Nghe An: Replicating the "golden" straw model after harvest

POLLUTION FROM POST-HARVEST STRAW BURNING

Towering columns of smoke and straw dust drift into residential areas, causing pollution. Photo: Van Truong

Present at the fields of Tang Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) in the late afternoon, I witnessed farmers burning straw all over the fields, the red flames lit up the sky, huge columns of smoke filled the villages. Ms. Tran Thi Minh, a local resident, was upset: "As the afternoon went on, farmers burned more and more straw, the fire smoldered in the straw piles, making the atmosphere very stuffy and uncomfortable."

In many places, in the fields along national and provincial highways, people burn straw, causing billowing smoke, obscuring the vision of passersby, potentially causing traffic accidents. Mr. Nguyen Hung Cuong, a driver participating in traffic on National Highway 46C, said: "For about a week now, around 5 pm, people have been burning straw, the smoke is billowing, covering the area, making it very difficult for vehicles to move. Many vehicles are forced to turn around or use their lights to let other vehicles see clearly."

People in Tang Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) process straw after harvest by burning it right in the field, causing environmental pollution, soil degradation and waste. Photo: Van Truong

Because there is no need to use straw, to facilitate land preparation, most people use this method.burning straw right in the field, and at the same time collect the ash to fertilize the next crop... However, according to experts, smoke from burning straw will produce CO gas, polluting the environment, affecting human health. In addition, uncontrolled burning of fields can cause fires to spread over large areas, harden the soil and often choke the rice roots, affecting the growth process and crop yield.

Currently, burning straw after harvest is common in many localities. After harvest is the "fire season", becoming a problem that needs to be prevented and eliminated.

A representative of the Yen Thanh District Department of Agriculture said: “Burning straw in the fields will release smoke and dust into the air, causing pollution. In farming techniques, burning fields will easily harden the soil, and the soil will quickly become infertile and degraded. However, currently, because people rarely raise livestock and do not have the need to use straw, burning fields is a way to deal with straw after each crop season and has become a habit that is difficult to give up.”

USING STRAW AS FERTILIZER AND ANIMAL FEED

The model of using straw as raw material for silage for livestock and organic fertilizer production is being replicated in Tan Ky district. Photo: Thanh Phuc

According to statistics, aloneSpring crop 2022,On a total area of ​​91,650.21 hectares of rice, the yield is about 620,000 tons of rice along with the same amount of straw. This is a valuable source of raw materials for animal feed, biological bedding, crop cover, mushroom production, substrate in organic production and an effective source of organic fertilizer. Recognizing the importance of straw after harvest, while limiting the indiscriminate burning of straw that pollutes the environment and harms the fields, in recent times, some localities have focused on instructing and disseminating to farmers solutions for effective use and treatment of straw.

Typically, the Farmers' Association of Tan Ky district has implemented organic fertilizer composting in the communes and towns very effectively, in which post-harvest straw is the main source of raw materials. On average, each year, Tan Ky farmers produce about 5,000 tons of organic fertilizer for crops; about 70% of households produce and use organic fertilizer.

Crushed straw is used as a substrate for growing mushrooms or producing organic melons and cucumbers in greenhouses. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuong, ChairmanTan Ky District Farmers' Associationsaid: “Using organic fertilizers for crops has many advantages: First, the cost of raw materials is cheap, saving production costs; second, it does not make the land infertile or degraded; third, it is a solution to combat drought without water, very suitable in the current harsh climate change conditions. In particular, while the price of inorganic fertilizers is “escalating”, the cost of producing organic fertilizers from straw is very cheap, only about 200,000 VND to produce 1 ton of inorganic fertilizer”.

In Vinh city, this spring, people are entering the harvest season, it is noteworthy that farmers have known how to use biological products to effectively treat straw. Accordingly, after harvest, it only costs 40,000 VND to buy products mixed with phosphate, then spread evenly on the field before plowing, the straw will decompose into inorganic fertilizer, making a very good nutrient for rice.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, My Ha hamlet (Hung Loc commune, Vinh city) grows 3 sao of rice fields. Last season, she rented a combine harvester, collected the seeds to dry, left the straw to dry in the field and then processed it by burning. However, burning not only caused pollution, the soil was hard, the rice roots were often clogged, so the production efficiency was not high. After being instructed on how to treat straw with biological products, she immediately tried it. Ms. Binh said: "According to the analysis, using biological products to treat straw has many advantages: it does not cause pollution, adds micronutrients to the soil, the soil is loose, has high humus content...; the cost is not expensive and limits the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers."

Currently, in many fields, straw rolling machines are operating, helping farmers process straw quickly and effectively. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Especially in this year's Spring crop, in many fields, harvester owners have invested in straw rolling machines to serve people. Accordingly, after harvesting, the straw is spread on the beds, dried in the middle of the field, the machine will roll it into neat, convenient bundles, people just need to bring it home to use for their own purposes.

“Currently, there are 3 straw rolling machines operating in the fields of Hung Thinh, Hung Phuc, Hung My, Hung Loi communes (Hung Nguyen). The cost of rolling straw per sao is about 50,000-60,000 VND. Straw rolled in bundles of about 10-15-20 kg is very convenient. People bring it home to store, put in the barn to feed cattle or sell to mushroom growing facilities; organic farms... On average, each sao produces about 4-5 straw rolls, the current cost is 30,000-40,000 VND/roll, minus the cost of renting the rolling machine, people still earn a profit of about 100,000 VND/sao”, said Mr. Ngo Quang Phan, owner of a harvester and straw rolling machine in Hung My (Hung Nguyen).

In the context of the current sharp increase in animal feed prices, straw is an essential source of roughage. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Due to the characteristics of agricultural production, the time to change crops is fast, so in order to be quick and convenient, most farmers have chosen to burn straw in the fields, causing environmental pollution, imbalance in the field ecosystem, making the fields dry and hard. Therefore, it is necessary to replicate the models of using straw in agricultural reproduction, both to limit pollution and to increase the value of rice by taking advantage of available straw resources in the context of the current "escalating" prices of animal feed and inorganic fertilizers.../

Thanh Phuc - Van Truong