Zhongxian Li , Ruchun Chen , Jianquan Li

Hainan Tropical Agricultural Resources Research Institute, Haier Rice Research Center, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Field Crop, 2024, Vol. 7, No. 3   
Received: 28 Mar., 2024    Accepted: 10 May, 2024    Published: 31 May, 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Rice cultivation is a critical agricultural activity with significant environmental impacts. This study aims to assess these impacts across various rice cultivation systems, including traditional paddy cultivation, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), direct-seeded rice (DSR), organic rice farming, and other emerging systems. The research focuses on key environmental categories such as water usage and management, soil health and fertility, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, and agrochemical use. Through comparative analysis and case studies, the report highlights differences in environmental impacts among these cultivation systems. Sustainable practices and innovations, including water-saving techniques, soil conservation methods, emission reduction strategies, biodiversity enhancement, and integrated pest and nutrient management, are explored. The study also discusses policy and regulatory implications, emphasizing the need for national and international policies, incentives for sustainable practices, and effective compliance and monitoring mechanisms. Future directions for research, technology adoption, collaborative efforts, and long-term environmental monitoring are proposed. The findings underscore the importance of adopting sustainable rice cultivation practices to mitigate environmental impacts and ensure agricultural sustainability.

Rice cultivation; Environmental impact; Sustainable agriculture; Greenhouse gas emissions; Soil health