Soils as Driver and Victim of Climate Change in Egypt
127
3.6 Burning of Crop Residues
The burning of crop residues emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere,
where they affect the inter-annual variability and increase the rate of CO 2 , CH 4 and
N 2 O and other trace gases [88]. Anthropogenic emissions of non-CO 2 gases from
global forest fires were 300 Mt CO 2 eq year
−1 on average over the period 2001–2010,
with the prescribed burning of savanna adding 200 Mt CO 2 eq year
−1 [89]. Slash and
burn practices associated with deforestation were furthermore responsible for over
1.5 Bt CO 2 eq year
−1 as direct CO 2 gas [90].
Specific fire emission categories are significant in terms of their overall regional
impacts. For instance, in Africa, the recorded burning of savanna represents 25% of
the entire agricultural emissions [89]. Around 730 Mt of biomass is burned every
year in Asia by both human and natural activities. The burning of crop residue in
open field was found to be 250 Mt of the biomass burning [91]. Rice straw is one of
the major crop residues produced in Asia, and its management varies widely. Open
burning of straw is ordinary practice in rice straw management in many countries.
Greenhouse gas GHG emissions rates were compiled from straw burning (1460–
1688 g CO 2 eq/kg
−1 dry straw) [92, 93].
In Egypt, the main sources of biomass waste are an agricultural waste (crop
residues), followed by municipal solid waste, animal waste, and sewage waste [94].
Wheat, sugarcane, rice, and maize crop residues are the major sources of the agricultural wastes in Egypt. In particular, rice straw represents the largest part of unrecycled crop residue. FAO [95] stated that Egypt is the largest producer of rice in
Africa, with supplying 5.9 Mt of rice in 2013 (more than 22% of rice production in
Africa) [95]. It is estimated that about 3.1 Mt/year of rice straw are directly burned
in open field. The mean amount of crop residues in 2013 Egypt was around 26.0 Mt,
and 25% of this amount was wasted through open field burning [96]. In Egypt, more
than 25 Mt of crop residues are burned annually [7]. Two separated years of annual
production of the major field crops (wheat, broad been, maize, cotton, rice and sugar
cane) depends on burning to disposal its residues, were obtained from FAO Statistics
Division [97]. Total emissions of CH 4 from field burning of agricultural residues
increased from 64.67 Gg in the year 1999 to 69.44 Gg in the year 2005. Meanwhile,
it increased in 2012 to be 70.31 Gg. Moreover, N 2 O emissions from the same source
increased from 0.94 Gg in 1999 to 1.01 Gg in 2005 and 1.03 Gg in 2012. Therefore,
rice and sugar cane were the main sources of emissions from field burning emissions.
However, the total GHG emissions arising from open field burning of crop residues
in Egypt amounted to 1.8 Mt CO 2 eq/year [7]. The reduction of burning rice straw
by 20%, the overall emission from rice burning will be reduced by 642.2 Gg (33.3%
of total CO 2 less from burning rice straw) [87].
127
3.6 Burning of Crop Residues
The burning of crop residues emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere,
where they affect the inter-annual variability and increase the rate of CO 2 , CH 4 and
N 2 O and other trace gases [88]. Anthropogenic emissions of non-CO 2 gases from
global forest fires were 300 Mt CO 2 eq year
−1 on average over the period 2001–2010,
with the prescribed burning of savanna adding 200 Mt CO 2 eq year
−1 [89]. Slash and
burn practices associated with deforestation were furthermore responsible for over
1.5 Bt CO 2 eq year
−1 as direct CO 2 gas [90].
Specific fire emission categories are significant in terms of their overall regional
impacts. For instance, in Africa, the recorded burning of savanna represents 25% of
the entire agricultural emissions [89]. Around 730 Mt of biomass is burned every
year in Asia by both human and natural activities. The burning of crop residue in
open field was found to be 250 Mt of the biomass burning [91]. Rice straw is one of
the major crop residues produced in Asia, and its management varies widely. Open
burning of straw is ordinary practice in rice straw management in many countries.
Greenhouse gas GHG emissions rates were compiled from straw burning (1460–
1688 g CO 2 eq/kg
−1 dry straw) [92, 93].
In Egypt, the main sources of biomass waste are an agricultural waste (crop
residues), followed by municipal solid waste, animal waste, and sewage waste [94].
Wheat, sugarcane, rice, and maize crop residues are the major sources of the agricultural wastes in Egypt. In particular, rice straw represents the largest part of unrecycled crop residue. FAO [95] stated that Egypt is the largest producer of rice in
Africa, with supplying 5.9 Mt of rice in 2013 (more than 22% of rice production in
Africa) [95]. It is estimated that about 3.1 Mt/year of rice straw are directly burned
in open field. The mean amount of crop residues in 2013 Egypt was around 26.0 Mt,
and 25% of this amount was wasted through open field burning [96]. In Egypt, more
than 25 Mt of crop residues are burned annually [7]. Two separated years of annual
production of the major field crops (wheat, broad been, maize, cotton, rice and sugar
cane) depends on burning to disposal its residues, were obtained from FAO Statistics
Division [97]. Total emissions of CH 4 from field burning of agricultural residues
increased from 64.67 Gg in the year 1999 to 69.44 Gg in the year 2005. Meanwhile,
it increased in 2012 to be 70.31 Gg. Moreover, N 2 O emissions from the same source
increased from 0.94 Gg in 1999 to 1.01 Gg in 2005 and 1.03 Gg in 2012. Therefore,
rice and sugar cane were the main sources of emissions from field burning emissions.
However, the total GHG emissions arising from open field burning of crop residues
in Egypt amounted to 1.8 Mt CO 2 eq/year [7]. The reduction of burning rice straw
by 20%, the overall emission from rice burning will be reduced by 642.2 Gg (33.3%
of total CO 2 less from burning rice straw) [87].