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Conservation agriculture and its impact on soil health and crop yield

Conservation agriculture (CA) has been proposed as a viable strategy to enhance soil health and the resilience of farms to climate change, and to support the sustainability of agricultural production systems. While CA is a well-established approach, research results are lacking regarding its long-term impact on nitrogen (N) dynamics in the soil–plant system. In this study, a 20-year experiment was used to investigate the long-term effects of no-tillage in CA on soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) mineralization, plant N uptake, grain yields, and the grain quality of durum wheat. A CA system based on no-tillage (NT) was evaluated and compared with conventional tillage (CT) used for wheat/legumes biennial crop rotation. Results showed that soil samples from CA plots experienced significantly more N mineralization than those under CT, which was attributed to increased SOC and N. Topsoil sampled from the CA plots 20 years after the implementation of the experiment had 43% more absolute potentially mineralizable N (N0) than the CT plots, with no significant differences observed in deeper soil layers (15–30 cm and 30–45 cm). The absolute potentially mineralizable carbon (C0) in soils from the CA system was 49% and 35% higher than in soils from the CT system, at soil depths of 0–15 and 15–30 cm, respectively. Furthermore, CA resulted in higher amounts of remobilized N and higher rates of N uptake during the critical growth stages of durum wheat. The amount of N remobilized during the kernel-filling phase under CA was 59% higher than under CT. Total N uptake in wheat plants was 45% greater under CA compared to CT. The most significant differences in N uptake between the CA and CT systems were observed during two critical growth stages: late tillering to heading (1.7 times higher in CA than CT) and heading to anthesis (1.5 times higher in CA than CT). The most significant differences for N uptake were shown during the late tillering to heading stage and the heading to anthesis stage. The amount of N remobilized during the kernel filling phase under CA was 59% higher than CT. CA adoption resulted in 21% and 35% higher grain and straw yields, respectively, compared to CT. The grain and straw N yields were 21% and 51% higher, respectively, under CA than CT. Moreover, the CA system exhibited higher partial factor productivity of nitrogen fertilizer (PFP N) for both grain and straw yields. Thousand kernel weight (TKW) and hectoliter weight were also significantly higher under CA than CT. The grain protein content, wet gluten content, vitreousness, and falling number were similar between the CA and CT systems. These results highlight the benefits of long-term CA adoption to increase soil N mineralization, providing a substantial base for N uptake during the critical growth stages of durum wheat, thus leading to increased crop yield. The findings underscore the potential of CA systems in promoting sustainable agriculture and mitigating the impacts of soil

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Soil Health• Sustainable Agriculture•
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Master’s Seminar - 591 Conservation agriculture and its impact on soil health and crop yield KAILASH KUMAR BAC/M/AGRO/008/2015-16 Department of Agronomy Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur- 813 210 (Bihar)
Introduction • Indian agriculture has been successful in increasing food grains production in the past, guided by the goals of ‘self- sufficiency’ in the country. The mission of increasing food grains production. However, accompanied by series of problems related to the environment and natural resources, we have reached a situation where we must look for new directions, learning from our past. • Conservation agriculture can be seen as a new way forward for conserving resources and enhancing productivity to achieve the goals of sustainable agriculture. Contd.
• Conservation agriculture (CA) changes soil properties and processes compared to conventional agriculture. • These changes can, in turn, affect the delivery of ecosystem services, including climate regulation through carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions, and regulation and provision of water through soil physical, chemical and biological properties. • Conservation agriculture can also affect the underlying biodiversity that supports many ecosystem services.
Definition of Conservation agriculture: . Conservation Agriculture (CA) is an approach to managing agro-ecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, increased profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource base and the environment. Source: FAO, 2009 History of CA In the world Conservation agriculture began in the mid- 20th century In south Asia Initial work on wheat zero tillage for South Asia began at Punjab Agricultural University as early as the 1970s.
Area and percent share of CA in India & abroad Country Area (M ha) % of Global Area USA 26.5 21.2 Brazil 25.5 20.4 Argentina 25.5 20.4 Australia 17.0 13.6 Canada 13.5 10.8 Russian Federation 4.5 3.6 China 3.1 2.5 Paraguay 2.4 1.9 Kazakhstan 1.6 1.3 India 1.5 1.2 Others 5.3 4.2 Total 124.8 100.0 Source: FAO, 2012.
