Purpose <p>Recent research has demonstrated that modifying irrigation strategies during rice cultivation can substantially reduce methane (CH₄) emissions. Under specific irrigation strategies, rice paddies may even function as a sink for CH₄. This study aims to elucidate how changes in irrigation strategies alter CH₄ exchange between rice paddies and the atmosphere via the plant-atmosphere (P-A) and soil-atmosphere (S-A) interfaces, ultimately achieving CH4 emission reductions.</p> Methods <p>Continuous monitoring of CH₄ emissions was performed in water-saving and drought-resistance (WDR) rice fields under conventional irrigation (CI) and drought cultivation (DC) conditions. Synchronous in-situ ¹³C pulse labelling was applied during the tillering and booting stages to quantify CH₄ emission and absorption at the P-A and S-A interfaces.</p> Results <p>Under CI conditions, the seasonal cumulative CH₄ emissions from WDR rice fields amounted to 85.1 ± 18.5&#xa0;kg CH₄ hm⁻², whereas DC led to a net seasonal absorption of 1.1 ± 0.11&#xa0;kg CH₄ hm⁻². The results of the ¹³C in-situ pulse labelling indicate that the substantial reduction in CH₄ emissions from WDR rice fields under DC treatment, compared to CI treatment, is primarily due to decreased CH₄ emissions at the P-A and S-A interfaces during the tillering stage. The net absorption of CH₄ under DC treatment is mainly attributed to enhanced absorption fluxes at these interfaces during the booting stage.</p> Conclusion <p>This study quantitatively evaluates the impact of various irrigation strategies on CH₄ emission and absorption at different interfaces in rice field systems. Our findings reveal that irrigation strategies not only change the patterns of CH₄ release from rice fields to the atmosphere but also influence their capacity to absorb atmospheric CH₄. These results provide essential data for advancing research on irrigation-based technologies aimed at reducing CH₄ emissions in rice cultivation.</p>