1. Conservation
Agriculture
Jack McHugh
Pictures and text (in part) by Dr Des McGarry
Contributions from Dr Jack Desbiolles (Ashworth et al., 2010) and Baker et al., (2007)
2. Mitigating Land
Degradation
&
Improving Land and
Environment Condition
from Local to Global level
via
Conservation Agriculture
3. Conservation Agriculture
(CA)
Farming in a natural way
Represents:
“a shift in our philosophy towards the land”
“do not beat the land into submission
- rather work in harmony with it”
4. What is the goal of CA?
To conserve, improve and make more
efficient use of natural resources through
integrated management of available soil,
water and biological resources combined
with external inputs.
CA is a resource-efficient
and resource-effective
form of agriculture.
5. What is Conservation Agriculture ?
The foundation
underlying the three
principles is their
contribution and
interaction with soil
carbon, the primary
determinant of long
term sustainable soil
quality and crop
production
Baker et al., (2007)
6. CA is about feeding and greening the world for
global sustainability.
Baker et al., (2007)
Agricultural policies: to encourage farmers – leads to
increased air & water quality and productivity, and mitigates GHGs
7. Conservation Agriculture
- a question of how much soil disturbance
It is a question of soil
disturbance – Reduced
tillage = Intermediate in
Organic soil quality effects.
farming They define the tillage
Zero till equipment & operation
Conservation characteristics as they
tillage relate to the soil volume
No till Direct disturbed and the
Direct planting degree if residue mixing.
Seeding
PRB Direct True Conservation =
drill Carbon & soil moisture
Ridge Management Baker et al., (2007)
Controlled Mulch tillage Strip
Precision traffic tillage tillage
Ag farming Minimum Reduced
till tillage
8. Philosophy of CA
There is nothing wrong with our soils except our interference. It can be said with
considerable truth the use of tillage has actually destroyed the productivity of our soils.
(Faulkner, 1942)
„Soil does not need tillage for effective crop production‟
-This is the basis for the CA philosophy-
Tillage is not necessary for crop production.
Crop residues are a very valuable part of farming systems and must be
retained in full and remain on the surface as a mulch.
Permanent all year round soil cover is essential.
Control and promotion of natural biological soil process through rotation.
Soil degradation and erosion is a symptom of an unsuitable farming system.
Vehicle traffic management is adopted within an integrated systems approach.
Ashworth et al., (2010)
9. Important benefits of CA
Increased SOM
Improved soil quality
Increased available plant nutrients
Less runoff and increased plant available water
Reduced soil erosion
Improved crop production economics
Reduced labour requirements
Reduced machinery costs
Reduced fossil fuel inputs
Improved global environment
Fredrick Movie
+ & - impact of CA……..aware of issues – farmer support/networks
Nutrient Efficiency………Dynamics, VAM, Rhizobia, rooting environment
Sustainability role……….Drought, erosion, WUE
CA in Canada…………….Lot to learn Rotations, residue, demands for crops – force farmers to
monocultures
10. CROP ROTATIONS
in CA - are “critical”
- Disease control
- Nitrogenous plants
- Biodiversity
12. Improved soil biodiversity…
3 years no-till on a
Russian chernozem
on the Pampas of Argentina –
12 years zero till
Roberto Pieretti
13. Organic Carbon levels with No-till
Increases – reported globally
Soil Carbon data for the 12 Years of No Till (N) and
conventional (C) sites (Walkley and Black extracted OC)
C W&B
Depth (%)
(cm)
N C
0 - 10 1.54 0.89
10 - 20 1.45 0.81
20 - 30 1.34 0.71
Almost 50 % more OC in the no-till site – to 30 cm
- 12 years of No-Till McGarry and Sharp,
ISTRO, 2003
14. From - Emilio-Jesús GONZÁLEZ-SÁNCHEZ. AEAC.SV – ECAF – University of Córdoba
15. Weed Control with No-till
Environmental concerns with continued usage of herbicides
Proven reduced Glyphosate (Roundup) use with time under No - Till
Simba (1999). ECO tillage reduces inputs and maximises crop yields.
Simba International Ltd., Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England. pp. 26.
18. CA is applicable to virtually all crops
Cucumber Sweet pepper Onions
LABRANZA PÓS COSECHA DE
Cassava
Jose Benites, FAO
Tomato Squash
19. Hoe-based farming, 0.5 ha farms; red sandy loam, Zambia
Peter Aagard and Dutch Gibson, CFU, Lusaka, Zambia
40,000ha of CA
Consequences:
- vast labour & time needs
- yield losses if it rains
- total loss if drought
- widespread erosion
(see arrows)
Conservation Agriculture: Video
- using “planting basins”
- retain crop residues
- + rotation crops
- 80% time saving (“drudgery”)
- land ready before rains
- yields up 65 to 75% (maize & cotton)
- hunger alleviated
- with less resources used
21. Machinery based, 1850 ha ; Australia; wheat and sorghum; 500mm rain/yr
“I farm for my soil moisture”
No-till (5 yrs), controlled traffic (2 m); 1 tractor (240hp), 1 disc planter, 1 spray-coupe, 1 operator
Excellent soil structure
12Mha of CA
- extended farm to unproductive clay loams; soil greatly improved
- land doubled in value; crops every year; 0.5 t/ha wheat in drought year
22. Machinery based, China
ACIAR project: 96/143: “Sustainable Mechanised Dryland Grain Production”
China Agricultural University - University of Queensland, Shanxi Agricultural Machinery Bureau
J.N.Tullberg, D. Freebairn, Prof. Gao Huanwen, Dr Zhai Tongyi
Experimental sites:
- Linfen and Shouyang (Shanxi province) – start: 1997
- Zhangbei and Western Shanxi (northern Hebei) - 1999
1.3Mha of CA (2009)
RESULTS: Water erosion increased by:
• tillage (by 30%)
• random traffic, tillage and residue burial (by 70%)
• residue removal from tilled soil by (~105%) Conventional
• wheel compaction, residue removal in no-till (by >200%)
Zero till
This project has demonstrated - No-Till with controlled
traffic:
1. reduces power requirements
2. enhances the productivity and sustainability of cropping
3. by avoiding the damaging soil energy inputs
4. alternate, cheaper and more sustainable methods to
conventional farming in these areas…
23. Same Result – Foggia, eastern Italy
80,000 ha of CA (2009)
Conventional till
No-till
2.65 t/ha 2.11 t/ha
Protein: 15.5% Protein: 11.4%
Strong visible evidence of improved utilisation of rainfall..
