Impacts of Mechanized Crop Residue Management on Rice-Wheat Cropping System—A Review

Santosh Korav, Gandhamanagenahalli A. Rajanna (), Dharam Bir Yadav, Venkatesh Paramesha, Chandra Mohan Mehta, Prakash Kumar Jha, Surendra Singh and Shikha Singh
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Santosh Korav: Department of Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University (Phagwara), Phagwara 144411, India
Gandhamanagenahalli A. Rajanna: ICAR-Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh 362001, India
Dharam Bir Yadav: RRS Bawal, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Hisar 125004, India
Venkatesh Paramesha: Department of Natural Resource Management, ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Old Goa 403402, India
Chandra Mohan Mehta: Department of Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University (Phagwara), Phagwara 144411, India
Prakash Kumar Jha: Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
Surendra Singh: Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center, Oregon State University, Adams, OR 97810, USA
Shikha Singh: Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Oregon State University, Hermiston, OR 97838, USA

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-19

Abstract: Residue management has become a new challenge for Indian agriculture and agricultural growth, as well as environmental preservation. The rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) is predominantly followed cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP), resulting in generating a large volume of agricultural residue. Annually, India produces 620 MT of crop residue, with rice and wheat accounting for 234 MT of the surplus and 30% of the total. Farmers are resorting to burning crop residue due to the short window between paddy harvest and seeding of rabi season crops, namely wheat, potato, and vegetables, for speedy field preparation. Burning of residues pollutes the environment, thus having adverse effects on human and animal health, as well as resulted in a loss of plant important elements. This problem is particularly prevalent in rice-wheat-dominant states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. If we may use in situ management as residue retention after chopper and spreader, sowing wheat with Happy seeder/zero drill/special drill with full residue load, full residue, or full residue load incorporation with conventional tillage, burning is not the sole approach for residue management. In addition, off-farm residues generated are being utilized for animal feed and raw materials for industries. While there are regional variations in many mechanization drivers and needs, a wide range of mechanization components can be transported to new places to fit local conditions. This article focuses on innovations, methods, and tactics that are relevant to various mechanization systems in particular geographical areas. This article also stresses the need for a thorough analysis of the amount of residue generated, residue utilization using modern mechanical equipment, and their positive and negative effects on crop yield and yield attributes, weed diversity, soil physic-chemical, biological properties, beneficial, and harmful nematode populations in the IGP, which will aid researchers and policymakers in farming research priorities and policy for ensuring sustainability in RWCS.

Keywords: in situ management; microbial community; residue generation; residue burning; soil health; weed diversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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