How Rice Grows Air Quality Water & California Rice Pesticides Rice Straw Recycling Off-Field Use Rice Straw Market Tax Credit Program Wildlife Conservation Program

Introduction to Rice Straw Management

With many air quality challenges now met by the rice industry, the newest challenge for California rice growers is to develop alternative uses for the straw that is left over after harvest. With straw burning now so limited, many growers are tilling the straw into the soil and adding water in an effort to decompose the straw. This is a costly activity. On average, the industry uses this tillage method (also called "soil incorporation") to manage between 375,000 and 450,000 acres of rice straw. This represents an industry-wide cost of approximately $15 to $18 million per year towards ongoing efforts that contribute to regional air quality objectives. We are hopeful that efforts to develop other uses of our straw will someday chip away at this significant straw management cost to growers.