Crop Residues Management
Crop Residues Management
Topic: Rice residue management under conservation agriculture. Discuss about the impacts on ecosystem
• The intensification of land use results in less time between crops for managing these residues, which can
interfere with tillage and seeding operations for the next crop.
• The lack of alternative uses for crop residues and lack of appropriate mechanization to handle
increasing quantities of residue have driven Asian farmers increasingly to burn crop residues as a method of
disposal.
• Crop residue (approximately 80 percent) was burned during the postharvest seasons of April-May and
November-December.
Why farmers burn crop residues?
• Management of crop residues with conservation agriculture is vital for long-term sustainability of Indian
agriculture.
• Burning of residues must be discouraged and utilized gainfully for conservation agriculture in improving
soil health and reducing environmental pollution.
• Regions where crop residues are used for animal feed and other useful purposes, some amount of
residues should be recycled into the soil.
• Recent estimates have revealed that conservation agriculture-based resource conserving technologies
(RCTs) with innovations in residue management avoid straw burning, improve soil organic C,
enhance input efficiency and have the potential to reduce GHGs emissions.
• Several technologies are available for efficient use of crop residues in conservation agriculture.
Retaining Rice Residue (Mulching)
• After rice harvest, leave the rice straw and stubble intact on the field.
Benefits:
• Rice straw or stubble left on the field acts as a natural mulch that
prevents evaporation, thus preserving soil moisture during dry
periods.
• The mulch layer left by the rice straw helps suppress weed growth,
control erosion, and reduce evaporation.
Permanent crop cover with recycling of crop
residues is a pre-requisite and integral part of
conservation agriculture. However, sowing of a
crop in the presence of residues of preceding crop
is a problem.
• Zero-till drilling in crop residues keeps canopy temperatures lower by 1-1.5ºC during grain filling stage
and sustains soil moisture availability to the plants.
• Surface retention of crop residues increases N uptake and yield and improves the soil physical
properties in rice-wheat systems.
• Though residues incorporation leads to immobilisation of inorganic N but addition of 15-20 kg N with
straw incorporation increases the yield of rice and wheat.
Impact of crop residues on soil health
Mulching with plant residues raises the minimum soil temperature in winter and decreases soil
temperature during summer due to shading effect.
Increase hydraulic conductivity and reduce bulk density of soil
Modify soil structure and aggregate stability.
Retention of crop residues on the soil surface slows the runoff.
The crop residues act as a reservoir for plant nutrients, prevent leaching of nutrients, increase cation
exchange capacity (CEC)
Leaving substantial amounts of crop residues evenly distributed over the soil surface reduces wind and
water erosions.
Impact of crop residues on pests
Lower soil temperature and higher soil moisture content under crop residues would also affect pest
infestation.
Residues change the type and density of weeds, which in turn influence insects and natural enemies.
The surface residues may ensure survival of a number of insects, both harmful and beneficial.
Reduced tillage systems may contain higher levels of pest inoculums than the conventional system.
Since the zero/reduced tillage system reduces the fallow period among crops, it may result in altered
incidence of certain insects.
Population of termite and white grubs generally increases under the reduced tillage. Also, may favour
snails and slugs, causing damage to crops.
Increased pest and weed problems during the ‘transition period’ are major hurdles in adoption of
conservation agriculture by farmers.
Constraints of using crop residues with conservation agriculture
• Difficulties in sowing and application of fertilizer and pesticides, and problems of pest infestation.
• Requires more attention on timings and placement of nutrients, pesticides and irrigation.
• Lot of improvements have been done in the zero-till seed-cum-fertilizer drill system to give farmers a
hassle-free technology.
• Application of fertilizers, especially N entirely as basal dose at the time of seeding may result in a loss in
efficiency and environmental pollution
• Specialized equipment are required for proper fertilizer placement, which contributes to higher costs.