Explained: How Waste Decomposer Can Solve The Problem Of Stubble Burning

According to data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, farm fires increased by 21% between September 15 and October 31 compared to last year. In comparison to the same time the previous year, incidents of farm fires have decreased by 32% in Haryana and 28% in Uttar Pradesh.

A solution called a "Waste Decomposer" has been created by scientists at the National Centre for Organic Farming. It is prepared with powerful microorganisms that help the crop residue compost in situ. This is done by spraying the preparation onto the crop plants' post-harvest stalks and leaving it on for a month.

India produces more than 500 million tonnes of parali, or crop residues annually and cereal crops like rice, wheat, maize, and millets account for 70% of the total. The peak of Stubble burning occurs in November, which coincides with the end of the southwest monsoon.

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What is Stubble Burning?

Stubble or Parali burning is used to remove paddy crop residues from the field so that wheat can be sown. The act of lighting the straw stubble that is left over from the harvesting of grains like paddy, wheat etc. is known as "stubble burning."

In October and November, it is common practice throughout the North West of India, primarily in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Why do farmers practice stubble burning?

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The popularity of Mechanised harvesting results in 1- to the 2-foot-tall stubble that takes approximately one and a half months to decompose on its own. Thus, farmers burn the residue rather than wait for it to decompose because they need the soil to be prepared for the next crop. Further, it is a cheaper method of eliminating crop residue.

How does it impact the environment?

Toxic pollutants like carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds (VOC) are released into the atmosphere by stubble burning. These pollutants spread throughout the environment, eventually forming a thick layer of smog that has an impact on air quality and people's health.

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When the husk is burned on the ground, the soil loses nutrients and becomes less fertile. It generates heat that penetrates the soil, increasing erosion and resulting in the loss of moisture and beneficial microbes.

The farmers have been forced to quickly clear their fields between the Kharif and rabi crops because of the shorter harvesting season caused by climate change. The fastest way to do this is to burn off any remaining stubble after harvest.

What are the solutions?

The model presented by Chhattisgarh to tackle the issue is very effective, under which the Chhattisgarh government has set up gauthans as part of an innovative experiment. Every village has a dedicated five-acre plot called a gauthan on which all of the unused stubble is turned into organic fertilizer by mixing it with cow dung and a few natural enzymes.

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Pusa Bio-Decomposer is a liquid solution made from fungi that can make hard stubble soft enough to mix with soil in the field to make compost. It was created by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and is named after ICAR's campus in Delhi, Pusa. It quickly turns animal dung, crop residues, and other waste into organic manure.

When paddy is harvested and wheat is sown, the fungi thrive at temperatures between 30 and 32 degrees Celsius. It makes enzymes that break down paddy straw's cellulose, lignin, and pectin. It is a low-cost and efficient method for managing crop residue and other agricultural waste.

The Happy Seeder, a tractor-mounted machine that cuts and lifts rice straw, sows wheat into the bare soil, and deposits the straw as mulch over the sown area, is an alternative to burning the stubble.