Agriculture and Environment: Rice

Better Management Practices: Control Erosion and Improve Soil Management

The presence of organic matter in the soil is a key to minimizing soil erosion.

However, rice stubble is normally burned or removed because it does not decompose quickly in areas where multiple crops are grown each year.

When stubble is incorporated into the soil, its decomposition can release methane gas that damages the roots of subsequent rice crops and reduces productivity.

Organic matter can be integrated back into rice field through the use of effective microorganisms that contribute to a rapid decomposition of the stubble while at the same time trapping the methane and ammonia gases from the decomposition of the stubble and converting them into substances that are useful for plant growth.

This system has been use in Japan and China, but it is still not widely adopted (Panfilo Tabora, personal communication).