Environmental Effects of Paddy Straw Burning: Farmer Satisfaction and Practices by Land Size in Punjab

Abstract

In Punjab, India, a vital rice-wheat region generating 20 million tons of paddy straw each year, burning this residue creates substantial environmental issues, emitting pollutants such as PM2.5 and CO2 that impair air quality and soil vitality while exacerbating climate change.  Here, farmers, categorized as marginal, small, semi-medium, medium, and large, encounter socioeconomic constraints that fuel this practice, highlighting the need to investigate their satisfaction and management approaches to develop sustainable solutions. This study surveyed 60 farmers across Fatehgarh Sahib and Rupnagar districts using face-to-face interviews to collect data on management practices–-incorporation, mixing straw into soil to enhance fertility; burning, setting straw ablaze to clear fields; baling, compressing straw into bundles for removal or use; cattle feed, using straw as livestock fodder; mulching, spreading straw over soil to retain moisture. This study surveyed 60 farmers across Fatehgarh Sahib and Rupnagar districts using face-to-face interviews to collect data on management practices. Results show 53.3% of farmers use incorporation, 28.3% burn straw, and 18.3% use baling.  Marginal farmers favor burning, large farmers lean toward incorporation, and show higher awareness, while small and semi-medium/medium farmers vary. Machinery awareness is 80%, but adoption lags due to costs. The study reveals marginal farmers burn due to necessity and low awareness, while large farmers adopt sustainable methods, reflecting resource disparities, with small and semi-medium farmers showing mixed practices, highlighting the need for targeted interventions, subsidies for machinery access and comprehensive education, to reduce burning’s ecological toll and support Punjab’s shift toward sustainable straw management tailored to its diverse agrarian context.