Crop residue burning is a hot topic of discussion among researchers and policy makers. Crop residue burning in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh has been known, but nowadays it's spreading more frequently in other parts of country. According to a report, more than 500 million tonnes of parali (crop residues) is produced annually in the India, cereal crops (rice, wheat, maize and millets) account for 70 per cent of the total crop residue. Of this, 34 per cent comes from rice and 22 per cent from wheat crops, most of which is burnt on the farm. According to an estimate, 20 million tonnes of rice stubble is produced every year in Punjab alone, 80 per cent of which is burnt. This phenomena of residue burning is not only making the feed security of country at risk, but also creating various agro-ecological disturbances and environmental abberances. A study estimates that crop residue burning released 149.24 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), over 9 million tonnes of carbon monoxide (CO), 0.25 million tonnes of oxides of sulphur (SOX), 1.28 million tonnes of particulate matter and 0.07 million tonnes of black carbon. These directly contribute to environmental pollution, and are also responsible for the haze in NCR and melting of Himalayan glaciers. A lot of researches has been done for combating to menace of residue burning which concluded that, Instead of burning of the stubble, it can be used in different ways like cattle feed, compost manure, roofing in rural areas, biomass energy, mushroom cultivation, packing materials, fuel, paper, bio-ethanol and industrial production, etc. Farmers can also manage crop residues effectively by employing agricultural machines like:
-Happy Seeder(used for sowing of crop in standing stubble)
-Rotavator (used for land preparation and incorporation of crop stubble in the soil)
-Zero till seed drill (used for land preparations directly sowing of seeds in the previous crop stubble)
-Baler (used for collection of straw and making bales of the paddy stubble)
-Paddy Straw Chopper (cutting of paddy stubble for easily mixing with the soil)
-Reaper Binder (used for harvesting paddy stubble and making into bundles).
Although, researchers and policy makers showed sincere efforts to manage the problem of residue burning through various plans, schemes, interventions, reules and regulations. However, the problem of residue burning is still a significant issue to be tackle at best.
In this regard, what could be the problem solving ways, innovations, ideas and actions for addessing the issue of residue burning.
Crop Residue Burning in India: Statistics
Of the various crops grown, majority crop residue of rice, wheat and sugarcane are burned. These crops have large returns on investment making it highly impossible for the farmers to find alternative crops, which produces lower crop residues https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6427124/
Stubble burning is intentionally setting fire to the straw stubble that remains after grains, like paddy, wheat, etc., have been harvested. The practice was widespread until the 1990s, when governments increasingly restricted its use.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stubble_burning
India, the second largest agro-based economy with year-round crop cultivation, generates a large amount of agricultural waste, including crop residues. In the absence of adequate sustainable management practices, approximately 92 seems a very small number of metric tons of crop waste is burned every year in India, causing excessive particulate matter emissions and air pollution. Crop residue burning has become a major environmental problem causing health issues as well as contributing to global warming. Composting, biochar production and mechanization are a few effective sustainable techniques that can help to curtail the issue while retaining the nutrients present in the crop residue in the soil. The government of India has attempted to curtail this problem, through numerous measures and campaigns designed to promote sustainable management methods such as converting crop residue into energy. However, the alarming rise of air pollution levels caused by crop residue burning in the city of Delhi and other northern areas in India observed in recent years, especially in and after the year of 2015, suggest that the issues is not yet under control. The solution to crop residue burning lies in the effective implementation of sustainable management practices with Government interventions and policies. This manuscript addresses the underlying technical as well as policy issues that has prevented India from achieving a long-lasting solution and also potential solutions that have been overlooked. However, effective implementation of these techniques also requires us to look at other socioeconomic aspects that had not been considered. This manuscript also discusses some of the policy considerations and functionality based on the analyses and current practices. The agricultural waste sector can benefit immensely from some of the examples from other waste sectors such as the municipal solid waste (MSW) and wastewater management where collection, segregation, recycling and disposal are institutionalized to secure an operational system. Active stakeholder involvement including education and empowerment of farmers along with technical solutions and product manufacturing can also assist tremendously. Even though the issue of crop residue burning touches many sectors, such as environment, agriculture, economy, social aspects, education, and energy, the past governmental efforts mainly revolved around agriculture and energy. This sectorial thinking is another barrier that needs to be broken. The government of India as well as governments of other developing countries can benefit from the emerging concept of nexus thinking in managing environmental resources. Nexus thinking promotes a higher-level integration and higher level of stakeholder involvement that goes beyond the disciplinary boundaries, providing a supporting platform to solve issues such as crop residue burning.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6427124/
India, with 17% of the world population and an agrarian background generates large volumes of food grains such as rice and wheat for domestic consumption as well as for export. According to the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, in 2012–2013, India generated 361 Mt of sugarcane, 94 Mt of wheat and 105 Mt of rice. Of the various crops grown, majority crop residue of rice, wheat and sugarcane are burned. These crops have large returns on investment making it highly impossible for the farmers to find alternative crops, which produces lower crop residues.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6427124/
It is major issue of agricultural crop residual burning in India. Crop residue burning has become a major environmental problem causing health issues as well as contributing to global warming. Composting, biochar production and mechanization are a few effective sustainable techniques that can help to curtail the issue while retaining the nutrients present in the crop residue in the soil. The government of India has attempted to curtail this problem, through numerous measures and campaigns designed to promote sustainable management methods such as converting crop residue into energy. However, the alarming rise of air pollution levels caused by crop residue burning in the city of Delhi and other northern areas in India observed in recent years, especially in and after the year of 2015, suggest that the issues is not yet under control. The solution to crop residue burning lies in the effective implementation of sustainable management practices with Government interventions and policies.
