Aerial view of stubble burning. Stubble is the term used to describe the dry remains of cereal crops left behind after harvest. Traditionally, the stubble is burnt, serving to destroy any plants and insect pests remaining in the field. The process is now very carefully controlled in the UK, and will eventually be banned. Large- scale stubble burning produces vast quantities of smoke and carbon dioxide, adding to the global 'Greenhouse Effect'. The smoke also causes a more local nuisance.