Abstract
Rice occupies a pivotal place in Indian agriculture and it contributes about 13 per cent of annual agriculture GDP and provides 43 per cent calorie requirement for more than 70 per cent of Indian population. This study was conducted in Thungabhadra area of Karnataka and it is also called as ‘Rice Bowl of Karnataka’, since it occupies nearly 65 per cent of total (3.63 lakh ha) area of paddy in Karnataka. In this area, paddy-paddy system is the predominant cropping system. Paddy crop residues include any biomass left in the field after grains and other economic components have been harvested. Crop residues are also a principal source of carbon, which constitutes about 40 per cent of the total biomass on dry weight basis. Crop residues were considered as precious commodity because it can be used as a feed for the fodder and mulching for various crops and must never be considered as waste. The paddy residues are typically burnt on-farm across different regions of this area. The problem is more severe in the head and mid region of this area, particularly in the mechanized harvesting in paddy-paddy cropping system. There are four methods of residue management practices, these are as removal of straw and burning of stubble, burning of straw and stubble, removal of straw and incorporation of stubble and incorporation of straw and stubble among, which removal of straw and burning of stubble (42.45 %) is the major one. The main reasons for burning of residues are low cost and labour scarcity. Total cost of cultivation of paddy per acre was found to be marginally lower burning of straw and stubbles method as compared (₹ 38411/acre) to incorporating straw and stubbles (₹ 41845/acre) method.
Highlights
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a vital cereal food crop for more than half of the world’s population
In Thungabhadra Project (TBP) command area, the paddy straw was used as a major source for animal feed so it had high value so the farmers are not ready to lose the income from the paddy residue so the major farmers in the command area are collecting the paddy residue and burning only remaining stubbles
The major factors, which influence to the decision to burn paddy crop residue are the use of combine harvesters and scarcity of labour for collection of residue
Summary
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a vital cereal food crop for more than half of the world’s population. The total area under rice in Karnataka is 1.29 m ha with an annual production of 3.6 m t and the productivity is 2630 kg /ha during 2014-151. The term paddy residue with its connotations of something left over that nobody wants, gives a false impression of the value of the straw, stubbles and other vegetative parts of crops that remain after harvest, especially since many farmers burn them or otherwise dispose of them. These paddy residues are used as animal feed, for thatching of homes and as source of domestic and industrial fuel. Appropriate management of crop residues assumes a great significance
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