We know its emerging problem of crop residue burning in India, but it's not a permanent solution if we manage crop residual burning. If not make any strick policy regarding the industrial area because more then 80% contributing air pollution from industrialization and motor vehicles etc. So, if we want to really control the air pollution and other environmental hazards problems, Government needs to focus on integrated management strategies like management of crop residual burning, make a policy regarding the industrial area, motor vehicles, and air conditional (AC). If we follow these type strategies can be overcome air pollution in just a few years.
Instead of burning Crop residue , we can recommend crop residue for mulching so that it will act as a fertilizer .Due to burning CO will be released in the atmosphere along with organic carbon which leads air pollution. That is why the people in our country are suffering from asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia.So Govt. should
not allow farmers to burn the crop residue.
It is a burning issue of crop residual managment. Many techniques are availabe to decompose crop residue in the field. Its impact on climate as well as soil degradation due to loss of beneficial microbes in the soil. Some time it is created devastating situation like fire in the forest and neighborhoods fields.
Kindly check https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6427124/
Though the Agricultural Engineering fraternity in India has given various alternatives as mentioned above for the said problem, the Majority of the farmer community is reluctant to adopt better practices owing to a lack of awareness of its global impact such as the well-known "Butterfly Effect". Also, there must be strict Government Policies and Strong actions against non-compliance with the recommended crop residue management practices. On other hand, the local and higher government bodies must recognize and promote the Good farmers on ground and through media who are implementing the new better techniques to tackle this issue.
I am against with soil residue burning due to the negative impact on the soil microorganisms as well as for environment
Crop residue burning is a burning issue. It is not a good practice as it increases air pollution and environmental pollution that cause health problems and also global warming, besides loss of beneficial soil micro-organisms. This practice must be stopped at the earliest by educating the farmers by the scientists, social workers and governments. There is need to find effective, easy and less expensive solution to incorporate crop residues in the soil before the sowing of next crop.
No doubt it's a serious issue and researchers are working really hard to find effective solution of this problem. "Super seeder" is the latest machine gaining popularity among the farmers of Haryana and Punjab as it is capable to turn down the standing stubbles of basmati rice and simultaneously drill the wheat seeds in soil. "Super seeder" is somewhat similar to Happy seeder in appearance but instead of retaining residue on the soil surface it cut down the straw in small pieces and incorporates the residue in soil which leads to faster decomposition of rice residue.
One of the main logic of residue burning especially of rice stubble is gap between rice harvesting and wheat sowing...
If we talk about rice wheat cropping system (as considerable amount of parali or residue is produced by these two crops alone especially in indogangetic regions), there is more gap between wheat harvest and rice sowing either direct seeding or transplanting...but there is very less gap between rice harvesting and wheat sowing..for field preparation, time period is required ..so farmers burns rice residue...also rice residue contain Si which is not suitable for animal feeding while wheat stubble is very good ration for cattle consumption..small farmers which can't afford for happy seeders or zero till, they used to burn rice residue to ensure wheat sowing in time..
But scientifically residue burning should be avoided as it cause harm to human beings animals and soil microorganisms via release of carcinogens as well as particulate materials (PM)..also loss of carbon and soil ecosystem is in danger due to burning of residues...there is lot of options left with us to avoid this burning issues like residue management devices so as to utilize these residues for compost and bio products as well as energy uses..also for animal feeding or mulching as well..residue incorporation is very gentle option...several equipments are available but sometime due to socioeconomic constraints associated with farmers, these are not adopted as small or marginal farmers have very less risk bearing capacity. ..
Unfortunately, recent research has proven that burning agricultural waste and burning forests have a pollutant effect comparable to the pollution caused by burning fossil fuels.
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