Comprehensive assessment of straw returning with organic fertilizer on paddy ecosystems: A study based on greenhouse gas emissions, C/N sequestration, and risk health

Abstract

High greenhouse gas emissions and soil deterioration are caused by the overuse of chemical fertilizers. To improve soil quality and crop productivity, it is necessary to utilize fewer chemical fertilizers to achieve sustainable agriculture. Organic substitution is a scientific fertilization strategy that will benefit future agricultural productivity development, little is known about how it affects the heavy metal content and trace gas emissions in rice grains. A field experiment using straw return to the field (SRF), organic fertilizer application (OFA), and their combination (SRF/OFA) fertilization strategies. The results demonstrated that SRF, OFA, and SRF/OFA increased the yield by 19.40%, 22.39%, and 28.36% than the natural growth control group (NG). The OFA has the highest STN stock and SRF/OFA has the highest STN sequestration rate, while SRF achieved the highest SOC stock and sequestration rate. The OFA reduced CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O emissions by 17.73%, 71.87%, and 86.06%, resulting in a minimum global warming potential and greenhouse gas intensity yield among these strategies. Cumulative seasonal CO₂ and CH₄ emissions were negatively correlated with soil paddy soil C/N and C/P (P < 0.05). Moreover, Cu, Cd, and Pb contents in grain were reduced by 66.18%–70.31%, 35.45%–40.91%, and 76.62%–77.92%, respectively. The health risk evaluation revealed that all metals had a target hazard quotient of <1, except for NG. The hazard index (0.42–0.53), which measures the additive effects of contaminants, exceeded the threshold. The implementation of the organic alternative strategy can reduce the trend of increasing surface pollution, slow down the excessive utilization intensity of agricultural resources, and encourage the development of a greener, more sustainable agricultural way.