Management of Agricultural Residues

Why in news?

Recently, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad has developed a method to convert crop residue into nutrient-rich cattle fodder.

• Crop residue burning – India faces a major challenge with agricultural residue, especially paddy straw and wheat husk, often burned by farmers.
• Contribution to pollution – This contributes significantly to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Ecofriendly Cattle Fodder – Over the past few years, scientists at the premier institute have been working on converting rice straw and other crop residue into nutrient rich fodder for the livestock.
• Scientists have now shown that rice straw when treated with a relatively simple chemical process could effectively help bridge the gap in the country’s fodder needs.
• Delignification – The process involves removing lignin (a complex polymer in plant cells) using a simple chemical method.
• Treated rice straw becomes more palatable and digestible for cattle.
• Field trials and results – The fortified fodder was tested at ICAR-National Research Centre on Meat, Hyderabad.
• Buffalo calves and sheep showed better food intake, digestion, and up to 3.7 times higher weight gain.
• Methane emissions dropped, making it climate-friendly.
• Testing in dairy cattle – The field trials of the fortified fodder showed “remarkable” improvements in digestibility of buffaloes as palatability (acceptability of a food) increased from 20% to 60%.
• It is also a cost-effective and sustainable cattle nutrition.
• Compressed Biogas (CBG) from crop residue – CSIR-IICT also developed a Dry Anaerobic Digester with Unique Hydrodynamics (DAD-UH) to produce CBG and Fermented Organic Manure (FOM) from rice husk/straw.

An anaerobic digester is a system that uses microorganisms to break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas (a renewable energy source) and digestate (rich in nutrients).

• From 1 tonne of biomass, about 100–140 kg of CBG can be generated.
• Viable business model – Under the Centre’s SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) programme, 2-tonne CBG plants can be established.

'SATAT' scheme on CBG encourages entrepreneurs to set up CBG plants, produce & supply CBG to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for sale.

• It ensures market linkage and guaranteed purchase.
• Government support and industrial application – Telangana’s Agriculture Secretary supports the model for setting up Agri-based CBG plants on government land which aims to prevent stubble burning and promote Agri-industrial development.
• Economic benefits for farmers – The process helps address fodder shortages and reduces feed costs.
• Farmers become direct beneficiaries by increasing income through better livestock productivity.
• Circular economy & environmental sustainability - “Waste to value” concept: residue becomes fodder, gas, and manure.
• It promotes eco-friendly farming, supports clean energy goals, and strengthens the rural bioeconomy.

Reference

The Hindu| How Crop Residue Can Provide Nutritious Cattle Fodder