Source: The Hindu
Context
The Nature Food study finds global paddy GHG emissions doubled since the 1960s, reaching 1.1 billion tonnes CO₂e annually in 2011–2020 — a 90.4% rise over 1961–1980. India tops world rice production at 154 million tonnes in 2025–26, and its irrigated paddy releases about 3.9 million tonnes of methane annually. Eastern India is among the global methane hotspots, with Odisha’s paddy fields contributing most to the state’s GHG emissions.
Key Highlights
- Why Indian Paddy Emits High GHGs
- Continuous flooding creates anaerobic conditions that produce methane, while residue incorporation and rising nitrogen fertiliser use increase methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Eastern India is a major global methane hotspot.
- Loss of Soil Carbon
- Besides methane emissions, paddy fields are losing soil organic carbon. Many fields have shifted from being carbon sinks to net emitters, with about half of the emission increase linked to soil carbon loss.
- Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD)
- Periodic drying of fields can reduce methane emissions by 30–70% and save 15–30% irrigation water, but requires reliable irrigation infrastructure.
- Direct Seeded Rice (DSR)
- Direct sowing reduces methane emissions, water use, and labour, though adoption is limited by weed management challenges and the need for level fields.
- System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
- Uses young seedlings, wider spacing, and intermittent irrigation to increase yields while reducing water use and methane emissions. However, it is labour-intensive and requires farmer training.
- Crop Diversification
- Promotes shifting from paddy to millets, pulses, oilseeds, and maize in unsuitable regions. Adoption remains limited due to MSP, assured procurement, and subsidised electricity favouring paddy cultivation.
- Other Mitigation Measures
- Includes optimised fertiliser use (nano urea, neem-coated urea), Soil Health Cards, PM-PRANAM, reduced tillage, biochar/straw management, and carbon credit incentives.
- Core Policy Challenge
- India balances food security and climate goals. Rice supports the PDS and NFSA, agriculture is excluded from India’s NDC mitigation targets, and India has not joined the Global Methane Pledge, citing livelihood concerns for small farmers. Even with improved practices, global rice emissions may decline by only about 10% by mid-century.
Key Terms
- Odisha Millet Mission (Shree Anna Abhiyan): A state programme launched in 2017, among India’s most successful millet revival efforts, combining seed systems, farmer training, and millet inclusion in the PDS and mid-day meals. It is the standard example of procurement-backed diversification working.
- National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): One of the eight national missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008), promoting climate-resilient practices, water-use efficiency and soil health.
- Phosphogypsum: A by-product of phosphoric acid manufacture supplying calcium and sulphur, usable as a soil amendment. Being trialled as a partial substitute for lime in acidic Kerala soils, with observed emission benefits.
- Soil Acidity and Liming: Acidic soils limit nutrient availability; lime (calcium carbonate) is applied to neutralise them. Lime application also affects soil carbon and gas fluxes, which is why the substitution matters.
