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Way forward to adopt agricultural practices for paddy straw management based on carbon sequestration and GHG emissions

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Abstract

Rice–wheat is the leading double-cropping system in Asian subtropical countries, and the management of rice straw after harvesting with combine harvesters is a major problem. With increasing attention being placed on mitigating global warming and achieving sustainable agricultural intensification, we estimate carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the adoption of various straw management practices, to incentivize farmers based on carbon credits. The total cost involved with the adoption of straw management practices including losses in productivity was in the range of Rs. 5500–14,866/ha when straw was incorporated in the soil. Total carbon credited either sequestered in soils or as GHG emissions varied from a minimum of − 0.97 t CO2 eq/ha, when paddy straw was partially burnt, to a maximum of 5.17 t CO2 eq/ha, when straw was kept as mulch with minimum cost involved in managing the straw. Hence, mulching of straw using zero or minimum tillage practices has the least global warming potential and should be promoted for the management of straw in the rice–wheat cropping system.

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Abbreviations

CHC:

Custom hiring centres

CH4 :

Methane

CO:

Carbon monoxide

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

FAO:

Food and agricultural organization

GHG:

Green house gas

GWP:

Global warming potential

KVK:

Krishi Vigyan Kendra

PACS:

Primary Agricultural Co-operative Societies

PPM:

Parts per million

SO2 :

Sulfur dioxide

SOC:

Soil organic carbon

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge All India Coordinated Research Project on Farm Implements and Machinery (AICRP on FIM), ICAR and National Agriculture Higher Education Project (NAHEP), ICAR for financial and other support for conducting this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

    Manjeet Singh, Aseem Verma & Tarandeep Singh

  2. School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

    Asim Biswas

  3. Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

    O. P. Choudhary

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  1. Manjeet Singh
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  2. Asim Biswas
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  3. Aseem Verma
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  4. Tarandeep Singh
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  5. O. P. Choudhary
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Correspondence to Tarandeep Singh.

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Singh, M., Biswas, A., Verma, A. et al. Way forward to adopt agricultural practices for paddy straw management based on carbon sequestration and GHG emissions. Paddy Water Environ 21, 295–305 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10333-023-00931-z

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