Straw Management

Why do we burn rice straw?

Source: California Rice Promotion Board
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.

How is rice straw burning regulated?

The Rice Straw Burning Act
Source: California Air Resources Board
The Connelly-Areias-Chandler Rice Straw Burning Reduction Act of 1991 (the Phase Down Act) mandates that rice straw burning in the Sacramento Valley be phased down starting in 1992 through the year 1999. Legislation enacted in 1997 (SB 318, Thompson) extended the completion of the phase down through the year 2000. 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.

What are the alternatives to burning straw?

Feeding Rice Straw to Cattle, ANR Publication 8079 [PDF file]
Daniel J Drake, University of California Cooperative Extension Livestock Farm Advisor, Siskiyou County; Glenn Nader, University of California Cooperative Extension Livestock Farm Advisor, Sutter/Yuba/Butte Counties; Larry Forero, University of California Cooperative Extension Livestock Farm Advisor, Shasta and Trinity Counties; 2002.

Research on Alternative Rice Straw Management Practices in California
Chris van Kessel and Willi Horwath, University of California, Davis. February 2000.
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. The phase-down of rice straw burning will require growers to shift to alternative straw management practices. Various methods of incorporation into soil will be a widely used alternative.

Rice Straw Demonstration Project Fund
Senate Bill 318 altered the Rice Straw Burning Reduction Act of 1991 and created the Rice Straw Demonstration Project Fund (the Rice Fund) to provide incentives for the development of commercial uses for rice straw. The Rice Fund provides grants of up to 50 percent for projects which utilize significant amounts of Sacramento Valley rice straw.

What rice straw products are available?

Rice Straw Products Resource List

Where can I obtain rice straw?

Sources of Rice Straw
The Rice Straw Market

Where can I obtain information on rice straw bale construction?

OUT ON BALE, 1039 E. Linden Street, Tucson, Arizona 85719, Phone (502) 624-1673; email Outonbale@AOL.com (A resource center, providing educational tools for those interested in environmental friendly home construction.)
California Straw Building Association, CASBA, 115 Angelita Avenue, Pacifica, CA 94044. Phone: (805) 546-4274.

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