Estimation of Air Pollutants Emissions From Burning Agricultural Crop Residues in Khuzestan Province Based on Annual Statistics and MODIS Satellite Images

One of the most common and inappropriate crop residue management practices methods is burning them in fields. In Khuzestan province as one of the major agricultural regions in Iran, many farmers burn the crop residue after harvesting which results in the emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases to the air, soil depletion, reduction of inputs productivity, and other adverse consequences. In this study, the total crop residue being annually burned was estimated based on Modis satellite images, annual statistics, field surveys, and interview with farmers. The results obtained from the process and correction of Modis satellite images in Khuzestan province indicated that the minimum area of farms in which crop residue was burned during 2017, 2018, and 2019 were 137102, 119705, and 195635 ha/yr, respectively. In 2019, burning 1259005 tonnes of dried crop residue emitted 1525760 t CO2, 54560 t CO and 6953 t particles less than 2.5 ppm. The amounts of other air pollutants such as CH2, NOx, N2O, NH3, SO2, NMVOC, BC, and OC were 2146, 3747, 91, 1213, 466, 4920, 2139, and 1293 t, respectively. Preservation of crop residue on the surface can mitigate the air pollutant emissions as well as reducing soil erosion and water use, improving soil fertility and compaction, and finally increasing crop yield. A proper crop residue management practice is achievable by developing agricultural mechanization and adopting conservation agriculture principles.