Impacts of water and residue management on soil health indicators in rice paddy soil
Date
2025
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Soil health is the foundation for successful agriculture, and indicative tests have been developed to assess soil health for soils that support many upland crops. Healthy soil is typically characterized by key biological, chemical, and physical traits, including an active microbial community, high organic carbon, and stable aggregation. Rice, a globally essential food crop, presents unique soil health challenges due to its cultivation in flooded conditions, and it is unclear if traditional soil health frameworks apply to rice cultivation. Key concerns in rice agroecosystems include elevated grain As levels, excessive irrigation water use, and CH4 emissions, which threaten human health, environmental sustainability, and contribute to climate change. This study explores how water and residue management strategies, factors that heavily influence As and C cycling, affect soil health test results. We found that, of the 26 soil health indicators tested, 15 were sensitive to water management and 20 were sensitive to residue management, even though water had a stronger impact on grain As concentration and CH4 emissions than crop residues. Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (CASH) scoring, modified to include grain As and CH4 emissions, indicated that non-flooded and straw-amended paddies produced the healthiest soil. Of the 26 soil health tests used, 16 had significant correlations with yield, 11 with grain As, and 18 with CH4 emissions. Mehlich-3 extractable Fe was highly affected by water and residue management, and had the strongest correlations with yield, grain As, and CH4 emissions. By identifying soil health tests that are sensitive to these management practices and addressing As and CH4 concerns without compromising yield, this research aims to provide rice farmers and researchers with practical tools to enhance soil health while balancing environmental and human health considerations.
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Keywords
Arsenic, Methane, Rice, Soil health