Updated: October 8, 2020 1:42:45 pm
A worker burns wheat stubble in his field in Ludhiana. (Express photo: Gurmeet Singh)
The rice stubble burning season is here, and satellite remote sensing data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) shows a five-fold increase in the number of agricultural fires in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh during the first six days of October compared to the corresponding dates in 2019.
While this initial peak could flatten out in the coming days, SAFAR-India’s short-term forecast on Thursday (Oct 8) said that General AQI in Delhi it was in the “upper end moderate category” and was forecast “in the upper end of the moderate to poor category” for October 9.
The burning of rice stubble left in the fields after harvest has been a concern in recent years as it contributes to air pollution in the northern Ganges plains and in already polluted cities like Delhi.
It is a common practice in October and November throughout Northwest India, but mainly in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, to quickly clear crop residues from their fields before planting the rabi wheat crop.
Various solutions have been proposed over the years to address the problem. The most recent, which has been announced as a game changer if successful, is the ‘Pusa Decomposer’ capsule developed by IARI.
What is the ‘Pusa Decomposer’?
It is essentially a liquid mushroom-based solution that can soften hard stubble to the point that it can easily mix with soil in the field to act as compost.
This would then rule out the need to burn the stubble and also help retain essential microbes and nutrients in the soil that would otherwise be damaged when the residue is burned.
Delhi air impact
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana burn rice stubble around this time before preparing the soil for the rabi harvest. Smoke from burning crop stubble contributes to air pollution over the national capital and much of the Indo-Gangetic Plain each winter.
How long does it take for the decomposer to work?
The time window required for the solution to work, which is currently the main concern of farmers, is around 20 to 25 days, according to IARI.
Farmers argue that this window is too long for them, as they ideally wait around a week or 10 days after harvesting the hard stubble non-basmati rice variety to plant the wheat crop.
IARI scientists, however, say that farmers don’t necessarily have to plant the next crop in a hurry, and that 20-25 days is enough lead time.
These seven strains of mushrooms are packaged in four capsules, which cost around Rs 20 per pack of four.
How should farmers use the decomposer?
There are seven strains of fungi that IARI has identified after research that help break down hard stubble quickly.
These seven strains of mushrooms are packaged in four capsules, which cost around Rs 20 per pack of four. But there is a process to develop the liquid solution from these capsules that can take four to five days.
It begins by boiling 25 liters of water mixed with 150 grams of brown sugar, which according to scientists has properties that help in the multiplication of fungi.
After this mixture has cooled, 50 grams of besan (or chickpea flour) are added to it along with four ‘Pusa Decomposition’ capsules.
Then this solution is covered with a thin cloth and left in a dark room for four days. On the fourth day, a thick fungal growth will be seen on top of the solution. This should be mixed well, and thereafter the solution is ready for use.
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What is the ‘dose’ of decomposer to use?
It is recommended to use a 25-liter solution on one hectare of land after mixing it with 500 liters of water. You can spray it on the field and let it do its job.
The IARI scientists explained that the decomposer will work even in fields where the stubble has not been finely chopped with a Super Straw Management System (Super SMS) machine.
The Super SMS is attached with a harvester machine to cut the rice stubble into small pieces and spread it evenly in the field.
This in itself is a stubble management process as chopped stubble can be removed from the field or wheat can be sown in the field even without removing the chopped stubble, however not all farmers currently have this machine, which is offered with a subsidy of 50%. to individual farmers.
On the decomposer, IARI scientists have also said that farmers don’t necessarily have to wait the entire 20 to 25-day window before starting to work in the field. They can start plowing and preparing the soil 10-15 days after spraying the decomposer.
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How is this technology used?
The Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has said the decomposer will be used on a trial basis this year in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
Ministry officials said the technology would be used on more than 100 hectares of land in Punjab and Haryana, 800 hectares in Delhi and 10,000 hectares in Uttar Pradesh, which they said has been experimenting with similar technology for the past three years.
IARI has been conducting experiments for a year and a half on the decomposer. The technology was licensed for commercial use to four companies in 2019 and another two companies in 2020.
Delhi has started preparing the solution with the help of IARI and would start spraying it on the fields on October 11 onwards.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said the technology is cheap, as the whole process – from developing, transporting and pulverizing the decomposer – is costing the government just Rs 20 lakh.
The results of this year’s trials would give an answer to the effectiveness of the technology and decide whether its use would be expanded in the future.
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