I have prepared this slide after reading some research papers and news articals on the problems and solutions of Crop residues.

1. Crop Residues:
Challenges and
Solutions
Presented by:-
Vikas Kumar
2nd year Student of B.Sc.(Agriculture)
Gochar Mahavidyalya
Rampur Maniharan, Saharanpur (UP)

2. Introduction
India has the total geographical area 329 million
hectares, which includes 195 Mha is gross cropped and 140 net
sown area. About 47.7% of total agricultural land in India was
reliably irrigated. The cultivation area is about 51% of total
geographical area of India than 11% of the world. India has the
cropping intensity 136 % which is increased 25 % since
independence. The cropping system of rice (Oryza sativa)-wheat
(Triticum aestivum) is grown on largest area of the world.

3. This system is practiced as most profitable system in
Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and West Bengal.
It is also known as "Indian Green revolution region",
“food bowl” and includes about 15% of the total
geographical area of India.
The residue from the rice-wheat system
reported as 34% comes from rice and 22% from wheat
crops, most of which is burnt on-farm. In India, on an
average 500 million tons generated of crop residue per
year. The majority of crop residues from rice, wheat,
maize, jowar, ragi and bajra are used as cattle feed and
cotton, chilli, pulses and oilseeds are used as fuel for
household needs.

4. Crop Residue
There are two types of agricultural
crop residues:-
(1.) Field residues are non-economic
materials left in an agricultural field or
orchard after the crop has been harvested.
These residues include stalks and stubble
(stems), leaves, and seed pods. The residue
can be ploughed directly into the ground or
it can be used as mulch on field.

5. (2). Process residues are materials left after the
crop is processed for a usable resource. These
residues include husks, seeds, bagasse,
molasses and roots. It can be used as animal
fodder and soil amendment, fertilizers.
Here we will discuss only about Field Residue:-

6. Utilization of Crop
residues
(1). Crop residues as livestock
feed:- In India, crop residues are
traditionally used as animal's feed. Crop
residues are low-density fibrous
materials, low in nitrogen, soluble
carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. To
meet the nutritional requirements of
animals green leguminous straw is used

7. (2). Compost Making:- The crop
residues have been traditionally used
for preparing compost. For making
compost, firstly crop residues used as
animal bending, where animal shed
each kilogram straw absorb 2-3 kg
urine(Rich in N) and after that is
heaped in dung pits. The compost
prepared by this method contains
1.5% N, 2.5% P2O5 and 2.5 %
K2O(Sidhu and Beri 2005).

8. (3). Bio-energy Production:- Crop residues can
be utilized as a source of energy due to its sustainable
advantages. In recent years, there has been an increase
in the usage of crop residues for energy generation and
as substitute for fossils fuels. In comparison of other
energy sources(like- solar and wind), it is storable,
inexpensive and eco-friendly.
(4). Bio-Fuel and bio-oil Production:-
Conversion of ligno-cellulosic biomass into alcohol or
either with gasoline used as neat fuel in IC engines.
Bio-oil can be produced from crop residues by the
process of fast pyrolysis(biomass is raised to 400-500C
within few sec.)

9. (5).Bio-gas generation:-
Gasification is a thermo-chemical
process in which ids formed by the
partial combustion of crop residues.
The crop residues can be used in the
gasifires for producer gas generation.
The generated producer gas is used in
specially designed gas engines for
producing electricity.

10. (6). Biochar production:-
Biochar is a high carbon material
produced through slow
pyrolysis(heat in absence of Oxygen)
of biomass. It is a fine grained
charcoal and can play a major role in
the long term storage of carbon in
soil. However, in the current level of
technology, it is not economically
viable but it can be viable in future
with new technology.

11. Management methods of crop
residues with maintaining
Sustainable Agriculture
(1). Minimize mechanical soil
disturbances:- Including land levelling,
zero/minimum tillage, unpuddled rice
transplantation, avoid straw burning and sowing
crops directly into untilled soil to improve soil
organic material content and soil health.

12. (2). Enhancing organic matter cover on soil:-
Using crop residues. leaving crop residues on soil
surface is better option due to having quality to
protect moisture and evaporation losses. In situ
incorporation is the another option to improve soil
organic matter and balancing nutrient level in soil.
(3). Diversification of Crops:- Amgain et al.
(2013) assess the effect of crop residues management
practices in terms of productivity and profitability
with diversification of crop in dryland conditions of
North-Western India.

