Factors Influencing the Adoption of Paddy Straw Management Practices by Farmers of Karnataka (India)

Abstract

Rice occupies a pivotal place in Indian agriculture and it contributes about 13 per cent of annual agriculture GDP and provides 43 per cent calorie requirement for more than 70 per cent of Indian population. This study was conducted in Thungabhadra area of Karnataka and it is also called as ‘Rice Bowl of Karnataka’, since it occupies nearly 65 per cent of total (3.63 lakh ha) area of paddy in Karnataka. In this area, paddy-paddy system is the predominant cropping system. Paddy crop residues include any biomass left in the field after grains and other economic components have been harvested. Crop residues are also a principal source of carbon, which constitutes about 40 per cent of the total biomass on dry weight basis. Crop residues were considered as precious commodity because it can be used as a feed for the fodder and mulching for various crops and must never be considered as waste. The paddy residues are typically burnt on-farm across different regions of this area. The problem is more severe in the head and mid region of this area, particularly in the mechanized harvesting in paddy-paddy cropping system. There are four methods of residue management practices, these are as removal of straw and burning of stubble, burning of straw and stubble, removal of straw and incorporation of stubble and incorporation of straw and stubble among, which removal of straw and burning of stubble (42.45 %) is the major one. The main reasons for burning of residues are low cost and labour scarcity. Total cost of cultivation of paddy per acre was found to be marginally lower burning of straw and stubbles method as compared (₹ 38411/acre) to incorporating straw and stubbles (₹ 41845/acre) method.

A Study on Constraints and Suggestions in Agriwaste Management by Farmers of Medak District in Telangana

“…The reason for the majority of farmers having medium cropping intensity, could be attributed to their small and marginal land holdings and lack of water resources for taking up more crops from same piece of land. The results were in accordance with the findings of Chendrashekhar [5].…”

Determinants of crop residue burning practice in the Terai region of Nepal

“…These areas were found to be relatively less affected by open residue burning as there were plenty of cows, bulls, and buffaloes in the area. Our findings are in line with those of Ahmed and Ahmad [24], Hu [27], Launio et al [28], and Chendrashekhara et al [26]. However, Fang et al [29] report contrary results in Northeast China, where factors such as nondigestibility and poor palatability, among others, restrict the use of straw as animal feed.…”

“…As Nowak [22] indicated, efforts to increase the adoption of PLOS ONE environment-friendly residue management practices need to be based on an understanding of why farmers reject them, or do not take these up in the first place. However, the review of literature shows that there have been few studies assessing the determinants of open crop residue burning in the IGP region [23][24][25][26].…”

“…Ahmed and Ahmad [24], Hu [27], and Chendrashekhara et al [26] report that livestock ownership, or number of animals in a farm, has a significantly positive bearing on farmers choosing to use the residue comprehensively. These studies show that households with a significant number of livestock tend to remove the residue over a significantly larger area.…”