Ecofriendly Management of Paddy Crop Residues for Sustainable Environment and Developmen

Abstract

The world-wide mechanization leads to large amount of ricecrop residue or stubbles production. The management of rice(paddy) crop’s post harvested residue is done by burning,incorporation/ amalgamation, surface retention, mulching,bailing and direct removal. The farmers prefer burning ofresidue in field because it is cheap and less time consumingprocess. But it causes air pollution, smog and addition of toxicparticle into the environment leads to poor air quality and hazyfloating clouds. Despite some advantages like killingdeleterious pests and clearing weeds from the field, theburning leads to loss of nitrogen up to 80%, phosphorus 25%,potassium 21%, sulfur 60%, soil organic matter (SOM) andincreases air pollution and CO2 concentration. Theincorporation of post harvested crop residues in soil by usingavailable agricultural implements causes immobilization ofinorganic nitrogen (N 2 ). It also affects soil temperature,moisture, bulk density and pH. Therefore, Governments andscholars together regularly preparing and amending severalpolicies to not to burn paddy crop residues and promotingmanagement of post harvested paddy crop stubbles byenvironmentally safer ways. The ecofriendly methods forresidues management provides a new dimension for theapplication of post harvested residues as bedding material forcattle, fodder (treated with NaOH, NH3 , Urea, lignolytic fungiand enzymes to reduce the silica content), packaging material,fuel, biogas generator, and in paper production, mushroomcultivation, and bio-thermal power plants, for sustainableenvironment and development. Paddy crop residues are usedas an alternative fuel source in thermal plant for electricitygeneration in Malaysia. The microbial degradation of cropresidues in the soil can be accelerated using differentamendments (paddy straw + 5% cow dung slurry, 5kg ha -1Trichoderma harizianum, 5kg ha- 1 Pleurotus sajor, nitrogen fixingand phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms in the soil) forthe ecofriendly development of crop yield. Thus, sustainableuse and management of paddy crop residues proved beneficialfor farmers, society as well as environment by enhancedeconomy, soil fertility and reduced pollution level.