Different response of silicate fertilizer having electron acceptors on methane emission in rice paddy soil under green manuring

Cultivation of green manure plants during the fallow season in rice paddy soil has been strongly recommended to improve soil properties. However, green manuring may impact greenhouse gas emission, methane (hereafter, CH4) in particular, under the flooded rice cultivation and thus, application of chemical amendments being electron acceptors can be an effective mitigation strategy to reduce CH4 emissions in irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.) field amended with green manure. To investigate the effect of iron (Fe) slag silicate fertilizer (hereafter, silicate fertilizer), which was effective in reducing CH4 emission and increasing rice productivity, in green manure-amended paddy soil, the aboveground biomass of Chinese milk vetch (hereafter, vetch) was added at rates of 0, 10, 20, and 40 Mg (fresh weight) ha(-1) before the application of silicate fertilizer, which was added at rates of 0 and 2.3 Mg ha(-1). Silicate fertilization reduced the seasonal CH4 flux by ca. 14.5% and increased rice yield by ca. 15.7% in the control (no vetch application) treatment. However, CH4 production was increased by silicate fertilization in vetch-treated soil particularly at the initial rice growing stage, which was probably due to the enhanced decomposition of added organic matters by the silicate liming effect. In conclusion, silicate fertilization is not effective in reducing CH4 production in green manure-amended rice paddy soils and its use should be properly controlled.