UN body, soil institute discuss effective management of crop residue
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (ICAR-CSSRI), Karnal, jointly organised a stakeholders consultation workshop on “Innovative approaches to crop residue management” at the ICAR-CSSRI, Karnal. The workshop facilitated a dialogue among experts, farmers, policy makers on practical, sustainable approaches to crop residue management, especially in paddy straw. The workshop was organised as part of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-7-cycle funded project titled ‘Promotion of sustainable food systems in India through transforming rice-wheat systems in Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh’.
Speaking at the workshop, S Rukmani, Joint Secretary, Mechanisation and Technology (M&T), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and AN Meshram, Deputy Commissioner M&T emphasised that all should continue the dialogue among various stakeholders. Rukmani highlighted that “Government provided schemes for special support provided to ex-situ management value chain participants in the current year.”
The FAO representative in India, Takayuki Hagiwara, highlighted, “There is no one-size-fits-all solution for sustainable crop residue management. It requires a collaborative effort among all stakeholders. Solutions must address environmental concerns, incentivise farmers and be both practical and acceptable to them.
Dr RK Yadav, Director, ICAR-CSSRI, said proper in-situ management of crop residue can play a significant role in soil-plant-environment system and sustaining soil health and its productive capacity.
Farmers discussed the potential of direct seeded rice (DSR) technology and shared their first hand experiences with crop residue management. They emphasised the benefits of using residues as mulch to enhance soil health. They also suggested developing herbicide-tolerant crop varieties and adopting natural farming practices as key strategies to address crop residue challenges. Some farmers proposed advanced multifunctional machinery capable of handling multiple tasks to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Dr OP Chaudhary, Regional Director of the Rice Research Station, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Kaul campus, recognised the farmers as "field scientists." He shared that three new basmati rice varieties would soon be released, along with several other improved varieties under screening, characterised by low biomass, reduced water requirements, early maturity and herbicide tolerance.
Dr Rajbir Singh, ADG ICAR, commended farmers for their efforts in managing paddy residue on a large scale this year. He emphasised the need for scientific use of machinery, localised residue management approaches (both in situ and ex situ) and fostering behavioural change to ensure effective solutions. He highlighted government support for balers, the importance of improving access to custom hiring centres and better coordination in machinery use. Farmer Amandeep from Rajaund shared his success using the new shredder-seeder-spreader machine.
Dr Buta Singh Dhillon of Punjab Agricultural University advised against early paddy sowing in June, suggesting alternatives to save groundwater under the Punjab Sub-Soil Water Act. He stressed reducing paddy area, highlighting its short-term economic benefits but long-term losses. DSR was recommended for water conservation and better crop residue management due to lower silica content.
