Quantifying and Comparing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Monsoon Rice Production: A Comprehensive Analysis of Transplanting and Broadcasting Sowing Methods in Myanmar

Abstract

Introduction Rice is a staple food, an economic crop, and the second-highest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the agricultural sector in Myanmar. To develop the rice sector in a sustainable way, this study aimed to determine the comparative GHG emissions between the two major sowing methods used in monsoon rice production. Methods Next, comparative GHG emissions analysis was done by using the Student t-test. This study first quantified GHG emissions from land preparation to straw burning by using emission factors for agricultural inputs and the formulation, default values, and scaling factors of a carbon footprint calculator customized for rice products (CF-Rice). Results Soil and water management was the largest contributor among the management practices in monsoon rice production and accounted for 64.8% of the total GHG emissions. At 4,479.5 kg CO2 eq. ha-1, GHG emissions from the broadcasting (BC) method were significantly higher than those from the transplanting (TP) method. Conclusion Therefore, the TP method is a better sowing technique than the BC method for reducing GHG emissions without reducing grain yield.