Biochar in rice fields slashes greenhouse gas emissions, boosts yields
In a field study in Hunan province, incorporating biochar into paddy fields during late rice growth reduced harmful methane and nitrous oxide emissions compared to chemical fertilization. Methane emissions increased by 24.70% with straw incorporation but only by 6.32% with biochar. Nitrous oxide emissions were cut by 37.08% with straw and 37.61% with biochar. Biochar also reduced methane emissions by 14.74% compared to straw. Global Warming Potential calculations for a hundred years showed that biochar had the lowest impact on greenhouse gases. This shows that using biochar not only stabilized rice yields but also lessened methane and nitrous oxide emissions, offering important environmental benefits.