CNH Industrial equipment supports sustainable rice farming in Thailand

CNH Industrial is demonstrating how agricultural mechanization can provide an alternative to traditional crop-residue burning in Thailand. Through a trial involving New Holland equipment, specifically the TT3.50 tractor and mulcher, rice farmers are finding ways to manage straw more sustainably.

In Nakhon Sawan province, farmer Pichai Tosa used the machinery during the April 2026 harvest to chop rice straw, allowing it to be retained on the field or incorporated into the soil. This process helps build organic matter, conserve soil moisture, and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.

Replacing open burning addresses significant environmental concerns, as an estimated 4.8 million tons of rice straw are burned annually in central Thailand's plains alone. The practice of burning contributes to air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and the loss of soil carbon and beneficial microbes.