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Soil Redox and pH Effects on Methane Production in a Flooded Rice Soil

Wetland Biogeochemistry Institute, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803

P. H. Masscheleyn

Laboratory for Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural Science, Ghent Univ., B-9000 Gent, Belgium

*Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Methane formation in soil is a microbiological process controlled by many factors. Of them soil redox potential (Eh) and soil pH are considered critical controls. A laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to study the critical initiation soil Eh, the optimum soil pH, and the interaction of Eh and pH on CH₄ production. The critical soil Eh for initiation of CH₄ production observed was approximately from –150 to –160 mV. Between -230 and –150 mV, the relationship of CH₄ production and soil Eh appeared to be negatively exponential (Y = a10^-bx, where Y is the CH₄ production rate, µg g^-1 d^-1; x the soil Eh, mV; and a and b are constants). The optimum pH of CH₄ production was near neutrality. A small decrease in pH resulting from the introduction of acidic materials significantly decreased CH₄ production. A slight increase in soil pH (about 0.2 unit higher than the natural soil suspension pH), however, resulted in an enhancement of CH₄ production by 11 to 20% and 24 to 25% at controlled Eh of -250 and -200 mV, respectively. Results suggest that a decrease in CH₄ emissions could be obtained by a small reduction in soil pH in Crowley soil (fine, montmorillonitic, thermic Typic Albaqualf).

Although the research described in this article has been funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreement CA817426 to the International Rice Research Institute, it has not been subject to the Agency's review and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency, and no official endorsement should be inferred.

Received for publication March 27, 1992.

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