Residue Burning in Field Crops

For such a common and accepted practice, the benefits of residue burning are relatively few.  The majority of producers who observe a crop rotation such as rice followed by soybeans typically gain minor cost savings but perhaps gain a great deal of time savings as fields can be burned much faster than they can be mechanically managed.  Where residue can be burned and more land can be prepared sooner, the earlier the following crop can be planted the following year.  For many Arkansas commodities, it has been documented that earlier planting dates lead to increased crop yields – particularly for corn and rice.

There are several negative effects of residue burning including 1) loss of plant essential nutrients from the field, 2) loss of organic carbon (C) which leads to decreases in soil organic matter, and 3) loss of plant residues on the soil surface to protect against soil erosion.  The effects of residue burning can include both short-term and long-term cumulative effects which can result in a net negative effect over time.  In addition to the net negative effects of residue burning the loss of nutrients due to residue burning can be directly quantified and a monetary loss calculated based on current nutrient values.