Three-year measurement of methane emission from an Indonesian paddy field

Yearly and seasonal (rainy and dry seasons) variations of CH4 emission from a Sumatra paddy field were measured for 3 years. The mean CH4 emission rates during the growth period were in the range of 16.0-26.1 mg CH4 m⁻² h⁻¹ for the chemical fertilizer plots and 23.3-34.9 mg CH4 m⁻² h⁻¹ for the plots with rice straw application, respectively. The increase in the amounts of CH₄ emission by rice straw application were from 1.3 to 1.6 times. There was no significant difference in the mean CH₄ emission rates between rainy and dry seasons. Total amounts of CH₄ emitted during the period of rice growth were in the ranges of 29.5-48.2 and 43.0-64.6 g CH₄ m⁻² for the plots applied with chemical fertilizer and those with rice straw application, respectively. Nearly the same amounts of CH₄ were emitted in the first and second half of the growth period, irrespective of rice straw application.