KPU Richmond students grow dryland rice to cut emissions

Kwantlen Polytechnic University researchers in Richmond are experimenting with a different approach to rice farming—one that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from one of the world's most important crops.

Dryland rice, cultivated in unflooded soil rather than flooded paddies, produces significantly less methane. Flooded fields create anaerobic conditions where microbes convert carbon into methane; dryland environments are aerobic, converting carbon into carbon dioxide instead. Over a 20-year period, methane is roughly 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.

"Finding a trade-off between reducing environmental impacts and maintaining yields is the key focus of ongoing research," said Michael Bomford, an instructor in KPU's Sustainable Agriculture program.

For several years, sustainable agriculture students have been experimenting with dryland rice at the Garden City Lands in Richmond. The challenge lies in adapting farming practices to the new conditions. In flooded paddies, standing water naturally suppresses weeds; in dryland systems, farmers must rely on other methods. Richmond's cooler climate also presents an obstacle—flooded fields help stabilize temperatures around rice plants, an effect dryland systems don't provide.

Second-year student Isaac Hendrickson is leading this year's project, studying organic weed-control methods using mulch treatments. He planted his sprouted rice on Friday, June 13, and expects to harvest in September. Hendrickson is testing a faster-maturing rice variety called Hayayuki, which matures two to three weeks sooner than the variety used in previous studies.