Situation of crop residues reuse and paddy soil characteristics in Quang Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province

Abstract

Reusing crop residues in agricultural production to improve soil quality and reduce environmental pollution is necessary. We conducted the study in Quang Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province, from January to March 2023 to estimate the crop residues reuse and some chemical properties of paddy soil. Based on the results, we estimate the soil quality and propose solutions to increase the rice yield and increase effective land use for rice cultivation. We use the survey method to collect primary and secondary data through 60 questionnaires. We also sample the soil and analyse soil chemical properties according to standard methods. The results show that the annual crop residues in Quang Dien district include 60,000 tons of rice straw, 345 tons of peanut shells, and 12,491 tons of rice husks. Crop residues are primarily used for different purposes, such as direct burning in the field (7–100%), making biochar (13–40%), and fertilizer application (7–13%). The average nutrient content in paddy soil ranges from poor to moderate levels. Therefore, it is necessary to have balanced and reasonable fertilizing practices and return nutrients to the soil via crop residues.