This open access book on straw management aims to provide a wide array of options for rice straw management that are potentially more sustainable, environmental, and profitable compared to current practice. The book is authored by expert researchers, engineers and innovators working on a range of straw management options with case studies from Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia.
The book is written for engineers and researchers in order to provide them information on current good practice and the gaps and constraints that require further research and innovation. The book is also aimed at extension workers and farmers to help them decide on the best alternative straw management options in their area by presenting both the technological options as well as the value chains and business models required to make them work.
The book will also be useful for policy makers, required by public opinion to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsand air pollution, looking for research-based evidence to guide the policies they develop and implement.
Martin Gummert (Dipl.-Ing. agr.) is Senior Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute and leading the Mechanization and Postharvest Cluster of the Sustainable Impact Platform. He has 28 years of experience on mechanisation, postharvest, value chain upgrading, capacity building, small and medium industry promotion, business model development and facilitation of multi stakeholder platforms working in Asia, Africa and Europe. He has previously worked for GTZ, University of Hohenheim, Germany, PEM consulting and for two years as freelance consultant. He has been instrumental in developing and dissemination improved postharvest technologies throughout Southeast Asia. He has published and co-published 30 articles in peer reviewed journals and 16 book chapters.
Dr. Nguyen Van Hung is a scientist of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI, since 2013) and associate professor of Nong Lam University (since 2012). Hung has 23 years of experience on agricultural mechanization and postharvest. He is in leading the rice straw projects and researches at IRRI. He has published and co-published about 20 articles in peer reviewed journals, and 5 book chapters.
Dr. Pauline Chivenge is a Senior Scientist in Soils and Nutrient Management at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. Her research focuses on sustainable management of soil and nutrients in current and emerging irrigated and rainfed rice-based cropping systems. She has worked in diverse farming systems on topics that include biogeochemical nutrient cycling, natural resource management, watershed management, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable ecosystem functioning. She has led a couple of international projects and has published more than 30 peer reviewed journal papers and has supervised about 15 MSc and PhD students.
Boru Douthwaite (PhD) is an evaluator, technology policy analyst and agricultural engineer with 25 years’ experience working on agricultural innovation in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He is the Principal of Selkie Consulting Limited. Previously he worked in the CGIAR as an Innovation and Impact Director and as Principal Scientist leading a research theme on knowledge sharing and learning. He has designed agricultural machinery that have sold in their thousands in Africa and Asia. He published a book and 35 articles in refereed journals.
