Sustainable soil practices for improving soil health, greenhouse gas mitigation and climate resilience of rice cropping systems

Climate change is threatening rice yields more and more, which undermines global food security. Traditional agricultural practices further endanger the ecosystem by causing carbon emissions, soil degradation and wasteful water usage. Despite some progress in this area, local adaptation, soil quality improvement and mitigation remain insufficient. This review emphasises the importance of sustainable soil management in enhancing the climate resilience of ecosystems. Conservation tillage can reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 25–40% and production costs by 20–35%. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) reduce methane emissions by 40–70% whilst increasing water retention capacity by 25–65%. Organic amendments can increase soil organic matter content by 25–40%, while the use of biochar can increase drought resilience by 15% and grain yield by 10% in stressful conditions. Integrated practices can reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30–50%. This study also suggests the development of climate-resilient rice varieties that can cope with climate change, and new soil amendments, such as biofertilisers that have been enhanced by nanotechnology and designer biochars. Moreover, digital agriculture such as using artificial intelligence to monitor soil health and precision application technologies. This review highlights the urgent need to make these practices mainstream in order to ensure long-term productivity and ecological stability.