Rice (Oryza sativa) is a globally cultivated crop and is by far the most popular crop in Asia (Kadam et al., 2000). At least 114 countries in the world grow rice, and more than 50 have an annual production of 100,000 metric tons (tonnes) or above. Asian farmers produce about 90% of the total, with two

CONTENTS

13.1 Current Practice of Rice Straw Field Burning and Emission ............... 331 13.2 Characterization of Rice Straw Burning Emission ...............................334