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PT Yanmar Diesel Indonesia, Faeger and IPB University have launched a research project examining whether a combination of water management and biochar could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation while maintaining yields.
The study, which began in April 2026 at an experimental field operated by IPB University in Indonesia, combines Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation with the application of biochar.
AWD involves allowing rice fields to dry intermittently instead of keeping them continuously flooded, helping to reduce the conditions that generate methane. Biochar, meanwhile, is a carbon-rich material that can be produced from agricultural residues such as rice husks and applied to soil.
The researchers will assess the methane-reduction benefits of AWD alongside biochar’s potential to store carbon and improve soil health. The partners aim to develop a low-emission, productive rice cultivation model that could be used in Indonesia and other rice-growing regions.
Rice cultivation is central to Indonesia’s food security, but methane emissions from flooded paddy fields are a significant source of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Rice husks generated during milling are also frequently underused, despite their potential as a raw material within a circular agricultural system.
The findings are expected to support the wider adoption of low-carbon rice farming practices and could provide a basis for future agricultural carbon-credit projects.
Prof I Wayan Budiastra, chairman of IPB University’s Center for the Development of Engineering Sciences for Tropical Agriculture, said the project combines controlled water management with agricultural waste recycling.
He added: “By combining AWD and biochar, this study aims to show how these methods can work together to lower emissions while still keeping farming productive and resilient".
Faeger and PT Yanmar Diesel Indonesia said they would continue working with Indonesian research institutions, private companies and agricultural stakeholders to advance sustainable farming and decarbonisation initiatives.