Conservation Agriculture & Residue Management-Lessons from Punjab & WB

Today, India is self-sufficient in food-grain production and the credit goes to the Green Revolution which showed best results in the northern part of the country and reasonably good results in the eastern plains of the river Ganges. Currently, the major food-grain producing states in the northern region of India, particularly, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are buried crop residue and no burning in West Bengal. The research design adopted for the comparative analysis of Punjab and W.B. with respect to residue management was descriptive in nature and a rich methodology with scales for variables has been used. The comparison has also been highlighted in terms of several attributes of the farmers in deciding to burn the crop residue or manage it with different alternatives. The book will be helpful for the policy makers to focus on significant factors that the findings bring forth in this context and formulate appropriate policies for sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation. This book ensures a systematic assessment of the different alternatives which will help stakeholders to promote and adopt the best alternatives suited to their socio-economic conditions.