Rice methodology refinement

Methodology refinement for rice crops

Overview

For any emission factor quantification with rice as the measured crop, there are a few refinements that are specific to rice management. There are four activities which deviate from the general methodology for these activities. Those refinements are all listed in this document.  

1. Irrigation infrastructure
2. Seed transportation 
3. Tillage machinery 
4. Planting machinery

Irrigation infrastructure 

Irrigation infrastructure includes energy required to deliver water to the plant and piping/metal/etc. but not the water emissions itself from the soil. Emissions are calculated from the amount of water used to produce the measured crop given an irrigation method.

The following Ecoinvent emissions coefficients are used for any rice crop. This refinement is important to account for flooding.

Seed transportation

Seeding transportation includes the movement of rice from production to farm-gate. We assume the use of Ecoinvent EF coefficient: market of rice seed, for sowing, GLO along with the following modes. 

Tillage Machinery

Rice in the U.S. uses the planting, by drill, US Ecoinvent EF coefficient. All other geographies will continue to use assumed planting machinery listed in general planting machinery methodology (link).