Machinery for In-situ Paddy Straw Management
Machinery for In-situ Paddy Straw Management
Sanjay K Patel and Prem K Sundaram
Introduction
The combustion of raw straw is a serious problem all over the world which has several harmful effects such as environmental pollution, i.e. the smoke generated by the combustion of raw straw contains harmful and deadly gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide etc. fields and roadsides, a danger to birds, such as rice straw burns, bird nests in trees in fields and roadsides and their eggs in them are burned. When the rice straw is burned, thick dark smoke spreads widely across the fields, greatly reducing visibility to near zero, causing accidents on the roads. Due to airborne smoke and soot, many diseases such as coughs, fevers, colds, tuberculosis, cancer, eye irritation, allergies, choking, breathing problems and other respiratory diseases have become more frequent these days.
When rice straw is burned, the temperature in nearby areas rises several degrees above the norm, which leads to a change in the environment. Rice residues are an important natural resource and the recycling of these residues improves the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. Rice straw handling is a big problem as it is considered a poor feed for animals due to its high silica content. Based on the results of studies published by several researchers, an analysis was carried out. A rice-wheat sequence that produces 7 t ha-1 of rice and 4 t ha-1 of wheat removes more than N 300, P 30 and K 300 kg ha-1 from the soil; rice and wheat residues reach 7-10 t ha-1 year-1. South Asian farmers have to process 5-7 tons of rice residues and solve problems with sowing wheat.
Control options: combustion, embedding, surface maintenance and mulching, pressing and straw removal. Despite some advantages, such as the destruction of harmful pests and the cleaning of heaps before sowing grain, combustion leads to huge losses of nitrogen (up to 80%), phosphorus (25%), potassium (21%) and sulfur (4-60%), air. pollution (@ CO2 13 t ha-1) depriving soils of organic matter (SOM). This loss of SOM is one of the recognized threats to sustainability. Application leads to the accumulation of SOM, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the soil. The main disadvantage of the introduction is the immobilization of inorganic nitrogen. However, nitrogen in the amount of 15-20 kg / ha as an initial dose with the introduction of straw increases the yield of wheat and rice with respect to combustion. Compared to combustion, surface residue retention increases soil NO3 by 46%, N uptake by 29% and crop yield by 37%. Residue management practices affect the physical properties of the soil, viz. soil moisture, temperature, aggregation, bulk density and hydraulic conductivity.
The soil temperature is affected by a change in the balance between radiant energy and thermal insulation. Rice residues contain high quantities of silicon and can alter the electrochemical properties of acid soils, reducing the fixation of phosphorus; improve soil retention and increase soil pH. The application of rice straw in combination with organic fertilizers increases the yield of the grain of wheat and improves the physical condition of the soil. Incorporating residues resulted in greater microbial activity than removing or incinerating residues.
Therefore, proper residue management can guarantee the improvement of soil properties and the sustainability of crops (Mandal et al., 2004). Methods for handling paddy straw can include manually removing straw from the field for use as animal feed, collecting straw with rakes and presses for use as biofuel in power plants, shredding into small pieces with shredders and use as feed. mulch the next crop or incorporate straw into the soil with a tiller, sub-soiler, and disc plow.
However, rakes and balers are of limited use due to the high cost and limited end use of rice straw. No amount of tillage or no-till farming can help reduce combustion. No-till involves planting crops in previously unprepared soil by opening a hole, narrow crevice, trench or strip of the smallest width and depth necessary to achieve adequate seed coverage. The zero cash register is also known.
Zero till drill post loose straw burning:
The loose straw produced with combine harvesting was burnt directly and wheat was sown in the remaining standing stubbles using ‘Tractor drawn zero till drill’. No preparatory tillage is required in this practice.
Conventional Practices
- Time available between rice harvesting and wheat sowing is very narrow (20-30 days).
- At present, after harvesting rice by combine, the farmers sun-dry the straw for a few days (4-5 days)and then burn them in the field before preparing the field for next cropping – by using disc harrow, cultivator and planker and sow the wheat/potato by seed drill/planter.
Management of paddy stubble/straw
- Two alternate and safe methods for straw management.
- Ex-situ
- In-situ
Ex-situ straw management
- Baling and transporting straw from field, though appear to be an option for safe disposal,
- The ex-situ straw management options are more capital intensive and would require significant subsidy amounts for farmers and user industry to be sustainable.
In-situ straw management
- Financially most viable and workable option in the immediate short run.
- Mulching and incorporation are the two suggested methods of in-situ straw management.
- Mulching is practiced where rice is followed by wheat and incorporation is adopted when rice is followed by potato or other crops.
Machinery for retention of paddy straw as mulch on soil
- Super SMS with Existing Combines + sowing with Happy Seeder
Combine with Super SMS
-For uniform spreading of loose paddy straw left in the field after combine harvesting, the super straw management system (Super SMS) attachment has been developed.
-Super SMS is additional equipment attached with the combine harvester so it cut standing stubble in the small pieces and spread on the soil surface. In this methods of crop harvesting and straw management both done in a single operation through modified combine harvesters.
-The cost of combine with super SMS vary from Rs. 12.00 lakhs to 25.00 lakhs depends upon size of combine harvester.
Happy Seeder
-It is a tractor-mounted machine that cuts and lifts rice straw, sows wheat into the soil, and deposits the straw over the sown area which acts as mulch.
-This option also has the largest potential to reduce the environmental footprint of on-farm activities, as it would eliminate air pollution and would reduce greenhouse gas emissions per hectare by more than 78%, relative to all burning options.
-It is operated by 40 kW tractor, costs about Rs. 1.50 lakhs to 2.00 lakhs and covers 0.3-0.4 ha per hour.
-Majority of the residue is not disturbed and seed is sown in a single pass.