Conventional Vs conservation agriculture Conventional agriculture Conservational agriculture Cultivation land, using science and technology to dominate nature Least interference with natural process Excessive mechanical tillage and soil erosion No-till or drastically reduced tillage(biological tillage) High wind and soil erosion Low wind and soil erosion Residue burning or removal (bare surface) Surface retention of residues(permanent covered) Water infiltration is low Infiltration rate of water is high Use of ex-situ FYM/compost Use of in-situ organic/compost Kill establishment weeds but also stimulate more weed seeds to germinate Weeds are a problem in the early stages of adoption but decrease with time Mono cropping/culture, less efficient rotation Diversified and more efficient rotation Poor adaptation to stresses, yield losses greater under stress condition More resilience to stresses, yield losses are less under stress condition Productivity grains in long-run are in declining order Productivity grain in long- run are in incremental order source:Sharma et al.,2012
Impact of Conservation Agriculture practices •Reduction in cost of production •Reduced incidence of weeds •Saving in water and nutrients •Increased yields •Environmental benefits •Crop diversification opportunities •Resource improvement
Why does CA represent a new paradigm? Vlek and Tamene (2009) • Land degradation (erosion, nutrient mining, carbon loss etc.,) is a serious environmental problems that threatens the ecosystem, health and food security: Excessive tillage, as practiced in conventional agriculture is one of the most important drivers of erosion • Main causes of soil quality decline - depletion due to crop harvest removals (residues), leaching and soil erosion, lack of supplemental nutrients. • Rising input and energy costs • Increase emission of greenhouse gas
Advantages of CA 1. Agronomic benefits 2. Economic benefits 3. Environmental benefits Disadvantage of CA •Lack of machinery availability •Not suited for small area •Non – availability of service provider •Mind set of the farmer as well as resource person •More chances of disease and pest attack
Limitations of Conservation Agriculture • The limited availability of affordable, appropriate seeding machinery and their maintenance • Lack of local knowledge and extension expertise • Lack of technical know-how of effective chemical weed control during initial year • Difficulty in changing the mind set of farmers to shift from conventional to conservation agriculture International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, 2012
sss Minimum mechanical soil disturbance (the minimum soil disturbance necessary to sow the seed) 1 Principles of CA Permanent organic soil cover (retention of adequate levels of crop residues on the soil surface) 2 Diversified crop rotations including cover crops (to help moderate possible weed, disease and pest problems) 3 Conservation agriculture systems Source:-FAO, 2009
Components of conservation agriculture 1. Zero-tillage 2. Raised bed system 3. Crop diversification or Crop rotation 4. Direct seeding of rice 5. Crop residue management
Zero till drill Strip till drill Roto till drill Raised bed planter
Zero Till (ZT) –Wheat Seeding  Helps early sowing  Saves water, labor and diesel  Reduced soil erosion  Significant irrigation water savings (up to 15-20%)  Improved input use efficiency because of the right placement of seed and fertilizer nutrients  Better plant stands  Less burning of crop resides Advantages of Zero Tillage
Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed System (FIRBS)  Wheat raised in small and broad beds  50% saving in seed  30-40% saving in water  higher yields  facilitates mechanical weeding by tractor  offers opportunity for last irrigation at grain filling stage  avoids temporary water logging problems  allows subsurface basal and top dressing of fertilizer  reduces N losses & promotes
Fig. Residue generation by different crops in India Fig. The share of unutilized residues in total residues generated by different crops in India (calculated from MNRE, 2009) Definition of crop residue :- The portion of a plant left in the field after harvest of the crop that is not used domestically or sold commercially Why crop residue management ?
