The burgeoning demand for rice in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) exceeds supply, resulting in a rice deficit. To overcome this challenge, rice production should be increased, albeit sustainably. However, since rice production is associated with increases in the atmospheric concentration of two greenhouse gases (GHGs), namely methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O), the challenge is on ensuring that production increases are not associated with an increase in GHG emissions and thus do not cause an increase in GHG emission intensities. Based on current understanding of drivers of CH₄ and N₂O production, we provide here insights on the potential climate change mitigation benefits of management and technological options (i.e., seeding, tillage, irrigation, residue management) pursued in the LAC region. Studies conducted in the LAC region show intermittent irrigation or alternate wetting and drying of rice fields to reduce CH₄ emissions by 25–70% without increasing N₂O emissions. Results on yield changes associated with intermittent irrigation remain inconclusive. Compared to conventional tillage, no-tillage and anticipated tillage (i.e., fall tillage) cause a 21% and 25% reduction in CH₄ emissions, respectively. From existing literature, it was unambiguous that the mitigation potential of most management strategies pursued in the LAC region need to be quantified while acknowledging country-specific conditions. While breeding high yielding and low emitting rice varieties may represent the most promising and possibly sustainable approach for achieving GHG emission reductions without demanding major changes in on-farm management practices, this is rather idealistic. We contend that a more realistic approach for realizing low GHG emitting rice production systems is to focus on increasing rice yields, for obvious food security reasons, which, while not reducing absolute emissions, should translate to a reduction in GHG emission intensities. Moreover, there is need to explore creative ways of incentivizing the adoption of promising combinations of management and technological options.

The increase in global average temperature has significant implications for food security and agriculture production. Grass species adapted to new climate scenarios are essential for the success of livestock production. The aim of this study was to evaluate different forage species, providing animal feed during critical dry periods as an adaptation strategy for livestock grazing systems, and its implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The field experiment was conducted during September 2015 to September 2017, with four treatments (n = 5, completely randomized block design), including two perennial forages, Bromus valdivianus (Bromus), Lotus corniculatus (Lotus), alone and in a mixture pasture (Br/L). As a control treatment, the forage species commonly seeded by the farmer was used (hybrid ryegrasses + Oat, Control). One-half of the plots was used for nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) measurements, and the remaining half for destructive soil and forage sampling. Gas fluxes were measured using the static chambers technique. Cumulative emissions of N–N₂O, C–CH₄ and CO_2−eq were not affected by treatments, averaging 1.7 kg N–N₂O ha⁻¹, 3.2 kg C–CH₄ ha⁻¹ and 635.5 kg CO₂ ha⁻¹, respectively (p > 0.05). However, emission intensity tended to be lower for Br/L compared with other treatments (p = 0.06) during the second year, while pasture yield was greater for Br/L (p < 0.05). The control showed a greater average pasture yield (first and second years) compared to other treatments, with the highest metabolizable energy and the lowest crude protein content. Our results suggest that a mix pasture Br/L as a management strategy would promote farm adaptation, given that it favors pasture yield at critical dry periods during the year. This inclusion also reduces N–N₂O emissions from grassland soils as well as favoring C–CH₄ capture. Our study determined that N–N₂O and C–CH₄ emissions were regulated by soil variables, mainly soil moisture and soil temperature. Extension and knowledge transfer should be provided to farmers to account for potential adoption barriers, such as low short-term yield.

High nitrogen (N) fertiliser rates are usually applied to increase agricultural yields, leading to high nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. This is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and depletes the ozone layer. This study aimed to optimise N use efficiency and quantify N₂O emission factors (EF1) by measuring the effect of N rates on the yield of a potato-cover crop rotation, apparent N use efficiency (NUE) and N₂O emissions. The two-year experiment was carried out on volcanic soils (1.6% carbon, 1.4% N) in southern Chile (40°52′ S, 73°03′ W). Three N application rates were evaluated (80, 150 and 300 kg N ha⁻¹), 35% of which was applied at the planting stage (granular) and 65% at the tubering stage. A control treatment with no N addition was also included. Reducing N fertilisation to 80 kg N ha⁻¹ increased NUE by three times, reduced N₂O-N emissions by 33% and reduced emission intensity by 27% without a detrimental impact on crop yield and marketable tuber calibre. No significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in the N₂O emission factor (EF1) because of a low rainfall year. The results suggest that in rainfed agriculture systems, N fertiliser application can be significantly reduced without sacrificing potato yield, favouring the economic and environmental sustainability of potato production.