© 2018 Discovery Publica ARTICLE REVIEW Crop residues man sustainability Jay Shankar Singh The advance tools and technologies in agricult security to most of the countries. However, lon deterioration, over use of natural resources and to improved tools and technologies have result now a common practice at filed conditions c microbial biomass diversity, etc. Residue incorp decomposition in anaerobic flooded soil cond Therefore, appropriate sustainable managemen assumes a great significance to the major agri education would reduce the CRs burning p communication, current concerns and possible of the developing countries including India, has partly or entirely can be used for agriculture con INTRODUCTION Crop residues (CRs) have been defined as the part of t in the field after harvest. Globally, it is estimated tha agricultural residues increased by 33 %, reaching 5 2003 to 2013 (Cherubin et al., 2018). The Asian con producer of crop residues, 47 % of the total, followe %) Europe (16 %) Africa (6 %) and Oceania ( However, non availability of labour, high cost of res the field and increasing use of combines in harvesting reasons behind burning of CRs in the fields. Burni environmental pollution, hazardous to human greenhouse gases causing global warming and resul nutrients like N, P, K and S. Therefore, appropriate m amount of CRs assumes a great significance in producing countries. Indian economy with gross domestic potential 65% of the population directly depends on the agricu having 15 different agro-climatic zones, experience tropical and temperate types of crops. The Indo Gang one of the largest cultivating areas with fertile lands, s part of northern and eastern India, southern Nepal, pa Bangladesh. The states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar P West Bengal constitute the major part of the region, a million ha in terms of growing rice and wheat crops crops together contribute more than 70% of total ce India (around 27 Mha area of for wheat and about cultivation). REVIEW 4(16), October- De ISSN 2394–8558 EISSN 2394–8566 Department of Environmental Microbiology, Babasaheb Bhimra University, Lucknow-226025, Uttar Pradesh, India; E-mail: jayshankar_1@yahoo.co.in ation. All Rights Reserved. www.discoveryjournals.org OPEN ACCES nagement in agro-envi ture sector of have played a significant role in enhancem ng term sustainability of current agricultural system is a d erratic climate patterns due to global warming. In recen ted in huge quantities of crop residues (CRs) production causing soil health deterioration, air pollution, loss of poration results more microbial activity than residue rem ditions substantially increases green house gases emis nt of huge amount of crop residues produced every ye icultural producing countries. Appropriate management practices and the related environmental, social and options related to efficient management of CRs has been s challenging tasks to ensure food and environmental se nservation to country’s food security, agriculture and env the plant that is left at the production of billion Mg during ntinent is the largest wed by America (29 (2 %), (Figure 1). sidue removal from g the crops are main ning of CRs causes health, produces ults in loss of plant management of huge major agricultural (16%) and nearly ulture sector. India, es to cultivate both getic Plains (IGP) is surrounding a large arts of Pakistan and Pradesh, Bihar and account for over 10 s. These two major ereal production in 40 Mha for paddy In India, about 500 million tons generated every year (MNRE, 2009). Fu feed India’s future projected popula agricultural production, especially that foods), would have to certainly increa rice-wheat (RW) cropping pattern of contributed significantly in the food s sustainability of this unique cropping pa of soil fertility, over exploitation of n adverse impacts of climate change. At t irrigated RW system have resulted in p CRs. As a result the practice of rice common in north-western parts of India serious air quality problems. It has been declared that after China, producing country. India produces about approximately 130 million tons of straw. T this total paddy straw produced each However, the rest is mostly burned in the also applied by brick kilns, paper and pack straw emits huge amount of trace gases li methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxid matters, which creates severe human healt India, these paddy CRs fires occur twi spring crop harvesting. Last year, India’ enveloped in a thick haze that was part of paddy CRs left over from the paddy According to the Delhi Pollution Cont 2017 it was monitored that the levels o that 2.5 μ reached up to 700 μg per cubi ecember, 2018 Clim Ch rao Ambedkar SS Page653 ironmental ment of crop yields and food at risk because of soil health nt years, high crop yields due n annually. Burning of CRs is agriculturally important soil moval or burning. Paddy CRs ssions particularly methane. ear is need of the hour and planning and environmental d economical loss. In this n discussed. At present most ecurity. Hence the CRs, either vironmental sustainability. (Mt) of agricultural CRs are urthermore, it is assumed that to ation of 1.35 billion in 2025, of rice and wheat (major staple ase by about 25%. In India, the f the Indo-Gangetic Plains has security. However, viability and attern is at risk due to the decline natural resources and emerging the same time, high yields of the production of huge quantities of straw burning at field sites is a causing soil nutrient losses and India is the world’s largest paddy t 98 million tons of paddies with The data showed that about half of year is used as animal fodder. e fields and only a small amount is kaging industry. Burning of paddy ike carbon dioxide, sulphur oxide, de and large amount of particulate th and environmental problems. In ice a year, after the autumn and ’s capital New Delhi experienced tially due to widespread burning y harvest in Haryana and Punjab. trol Committee, on October 31, of particulate matters (PMs) less ic meter in Delhi, more than 10 mate hange