-This technology is eco-friendly with environment for the health of soil as well as it also saves water. ·
-Removes the need to burn rice stubble before planting wheat, therefore reducing air pollution. ·
-Direct sowing also reduces soil disturbance, enabling it to retain more nutrients, moisture and organic content. ·
-Saves money as less time is needed to carry out field operations, which in turn reduces fuel and labour costs.
- Paddy straw Chopper/Mulcher + Reversible Mould Board Plough + Rotavator + Seeder/planter
Straw Chopper
-Harvests the stubbles, chops it into pieces and spreads in the field in a single operation
-It cuts, chops and spreads the paddy straw left (standing and loose straw) in the field after the combine harvester operation. This chopped straw can be used as mulch or it can be incorporated in the soil and sowing of different crops like, wheat, vegetables (carrot, potato, sugarbeet), berseem etc. can be done using different tillage practices and sowing techniques.
-The size of chopped straw lies between 7-10 cm
-It is operated by a 35 kW tractor and field capacity of the chopper is 3-4 ha/day.
Reversible Mould Board Plough
-It is designed to work in all types of soil for functions such as soil breaking, soil raising and soil inversion.
-It can handle the toughest ploughing job with excellent penetration performance.
-The under-frame clearance is adequate to cope with trashy conditions.
-Easy drawbar adjustment.
-For mixing chopped paddy residue left after combine harvesting into the soil for seedbed preparation before sowing wheat, potato or other vegetables.
-Consists of 2 bottoms, costs $ 2800 and covers 0.3 ha area per hour.
Rotavator
-For field preparation, operated with 35 kW tractor.
-Rotating blades pulverise soil by breaking clods. After field preparation, sowing of the next crop by seed drill/planter.
-It covers 0.3-0.35 ha area per hour.
Seeder/Planter
After field preparation seeder or planter can be sown as per crops.
- Combine + Happy Seeder
Happy seeder machine combines the stubble mulching and seed drilling functions into the one machine. Happy seeder sows wheat directly in paddy residue in combine harvested field hence prevents residue burning thus reduces air pollution. An attachment called straw management system (SMS) can be attached behind the combine who spreads the loose straw falling at rear during harvesting operation. The strip of stubble in front of the sowing tynes is cut, picked up and placed on the side of the drilled seed as mulch by flail blades mounted on rotor. The furrow openers cut the furrow slice for proper placement of wheat seed. The sowing tynes therefore engages bare soil. This machine has inverted T-type furrow openers. This PTO driven machine can be operated with 45 HP tractor and covers 0.2-0.3 ha/h. Weed matter was nearly 50% lesser on happy seeder plots as compared with conventionally sown plots. As wheat sown with happy seeder machine grows, straw starts decaying. Mulched crops residue improved the soil health and added organic matter to the soil. This machine can also be used for sowing subsequent moong crop in wheat residue. This is time saving and cheaper method of straw management system. The mulch reduces field temperature by 4-5°C and saves one irrigation in wheat.
- Combine + Zero Till seed cum ferti Drill
After harvesting of paddy crop by combine harvester, the zero till seed-cum-ferti-drill machine is used for no tillage system requiring no previous seed bed preparation after harvesting paddy and sowing of wheat crop effectively in one operation. This machine has inverted T-type furrow openers in place of shovel type furrow openers. The drill performance of the no-till drill was found to be most effective when operated in the fields where the loose straw after the combine harvesting of paddy has been dealt with. It can be operated by a 35 hp or above tractor. Its effective output is about 0.35 to 0.4 ha per hour. Its use saves 60-70% diesel and time and cost of operation in comparison to traditional method.
- Super seeder
-Super seeder is tractor mounted machine that cuts and lifts rice straw, sows’ wheat into the soil, deposit the straw over the sown area as mulch. It also cultivates the paddy straw in the field.
-This technology is eco friendly with environment for the health of soil as well as it also save water. During the time of wheat sowing, farmer generally burn paddy residue which decrease the soil fertility and produce harmful gases for human beings, animal and environment.
-To maintain soil nutrition value it is the most successful implement for sowing wheat in paddy residue without burning straw.
-Possibility of sowing wheat crop just after rice harvesting i.e., option for long duration wheat and paddy varieties.
-Possibility of sowing wheat in the residual moisture i.e., is saving of irrigation.
-Timely sowing wheat even after long duration of basmati rice varieties.
-Less weed growth, improve soil health and environment friendly
-Single pass solution to current farming needs.
-No need to burn paddy stub, environment and health friendly.
-Higher yield as germination is much better in Soft soil if compared with other seedling solution.
-It has unique tine design can be used for tillage and fully functional as rotary tiller as per seasonal requirements of farmer.
-Huge cost saving to farmer in initial investment as compared to other solutions.
-No need to buy a rotary tiller separately, can be used as a multi crop planter.
The super seeder is attached to the tractor through a three-point linkage system. After hitching with the tractor, the PTO shaft of tractor is attached to PTO shaft linkage of machine which gives drive to the super seeder rotor. As the drive wheel moves the fertilizer and seed metering device, the seed and fertilizer start dropping in furrow / slits opened by furrow Opener
Conclusions
Straw incorporation with MB plough also delayed the wheat sowing since the soil took more time to reach the proper seed bed for sowing. Although Happy seeder is quite economical, but wheat crop sown using this method faced attack of pink stem borer and rodents. Some regulatory measures exist, such as impediments for paddy straw burning, and availability of subsidies on straw management implements but also paying farmers for ecosystem services is the need of the hour. Compensation for farmers by including the cost of paddy residue management in the MSP, ensuring the availability of residue management machines at subsidised rates, better custom hiring services and promoting the use of paddy straw in paper mills, energy generation plants, and other industries could all be options for addressing the state’s paddy straw management problem.