13. Problems Facing using crop
residues with Sustainable
Agriculture
Difficulties in sowing and in application of
fertilizer, pesticides.
Weed control is the major occurring
problem in Rice-wheat system.
Excessive use of chemical herbicides
makes soil unhealthy.

14. Special implements are required for fertilizer
application which causes high cost of cultivation.
Less use efficiency of basal application of
Nitrogen fertilizer at the time of sowing.
Nutrient management become difficult due to
higher levels of crop residues level.
Comparatively lower crop yield or economic
returns.
Requires management skilled person.

15. Reasons of on-farm burning of
crop residues
Farmers and policy makers are well
aware of the adverse consequences of on-farm
burning crop residues. Because of increasing in
mechanization, using of combine harvesters
about 80% of the residues are left in the field as
straw. Thus, it becomes a problem to
management of this crop residues.

16. On other hand, there arte some other reasons
also behind to burning the crop residues. On
farm burning, it is a fast way to clear the filed
from residues which helps timely sowing or
planting of crops. It is a fast method of control
weeds, insects and diseases. The time interval
between Rice harvesting and wheat sowing in
Northern India is only 15-20 days. In this short
duration, farmers prefers to burn crop residues
on farm.

17. Adverse effects of on-farm
burning of crop residues
Burning of crop residues promotes to
release the corbon particles in the
atmosphere and smoke causing human
and animals. It also promotes to
emission of greenhouse gases viz.
Carbon-di-oxide (CO2), Methane (CH4)
and nitrous oxide, causing global
warming and loss of plant nutrients.

18. The burning of crop residues is
wastage of valuable resources which could
become a good source of carbon, bio-active
compounds, feed and energy for small
industries. Heat generated from the burning
of crop residues leads soil temperature
which is a main cause of death of active
beneficial microbes population.

19. Solutions for Crop residues burning
problem
A new study has found that farmers in North
India can't only help to reduce the air pollution even
they improve the productivity of soil and earn
profits if they stop burn their crop residues.
On the behalf of research it is found that
some ways could become a solution of crop
residues burning problem.

20. Here are some of them:-
(1). Waste decomposer:- Scientists
at National Centre for Organic farming
have developed a 'Waste decomposer'
solution including effective micro-
organisms that can do in-situ composting
of the crop residues.
This is done by spraying on the post
harvest stalks of the crop and leaving it for
about an month. The waste decomposer
comes in a small bottle at only rupees 20.

21. Methodology of using Waste Decomposer

22. (2). Conversion of Crop
Residues:- In a recent tweet, The
legend Agricultural Scientist Dr. MS
Swaminathan also said, In South India ,
stubbles are not burning as there's
economic value as animals feed.
Farmers can recycle stubbles to make
products including paper , cardboard
and animal feed.

23. (3). Happy Seeder:- Instead
of burning the stubbles, a tractor-
mounted machine called Happy
Seeder (Developed by PAU,
Ludhiana) which cuts and lifts rice
straw, sows wheat into bare soil
and deposits the straw over the
sown area as mulch.

24. (4). Converting Crop residues
into cutlery:- Kriya Labs, an IIT
Delhi startup developed a machine
that can convert the leftover rice
straw into pulp, which can be
modified into biodegradable
cutlery. Kriya labs claims that they
can develop 4-5 tones pulp from
rice residues by 800 acres of land
in a single day.

25. Conclusion
India has the challenging task of
ensuring food security for the 2nd most
populated country. Besides, farming in future
has to be multi-functional and ecologically
sustainable so that it can deliver ecosystem
goods and services as well as livelihoods to
producers and society.

26. Crop residues are great sources of economic
values as livestock feed, fuel and industrial raw material,
and in Sustainable Agriculture. Crop residues, either partly
or entirely must be used for conservation agriculture for
ensuring the country's food security, making agriculture
sustainable and the soil resource base healthy.
I’m also a human, mistakes may be found in
my presentation, so your kindly suggestions are invited.
• References- Some of the topics have prepared with the help of some research
papers and news websites.

27. Thank You