Black Rice Philippines

19/07/2025

Methane Emissions from Rice Farming

Rice farming, particularly in flooded areas, is a significant source of methane emissions. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential 28 times higher than carbon dioxide over a 100-year time frame.

How Methane is Released

1. Anaerobic Conditions: Flooded rice fields create anaerobic conditions, where oxygen is limited. This environment favors the growth of methane-producing microorganisms in the soil.
2. Microbial Activity: Microorganisms in the soil break down organic matter, producing methane as a byproduct.
3. Methane Emissions: Methane is released into the atmosphere through the rice plants, soil, and water.

Factors Influencing Methane Emissions

1. Water Management: Flooded conditions and water depth can impact methane emissions.
2. Soil Type: Soil characteristics, such as organic matter content and pH, can influence methane production.
3. Crop Management: Rice variety, fertilizer application, and crop residue management can also impact methane emissions.

Solutions to Reduce Methane Emissions

1. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD): This water management practice involves periodically draining the field, reducing methane emissions.
2. Improved Water Management: Optimizing water use and reducing flooding can minimize methane emissions.
3. Crop Management: Using rice varieties that emit less methane, optimizing fertilizer application, and managing crop residues can also help.
4. Soil Amendments: Adding certain soil amendments, such as biochar or silicon-rich materials, can reduce methane emissions.
5. Sustainable Rice Production: Promoting sustainable rice production practices, such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), can also help reduce methane emissions.

Benefits of Reducing Methane Emissions

1. Climate Change Mitigation: Reducing methane emissions can help mitigate climate change.
2. Improved Crop Yields: Optimizing water and crop management can also improve crop yields and reduce water usage.
3. Sustainable Agriculture: Implementing sustainable rice production practices can contribute to a more environmentally friendly agricultural sector.

By adopting these solutions, rice farmers can reduce methane emissions, contributing to a more sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural sector.

~ NGA AgroClimate Tech

30/06/2025

Mga Masamang Epekto ng sobrang pagkain ng White Rice 🍚

29/06/2025

Did you know that rice is grown in standing water not because the plant requires it, but as a clever method to control weeds?

Rice is a semi-aquatic plant, which means it can thrive in flooded conditions that most other plants — especially weeds — cannot survive. By keeping the fields submerged, farmers reduce the competition for nutrients, sunlight, and space without relying heavily on herbicides. This ancient technique, called paddy cultivation, not only manages weeds but also helps regulate pests and stabilize the temperature around the roots.

29/06/2025

Rice farming releases methane emissions primarily due to the anaerobic (oxygen-free) conditions created in flooded paddy fields. Here's how the process works:
1. Flooded Fields Create Anaerobic Conditions
-Rice is typically grown in flooded paddies, which cut off oxygen from the soil.
-This lack of oxygen creates the ideal environment for anaerobic microbes to thrive.
2. Organic Matter Feeds Microbes
-Plant residues, such as rice straw, root exudates, and soil organic carbon, begin to decompose in the waterlogged soil.
-As this organic matter breaks down, it becomes food for methanogenic archaea — microorganisms that produce methane.
3. Methanogenesis Begins
-Methanogens convert the decomposed organic matter into methane (CH₄) via biochemical processes, such as:
-Acetoclastic methanogenesis (acetate → CH₄ + CO₂)
-Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis (CO₂ + H₂ → CH₄)
4. Methane Rises and Escapes
-Methane produced in the soil escapes into the atmosphere through three primary pathways:
-Diffusion and bubbling through the water column.
-Cracks in the soil, especially if it dries and re-floods.
-Through the rice plant itself, via hollow stem channels called aerenchyma, which act as natural pipes for methane to travel from roots to the air.
5. Global Impact
-Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with 25 times the warming potential of CO₂ over a 100-year period.
-Rice farming contributes significantly to global methane emissions, accounting for about 10% of agricultural CH₄ emissions worldwide.
Mitigation Options
-Alternate wetting and drying (AWD): periodically draining paddies to allow oxygen into the soil.
-Straw management: removing or composting plant residues instead of incorporating them into the soil.
-Improved rice varieties and nutrient management can also reduce emissions.

15/06/2025

Earthworms are quiet heroes beneath our feet. Each year, they process more than 20 tons of soil per acre—silently transforming the ground we walk on.

As they tunnel through the earth, they create pathways that let air and water reach plant roots. At the same time, they break down dead organic matter into castings—nutrient-rich waste that's up to five times more fertile than regular topsoil.

But their impact goes even further. Earthworms boost beneficial microbes, improve soil drainage, enhance drought resistance, and help lock carbon into the ground naturally. They play a vital role in maintaining healthy gardens and farms—without machines, noise, or chemicals.

Want to support these underground workers?
Add compost or other organic material. Minimize tilling. Avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. And keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged.

Here’s a fun fact: for every human on Earth, there are about 1.5 million earthworms—working quietly to keep ecosystems alive.

06/06/2025

In Indonesia, a sustainable agriculture method known as integrated rice-fish farming (minapadi) is practiced, where fish are cultivated in rice paddies. The fish help manage pests naturally, and their waste serves as organic fertilizer, reducing reliance on chemical inputs. This approach enhances rice production, raises farmer earnings, and supports eco-friendly aquaculture.

09/04/2025

Puting Kanin: Mga Benepisyo, Panganib, at Mga Dapat Mag-ingat sa Pagkain Nito 🍚⚠️‼️🌾⬇️

07/04/2025

06/04/2024

DROUGHT-TOLERANT RICE, SAGOT SA EL NIÑO?🔥☀🌾
"A new variety of rice that can withstand hotter climates, survive weeks without water, and cut growing costs may be released by 2026," - The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

See the full story here: https://bit.ly/43Lrijc

06/04/2024

FARMING IS A LOVE STORY🌱❤️

Para sa mga magsasakang itinuturing na higit pa sa trabaho ang pagsasaka, maraming salamat sa inyong walang kapagurang dedikasyon at pagmamahal.