Effect of metal micronutrients on methanotrophy and methanogenesis in rice cultivation : a mesocosm study | |
| Author | Nannaphat Niyomsri |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-25-08 |
| Subject(s) | Greenhouse gases Atmospheric methane--Environmental aspects Crops and climate |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Rice production has been recognised as a significant contributor to anthropogenic CH4, a potent greenhouse gas with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) thirty-four times that of CO2 over a century and eighty-six times greater over two decades (Stavert et al., 2022). Anoxic conditions from continuous flooding with high organic content in soil promoted the activity of methanogenic archaea to produce and emit CH4 gas into the atmosphere. Conversely, methanotrophic bacteria are the biological methane sink by oxidizing CH4 to CO2. Metal micronutrients, including copper (Cu) and cerium (Ce), serve essential functions as cofactors for pivotal enzymes implicated in methane oxidation, particularly particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) and lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase (XoxF MDH). Nevertheless, studies focusing on methane emission flux from rice fields treated with metal supplements have been limited, and there is insufficient monitoring of CH4 emissions during the rice growth period. Therefore, this study addresses the current research gap by examining the effects of Cu and Ce on methanotrophs and methanogenesis in rice paddy fields through a mesocosm study and the analysis of soil physicochemical parameters and rice’s growth indicator. Results demonstrated that CH4 flux ranges from 18.70 to 2481.23 in units of mg.m-2.hr-1 for the control condition during the 120 days after transplanting. The metal treatments significantly reduced methane emissions throughout all rice growth stages compared to the control, particularly during the reproductive phases; the average methane flux decreased by over 80% under mixed conditions (Cu + Ce). Furthermore, the research on methane oxidation indicated that the presence of Cu and Ce improved methane consumption by over 60% during a 72-hour incubation period. Analysis of soil parameters indicated that metal amendments enhance nutrient availability, particularly nitrogen species, and simulated rice growth during the vegetative stage. |
| Year | 2025 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology |
| Department | Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (DWREE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering and Management (SET-EEM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Cruz, Simon Guerrero;Ghimire, Anish (Co-chairperson) |
| Examination Committee(s) | Ekbordin Winijkul;Shanmugam, Mohana Sundaram |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Royal Thai Government Fellowship |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2025 |