A Comprehensive Review of Crop Residue Management: Practices, Economic Implications, and Environmental Impact
Keywords:
Crop Residue Management, Stubble Burning, Mulching, Conservation AgricultureAbstract
Our paper reviews the challenges of crop residue management by examining the economic and environmental impacts. With annual production exceeding 5 billion tonnes, most crop residue is managed unsustainably, harming the environment and sustainability. We identify three main residue management approaches: burning, removal from the field, and incorporation. The choice of residue management practices depends on the costs incurred and the potential returns from alternative methods. Open burning and other unsustainable management practices harm the environment through air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil degradation, with an adverse impact on human health and climate change. Incorporating residues into soil improves soil health, increases carbon storage, and improves ecosystem services. The evaluation of current policies demonstrates their limited effectiveness, underscoring the need for robust regulatory frameworks to promote environmentally friendly crop residue management. This paper makes the case for a comprehensive policy framework that integrates financial incentives with new residue management technologies. Key measures should include bioenergy production, developing markets for residue-derived products, and providing affordable management solutions for farmers. The new approach should create economic advantages through sustainable environmental practices.
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