24. Foggia trial results:: grain yield of durum wheat
5
Conventional tillage 412
Sod seeding
4 310
393
Grain yield (t/ha)
288
319
3 226
324 280
2
1
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Average
No-till “best” in driest years (1997 and 2001)
Data and graph from Professor Michele Pisante
25. 0.65 Mha of CA (2009)
From - Emilio-Jesús GONZÁLEZ-SÁNCHEZ AEAC.SV – ECAF – University of Córdoba
26. Brazil, 600 ha ; Brazil – Herbert Bartz; maize and wheat; 800mm rain/yr
No till for 45 years !!!
25.5 Mha of CA (2009)
Excellent soil structure
- without cultivation
27. China, 0.5ha; Hexi Corridor; maize and wheat; 150mm rain/yr
No till for 4 years
Darker colour, earthy,
rough, soft, SOM
Traditional
farming
New beds each year
(FRB)
Grey colour,
blocky, hard,
smooth
ZT CTF
PRB
28. Evolutionary phases of no-till
farming (Sá, 2004)
Rolf Derpsch identified that
growers practicing a no till
system without full stubble
retention will probably never
leave the initial phase.
29.
30. What are the issues?
Converting to CA needs higher management skills
The first years might be very difficult for the
farmers, therefore they might need support –
from other farmers or from extension services –
and perhaps even financial support to invest in
new machinery such as zero-till planters
Necessary technologies are often unavailable
Few farmers take the risk of buying new
machinery
Machinery dealers might not wish to promote CA
31. Extension of CA?
Training,
Educational,
Empowering
Participatory activities
courses, seminars, forums, workshops, field days,
farm trial sites, farmer field schools
for farmers, agronomists & technologists
32. FAO FAO
CA field training in Embu/Kenya CA and Gender training – Machakos/Kenya
FAO FAO
Women with beans under CA, Karatu/Tanzania Field day in Karatu/Tanzania with jab planter demonstrations
33. Soil pit day - Swaziland
FFS-
Zhangye,
Gansu
Farmer & technologist empowering days..
Australia: “harness the power of local farmers” Uzbekistan: with tractor sales personnel
34. The many attractions
and
multiple ecosystem level benefits
of Conservation Agriculture *
Farm
Communities
Environment
Watershed
Global
* http://www.fao.org/ag/ags/AGSE/agse_e/general/OBJECT.htm
and John Landers (2000) – World Bank Report
35. Multiple ecosystem level benefits of CA
Farm – level:
Reduction in labour, time (less drudgery), fuel and costs
On mechanised farms:
smaller tractors possible (up to 40% smaller)
longer lifetime and less maintenance of tractors (life x2 or x3)
less power and fewer passes
hence reduced fuel consumption (up to 50%)
Better trafficability in the field – from controlled traffic
Earlier sowing (soil preparation eliminated)
Increased yields with decreased inputs
More stable yields, particularly in dry years
Improved infiltration and crop water use efficiencies From - Emilio-Jesús GONZÁLEZ-SÁNCHEZ AEAC.SV – ECAF
– University of Córdoba
From: better soil structure, biodiversity & OM levels
Increased profit, at times from the beginning, after a few years.
36. Multiple ecosystem level benefits of CA
Communities/Environment/Watershed:
More constant water flows in the rivers, re-activation of wells
Cleaner water due to less erosion
Less flooding
Less impact of extreme climatic situations
Less costs for road and waterway maintenance
Better food security
Increased wildlife (species and populations) in fields (protected
by retained residues; fed by increased biodiversity)
37. At global level: Multiple ecosystem level benefits of CA
Carbon sequestration (reduction of greenhouse effect):
CA farmers could receive carbon-grant payments;
Carbon sequestration and reduced energy (fuel) use
could = the human-induced increase in CO2.
Less fuel use in agriculture
Reduced CO2e emissions, and heat (fossil fuel burning)
Less leaching of nutrients and chemicals into
groundwater.
Less pollution of waters (river, lake, reservoir, ocean)
Greatly reduced erosion (wind and water)
Recharge of aquifers through better infiltration
38. Finally…
It is strongly possible
&
very practical…to achieve
Multiple ecosystem level
benefits
with…
Conservation Agriculture
