A review on zero tillage as a sustainable approach for crop residue burning

Abstract

The management of crop residues is extremely important because it contains plant nutrients and enhances the soil-plant-atmospheric continuum. Burning biomass not only pollutes the atmosphere, but also contributes to the loss of important essential plant nutrients. In north-west states of India, especially in Punjab and Haryana, the disposal of crop residues primarily paddy has turned out to be a huge problem, resulting in farmers preferring to burn the residues in-situ. There are adverse effects on human health, soil health and the atmosphere from the burning of crop residues. In order to maintain the crop/paddy residues in situ, the timely availability of conservation agriculture machinery is of greatest importance. The processing and transport of sufficient crop/paddy residue mass is tedious, so the management of ex-situ residues is not yet an economically viable choice. For this vast dilemma, zero tillage is a promising solution. Agricultural waste opens up vibrant possibilities for its flexible use and can be used if residues are properly collected and handled. It is a requirement for zero tillage to be used for surplus residue. There is an urge to raise awareness among farming communities to enable them to understand the significance of zero tillage for crop residues to Indian agriculture's sustainability and resilience.