draining allows organic material to decompose aerobically as it is not covered by standing water," says Yan. A combination of draining and applying rice straw will decrease the methane levels dramatically a large amount of 7.6 million tons this is very helpful to the earth’s environment. The option of either burning the rice straw and adding this to the soil for nutrients or allowing the rice straw to simply decompose in the open flooded field are both effective for the globe. These two new creations have been adopted around the world and have been useful and effective. American scientist Stanley Tyler says that "Flooded and rain-fed rice paddies are one of the few wholly man-made methane sources and potentially one of the best chances for humans to control methane emissions." The new form of methane eliminators is going to be very helpful do reduce methane emissions, considering that the rice paddie fields are one of the number one creators of methane.

http://www.enn.com/agriculture/article/39949