| Abstract: | Carbon footprint (CF) quantification of major rice production systems (RPSs) is a prerequisite for developing strategies for climate change mitigation in agriculture. Total life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (LC-GHGs) from rice production to consumption might provide precise CFs for RPSs. Therefore, we assessed three segments (pre-farm, on-farm, and post-farm) of LC-GHGs under five major contrasting RPSs, i.e., aerobic rice (AR), shallow lowland rice (SLR), system of rice intensification (SRI), deep water rice (DWR), and zero-tilled direct-seeded rice (ZTR), in India to determine the corresponding CFs. Carbon footprint was the lowest for ZTR, while LC-GHGs were the lowest for AR. Therefore, AR is an adequate option for short-term reduction of GHG emissions. However, ZTR might be promoted by incentives as a long-term strategy. Among segmental LC-GHGs, on-farm GHG emissions contributed less than the other two segmental GHG emissions. The post-farm (i.e., farm gate to consumption) segment contributed the largest proportion (54%-69%) of total LC-GHGs, followed by pre-farm (i.e., cradle to farm) segment (21%-27%) and on-farm operation (11%-23%). These findings suggest that post-farm components that contribute to maximum GHG emissions must be scientifically tackled with proactive policy initiatives. However, the data of this segment are limited and scattered. Therefore, real-time assessment of GHG emissions during post-farm operation and input transportation from cradle to farm requires more precise quantification. Although CF in SRI was higher, this system had the potential to achieve higher yields and better soil carbon storage. Therefore, SRI may be encouraged from the perspectives of food security and long-term sustainability by reducing GHG emissions by three to four times. |
