A global dataset for the production and usage of cereal residues in the period 1997-2021

Crop residue management plays an important role in determining agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and related changes in soil carbon stocks. However, no publicly-available global dataset currently exists for how crop residues are managed. Here we present such a dataset, covering the period 1997-2021, on a 0.5 degrees resolution grid. For each grid cell we estimate the total production of residues from cereal crops, and determine the fraction of residues (i) used for livestock feed/bedding, (ii) burnt on the field, (iii) used for other off-field purposes (e.g. domestic fuel, construction or industry), and (iv) left on the field. This dataset is the first of its kind, and can be used for multiple purposes, such as global crop modelling, including the calculation of greenhouse gas inventories, estimating crop-residue availability for biofuel production or modelling livestock feed availability.

Automated summary

Crop residue management plays a crucial role in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon stocks. This study presents a global dataset on crop residue management from 1997 to 2021, providing fundamental data for global crop modeling, greenhouse gas inventory calculation, and estimation of crop residue availability for biofuel production and livestock feed modeling.