ICAR-NRRI Scientists Develop Novel formulation of Methane-oxidising Bacteria isolated from Sundarban mangroves

Cuttack:12/8/24:In a pioneering step toward climate-smart agriculture, scientists from the ICAR-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI) have developed a groundbreaking solution to one of the environment’s pressing concerns—methane emissions from rice fields. The innovative breakthrough involves the isolation and application of methane oxidizing bacteria, known as methanotrophs (named MT-22), which have shown remarkable results in reducing methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas.

Rice cultivation is known to contribute between 4-6% of global anthropogenic methane emissions, releasing 23 to 34 teragrams (Tg) of methane annually. Specifically in India, irrigated rice fields are responsible for approximately 3.97 Tg of methane emissions each year. The introduction of the methane-oxidising bacteria-based formulation product containing MT-22 by ICAR-NRRI offers a promising solution to this challenge by achieving methane emissions reductions of 10 to 12%.

Dr. Pratap Bhattacharyya, Head of, Crop Production Division and Principal Scientist at NRRI, led the research team that identified this bacterium. He said “Our work is to provide a solution to mitigate climate change in agriculture. Our research started in 2019 when this methanotroph bacterial strain (MT-22) was isolated from the soils of Sundarban mangroves ecosystem, however, after exhaustive laboratory and multi-location field trials, it showed promising results in rice fields.”

“This bacterial strain “MT-22” was registered with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) on 9^th August 2021 under accession number MZ683316 (named Methylobacterium sp.). Further, for utilization of this methanotroph, an environment-friendly and easy-to-use solid formulation product was developed which is currently pending patent approval (Application No. 202211063833 filed on 9^th November 2022). This solid formulation could be directly applied to rice fields making it an accessible technology for farmers.”, added Dr Bhattacharyya.

Dr. A.K. Nayak, Director, ICAR-NRRI further emphasized the strategic importance of this innovation for India, an agrarian country where rice fields are prevalent and methane emissions from rice cultivation are notably high. “The implications of such technologies extend beyond just environmental benefits and play a crucial role in the emerging market for carbon credits, where reductions in greenhouse gas emissions can translate into economic benefits for farmers. Such technologies are imperative for decarbonization of agriculture and in achieving Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goals of India,” he commented.

Moreover, as this technology is on the verge of being commercialised for large-scale use, it has received recognition from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) highlighting its viability and potential for widespread adoption.

India cultivates rice over an area of 44.6 million hectares. Currently, lowland continuously flooded irrigated system rice fields emit approximately 0.55 kg CH₄/ha/day. However, with the application of the new methanotroph-based solid formulation product, this emission could be reduced to about 0.49 kg CH₄/ha/day. The reduction achieved by applying this formulation is equivalent to the emissions produced by a diesel vehicle traveling 10 kilometers daily.