Innovative water management technique could cut methane emissions in Philippines’ rice paddies

03 Jul 2024 --- In a bid to reduce methane emissions from rice paddies in the Philippines through the water management method known as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), Yanmar Agri, along with its local subsidiary, Yanmar Philippines Corporation, is partnering with the Faeger Corporation. The collaborating companies state they will begin testing the AWD system in November 2024.

The move is meant to promote early adoption of AWD, ensure income for local agricultural producers through the creation of carbon credits, boost decarbonization of the paddies and increase nutrition security in the region.

According to Yanmar Agri, methane estimates from rice paddies in the Philippines account for approximately 20% of the total greenhouse gasses emitted across all industries in the country.

Therefore, the company underscores the increasing need to reduce these emissions. Moreover, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is promoting the utilization of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in the agricultural sector supported by a Measurement, Reporting and Verification system. The JCM states this will encourage widespread use of the AWD method in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regions.

Sustainable practices
Traditionally, rice paddies in the Philippines are continuously flooded, which promotes the activity of methane-producing bacteria in the soil. AWD — a water management technique used in rice cultivation — involves periodically drying the rice paddies and supplying oxygen to the soil.

The drying activity has been shown to inhibit the activity of these bacteria and reduce methane emissions, when compared to traditional constant flooding practices.

Additionally, Yanmar Agri notes that conventional rice cultivation requires a large amount of water to maintain the flooded state — a challenge in regions with insufficient water resources. AWD reduces water usage through the intermittent drying process. 

Furthermore, the company says the new system is also expected to reduce fuel consumption by reducing the need for water pumps. 

Testing the system
Yanmar Agri highlights that the AWD method is gaining attention for its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In this project, the cooperating companies will verify the AWD system’s efficacy on rice paddies through demonstration tests and simulate farmer income from the creation of carbon credits. 

Through the utilization of the Philippines’ network of farmers and agricultural stakeholders, developed through the sales of agricultural machinery by Yanmar Agri and Yanmar Philippines and using Faeger’s carbon credits expertise, the project will generate carbon credits in cooperation with local producers.

In addition, the Yanmar Group says it will use the credits generated through this initiative to promote carbon offsetting efforts. The company says the approach will contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture that balances environmental impact reduction with increased producer income while increasing future food and nutrition security.