Crop residue management challenges, opportunities and way forward for sustainable food-energy security in India: A review

Crop residue crucially contributes in running the essential agro-environment services. The modernization in crop production with high yielding varieties substantially increased the crop residue and its management challenges. The critical window period between two crops like in wheat sowing after rice and sugarcane harvest and poor suitability of some crop residues for animal feed pushed the malpractice of crop residue burning especially in developing countries like India. In long-term, the practice of residue burning along with climate change phe-nomenon puts the serious challenges in maintaining the quality of natural resources and sustainable crop pro-duction system. The precious elements retained in the crop residue are lost upon burning and converted to harmful air pollutants which otherwise can run the essential services in soil-plant system and find industrial applications as feedstock if managed in a sustainable way. The present review article provides critical insights on the current status of residue production and in-situ management of crop residue via different routes using suitable machinery package along with relative advantages and challenges. The prospective of crop residue to derive the soil ameliorants through composting and thermal decomposition approaches are critically discussed in the present review study. Moreover, a brief account is presented on residue derived energy generation (liquid and gaseous fuels) through thermo-chemical and thermal decomposition processes, which can ease the burden of fossil fuels on environment as well as economy of the country. The review article also explores cutting-edge industrial application of crop residue, present challenges and future thrust areas to overcome such issues in the sustainable crop residue management.

Automated summary

Crop residue plays a crucial role in agro-environment services, but the modernization of crop production has led to increased residue and management challenges, particularly in developing countries like India where burning is a common practice. The long-term effects of residue burning and climate change pose serious threats to natural resources and sustainable crop production. This review article provides critical insights on residue production and management, discussing various approaches for sustainable residue utilization and industrial applications. It also explores the prospects of deriving soil ameliorants and energy from crop residues, as well as the challenges and future directions for sustainable residue management.