XVI International Botanical Congess

Methane is primarily a biogenic gas which is implicated in global warming. Its production in the anoxic conditions is regulated by several edaphic factors, among which soil redox potential is the most important. As the redox potential largely determines the methanogenesis process, a study was undertaken to understand the relationship between the other edaphic factors on one hand and the redox potential on the other. The results revealed that soil temeperature, pH, moisture regime and incubation period were negatively correlated with the redox potential. However, organic carbon and the water regime over the soil surface did not show any significant impact on the redox potential. No doubt, organic carbon (natural or added), being the substrate for the methanogenic bacteria, largely controls methane production in favourable conditions.