Burning of paddy stubble reducing crop yield in region: IISER study

SCIENTISTS AT the Indian Institute of Scientific Education and Research (IISER) have found that burning of paddy stubble reduces the yield of major crops in the region. The study showed that due to the reduction in yield, the governments of Punjab and Haryana are suffering major financial losses every year.

The team of scientists under Vinayak Sinha, assistant professor and convener of department of Earth and environment sciences, conducted tests in the region and collected samples from fields where paddy stubble was being burnt in the past four years. They analysed the samples of the soil and atmosphere for two years and then carried out the study.

Sinha said his team used high-quality data set in measuring the formation of Ozone layer in the ambient environment of the major crops of the region (wheat, rice and cotton) and calculated the losses in the yield and resulted financial losses.