A potential of iron slag-based soil amendment as a suppressor of greenhouse gas (CH4 and N2O) emissions in rice paddy

Iron slag-based silicate fertilizer (SF) has been utilized as a soil amendment in rice paddy fields for over 50 years. SF, which contains electron acceptors such as oxidized iron (Fe 3+ ) compounds, is known to reduce methane (CH 4 ) emissions, which have a global warming potential (GWP) of 23, higher than that of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). However, the dynamics of nitrous oxide (N 2 O), which has a GWP of 265, were questionable. Since the reduced Fe (Fe 2+ ) can react as an electron donor, SF application might suppress N 2 O emissions by progressing N 2 O into nitrogen gas (N 2 ) during the denitrification process. To verify the influence of SF application on two major greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics during rice cultivation, three different kinds of SF were prepared by mixing iron rust (>99%, Fe 2 O 3 ) as an electron acceptor with different ratios (0, 2.5, and 5%) and applied at the recommended level (1.5 Mg ha −1 ) for rice cultivation. SF application was effective in decreasing CH 4 emissions in the earlier rice cropping season, and seasonal CH 4 flux was more highly decreased with increasing the mixing ratio of iron rust from an average of 19% to 38%. Different from CH 4 emissions, approximately 70% of seasonal N 2 O flux was released after drainage for rice harvesting. However, SF incorporation was very effective in decreasing N 2 O emissions by approximately 40% over the control. Reduced Fe 2+ can be simultaneously oxidized into Fe 3+ by releasing free electrons. The increased electron availability might develop more denitrification processes into N 2 gas rather than NO and N 2 O and then decrease N 2 O emissions in the late rice cultivation season. We could find evidence of a more suppressed N 2 O flux by applying the electron acceptor-added SFs (SF 2.5 and SF 5.0 ) to a 49%–56% decrease over the control. The SF application was effective in increasing rice productivity, which showed a negative-quadratic response to the available silicate (SiO 2 ) concentration in the soil at the harvesting stage. Grain yield was maximized at approximately 183 mg kg −1 of the available SiO 2 concentration in the Korean rice paddy, with a 16% increase over no-SF application. Consequently, SF has an attractive potential as a soil amendment in rice paddy to decrease GHG emission impacts and increase rice productivity.