Methane emission from a simulated rice field ecosystem as influenced by hydroquinone and dicyandiamide.

A simple apparatus for collecting methane emission from a simulated rice field ecosystem was formed. With no wheat straw powder amended all treatments with inhibitor(s) had so much lower methane emission during rice growth than the treatment with urea alone (control), which was contrary to methane emission from the cut rice-soil system. Especially for treatments with dicyandiamide (DCD) and with DCD plus hydroquinone (HQ), the total amount of methane emission from the soil system and intact rice-soil system was 68.25-46.64% and 46.89-41.78% of the control, respectively. Hence, DCD, especially in combination with HQ, not only increased methane oxidation in the floodwater-soil interface following application of urea, but also significantly enhanced methane oxidation in rice root rhizosphere, particularly from its tillering to booting stage. Wheat straw powder incorporated into flooded surface layer soil significantly weakened the above-mentioned simulating effects. Regression analysis indicated that methane emission from the rice field ecosystem was related to the turnover of ammonium-N in flooded surface layer soil. Diminishing methane emissions from the rice field ecosystem was significantly beneficial to the growth of rice.