The options for the disposition of rice straw are limited by the great bulk of material, slow degradation in the field, harboring of rice diseases, and high mineral content. However, the straw must be disposed of in order to make way for the next crop. Soil incorporation and field burning have been the major practices for removing rice straw. Field burning is fast, economical and removes disease organisms, but leads to unacceptable air pollution.
Incorporation is slower, more expensive and fosters rice diseases.
Beginning September 2001, rice straw burning will be allowed only under specified conditions for disease control. The Phase Down Act requires the California Air Resources Board and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to submit joint, biennial reports to the Legislature on the progress of the phase down of rice straw burning. Research on Alternative Rice Straw Management Practices in California Chris van Kessel and Willi Horwath , University of California, Davis. To investigate some of the long term effects of on-site disposal of rice straw in the Sacramento Valley, an experiment on alternative rice straw management practices was initiated at Maxwell in 1993 and at the Rice Research Station at Biggs in 1994. Soil Incorporation Reduction of post-harvest straw residue in rice fields is important to successful production of the next crop.