Status of Combine Harvested Paddy Straw Management and Economics of Pulse Sowing in Eastern India

Author: Bhabani Shankar Dash*, Sangram Keshari Swain, Debaraj Behera, Rashmi Ranjan Pattnaik and Ashish Kumar Dash

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Abstract

Combine Harvested (CH) paddy straw left behind in the field obstruct the movement of the machines and furrow openers causing irregular seed placement thereby affecting the growth of plants. Farmers opt for open field straw burning as an easy and economical way to manage straw without realising the implications on soil and the environment. A study comprising of 132 farmers was conducted through a three-stage purposive sampling method to assess different straw management and pulse sowing methods in two districts of Odisha and evaluate the cost economics involved in pulse sowing. The study revealed that the percentage of farmers adopting burnt-out straw (BOS), usable straw (US) and leftover straw (LOS) for Puri and Bhadrak districts are 67.14, 50.05 and 49.99% and 59.94, 51.93 and 55.93%, respectively. Among the four distinct conventional field preparation and pulse sowing methods practised in these regions, the two prominent methods were C + B + C (cultivator + broadcasting + cultivator)

Keywords

Residue burning, Straw management, Pulse sowing, Cost economics, Purposive sampling, Broadcasting.

Conclusion

The study was conducted employing a three-stage purposive sampling method to evaluate the status of CH paddy straw management and pulse sowing methods in Odisha with 132 respondents (farmers), and the following specific outcomes were obtained. 1. The farmers in the study area mostly practise the conventional method of straw management (burning, manual collection, and straw retention) with mean burning rates of 67.14 and 59.94% in the Puri and Bhadrak districts, respectively. 2. The practice of open field straw burning is emerging as a low-cost option to manage the combine harvested straw within the field to facilitate the operation of available machinery (rotavator, cultivator, and zero-till drill) in the field. 3. Among the practised conventional pulse sowing techniques, the most economical and popular methods of sowing were identified to be C + B + C and C (2) + B + Cv with an expenditure of Rs 1994.0 and 2476.0 per ha, respectively. 4. It was also observed that, use of conserv

References

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How to cite this article

Dash, B.S., Swain, S.K., Behera, D., Pattnaik, R.R. and Dash, A.K. (2021). Status of Combine Harvested Paddy Straw Management and Economics of Pulse Sowing in Eastern India. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 13(3a): 214-220.