Environment authorities in Shanghai will ban burning waste straw in the suburban agricultural areas to ensure air quality during the World Expo period.

The Shanghai Municipal Environment Protection Bureau will use satellite remote sensing to monitor the burning of waste straw during the Expo period from May 1 to Oct. 31, the bureau said in a statement Saturday.

Statistics show that about 170,000 hectares of barley, wheat, paddy and rape are planted in the suburban agricultural areas of Shanghai, which can produce up to 1.3 million tonnes of waste straw every year, according to the bureau.

Burning waste straw will produce carbon dioxide and other pollutants to pollute the air, it said.

To help dispose of the waste straw, more than 40 organic fertilizer plants in Shanghai have planned to use more straw as auxiliary material in fertilizer production, the bureau said.

The Shanghai World Expo, with the theme of "Better City, Better Life," is expected to draw 70 million visitors from around the world during the six-month period.