Adoption of paddy straw management techniques in Haryana: Effective approach on environmental conservation

Abstract

Crop residue burning directly contributes to environmental pollution and releases 149.24 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), over 9 million tonnes of carbon monoxide (CO), 0.25 million tonnes of oxides of sulphur (SOX), 1.28 million tonnes of particulate matter and 0.07 million tonnes of black carbon. The burning of paddy straw results in extensive impacts both on and off farm, e.g. losses in soil organic matter, soil nutrients, production and productivity, air quality, biodiversity, water and energy efficiency and on human and animal health. In India, being a largest producer of rice as well as of its residue, the effects from residue burning are more severe (Yadav, R.S.2019). There are diverse set of productive techniques for paddy straw management that can be utilised such as composting, straw as a ruminant fodder, incorporated in the soil, gasification, bailing, mushroom farming, production of bio-fuel, recycling in soil, packing material and bio-char production (Pathaket al., 2010). The study on ‘Knowledge and Adoption of Paddy Straw Management Techniques in Haryana’ was conducted with following specific objectives of knowledge, adoption and constraints by the farmer in adoption of paddy straw management techniques. Majority (75 %) of the farmers were having low level of adoption regarding Paddy Straw Management Techniques. Whereas full (100%) adoption of paddy straw as animal fodder got I^st rank followed by domestic purpose got rank 2^nd. The respondents had a greater level of acceptance adoption of Spreader/Shrub Master with weighted mean score of 0.95 got rank 1^st.