Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Climate scientists and policy makers have underestimated the amount of greenhouse gas emitted by rice farms. New research showed rice farms emit significant amounts of nitrous oxide in addition to methane.

In recent years, policy makers have worked with rice farmers to reduce methane emissions and conserve water resources by deploying intermittent flooding. As water resources become more scarce, more continually flooded rice farms are likely to adopt intermittent flooding methods.

But new research -- published this week in the journal Proceedings. of the National Academy of Sciences -- suggests the reduction in methane emissions achieved by intermittent flooding is undermined by increases in nitrous oxide emissions.