Mixed Systems: Use of Crop Residues
Environmental Risks and Opportunities

Risk Overview, crop residue

This table indicates the most common environmental risks and opportunities associated with the mixed system characterised by collection, conservation and feeding of crop residues

Resource Base | Risks and Opportunities | Underlying factors
Land fields at further distance from farm on nearby fields | (-) Accelerated soil mining of cropland (-) Accelerated decline soil fertility and sheet erosion on further away fields (+) Improved soil fertility and soil structure for crop cultivation | Transport of nutrients with crop residues from field to farm. Impact worsened by Draught Animal Power (DAP). Increased competition by different users for crop residues post harvest. Repeated harvesting of crop residues leading to larger areas of bare soil exposed to wind and rain with a low water holding capacity. Impact worsened by Draught Animal Power (DAP) Repeated cultivation with insufficient manure supply DAP facilitating an expansion of area under cultivation, shorter fallow and longer cultivation periods. Increased sedentarisation and efforts towards permanent crop cultivation. More manure is collected on farm and can be managed.
Water | (-) Pollution of drinking water sources with faeces, urine and dirt (-) pollution of water with agro-chemicals | Increased competition for water for humans needs, livestock and irrigation. Poor management of animal wastes Increase in irrigated agriculture and use of agro-chemicals
Air | (-) Increasing Methane emission | Increasing number of ruminants and equines feeding on poor quality feed leading to pssible increase in Methane emissions. More carbonhydrates decomposed by livestock less by wild and soil life or through burning.
Bio-diversity | Potential for beneficial or negative effects depending on management options (-) Loss of genetic diversity in domesticated species | Livestock are still dominated by local species, but potential loss of livestock agro-biodiversity is of concern Loss of diversity in ecological and socio-economic settings in which animals are kept

Crop-Livestock Integration - Policy Pressures and Policy Options

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