Rice straw mulching Livestock bedding Rice straw used in composting Straw bale construction Straw used as cattle feed Multi use of Crop Residue
18 Nutrient Rice straw Wheat straw N (%) 0.4-1.2 0.30-0.82 P (%) 0.02-0.17 0.09-0.12 K (%) 1.1-3.70 1.20 Ca (%) 0.03-0.39 0.24-0.34 Mg (%) 0.10-0.26 0.18 S (%) 0.06-0.10 0.24 Cu (ppm) 3.0-6.0 1.0-2.5 Zn (ppm) 30-2680 5-20 B (ppm) 3.4-8.9 14-21 Average nutrient concentration in oven dry basis of rice and wheat straw
West Bengal 15% Uttar Pradesh 14% Andhra Pradesh 13% Punjab 11% Tamil Nadu 8% Bihar 7% Orissa 6% Madhya Pradesh 6% Assam 5% Karnataka 4% Other states 4% Haryana 3% Maharastra 2% Gujarat 1% Kerala 1% State wise contribution to rice straw burning in India Garg(2008)
Volumetric water content and soil bulk density as affected by tillage system Treatment Volumetric water content (%) Bulk density (g cm-3 ) Soil layer (cm) Soil layer (cm) 0-5 cm 10-20 cm 0-5 cm 10-20 cm CT 12.2 16.4 1.39 1.59 RT 15.3 18.0 1.54 1.62 NT 17.6 18.9 1.69 1.64 LSD (P=0.05) 1.61 1.32 0.07 NS Malecka et al., 2012 CT: conventional tillage RT: reduced tillage NT: no-tillage
Effect of tillage techniques on infiltration rate 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 0.30 1.40 NT CT PB NT: no-tillage CT: conventional tillage; PB: permanent bed Jat et al., 2013 Tillage practices Infiltration rate (cm hr -1 ) 2.70
Effect of tillage practices on soil pH, EC and OC Tillage practices pH (1:2) EC (dSm-1 ) OC (g kg-1 ) 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002 2003 Zero-tillage 7.58 7.51 0.457 0.461 4.21 4.36 Conventional tillage 7.60 7.58 0.461 0.468 4.01 4.09 LSD (P=0.05) NS NS NS NS 0.020 0.014 Bazaya et al., 2009
Organic C, total N, and available forms of P, K, and Mg concentrations in the soil at the end of 7 years under CT, RT & NT COMPONENT SOIL DEPTH (cm) TILLAGE SYSTEMS LSD VALUE CT RT NT ORGANIC C (g/kg) 0-5 10-20 8.07b 7.97a 9.55a 7.60ab 10.18a 7.43b 0.63** 0.52* Total N (g/kg) 0-5 10-20 0.96b 0.94 1.06a 0.92 1.12a 0.88 0.09** NS C:N 0-5 10-20 8.4b 8.5 9.0a 8.3 9.1a 8.4 0.04* NS P (mg/kg) 0-5 10-20 209 206 196 210 192 215 NS NS K (mg/kg) 0-5 10-20 149c 142a 204b 126b 225a 120b 19.3** 11.2* Mg (mg/kg) 0-5 30.9c 37.0b 42.5a 4.46** Malecka et al., 2009
Earthworm population under various tillage with and without residues 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 No tillage with residues No tillage without residues Reduced tillage without residues Reduced tillage with burn residues Conventional tillage without residues Conventional tillage with burn residues Tillage and residue management Earthworm Population Chan and Heenan (2005) 17 18 14 7 4 4
Crop productivity under different cropping systems with various tillage operation Tillage Rice-wheat system (Av. of 04 yr) Rice-maize system (Av. of 03 yr) Maize-wheat system (Av. of 02 yr) Rice Wheat R-W system Rice Maize R-M system Maize Wheat M-W system Yield (t ha-1 ) No-till 5.0 b 3.9 a 9.0 a 4.6 a 7.1 b 11.7 b 4.4 a 4.4 a 8.8 a Permanent bed 5.2 b 3.1 b 8.3 c 4.7 a 7.7 a 12.4 a 4.2 a 3.9 b 8.1 b Conventional till 5.8 a 2.9 b 8.7 b 4.7 a 5.3 c 10.0 c 3.7 b 3.9 b 7.6 c Jat et al., 2009
Yield performance of RWCS under CA and conventional tillage practices Rice Wheat System Rice wheat System Eastern IGP Western IGP 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 PTR-CTW ZTR-ZTW ZTR-ZTW+R Jat et al., 2011 Grain yield (t ha -1 )
System productivity and net returns of maize –wheat by tillage and crop establishment, and residue management practices (mean value of data over 2 years) Treatment MEY of system (t/ha) Cost of production (×103 Rs/ha) Net returns (×103 Rs/ha) B : C ratio CT-F 10.10 35.0 70.4 2.01 CT-B+ R 11.59 38.5 81.9 2.13 ZT – F 9.40 31.5 66.9 2.12 ZT-B + R 11.98 35.0 89.8 2.56 SEm± 0.47 - 4.2 0.12 CD ( P=0.05) 1.62 - 1.5 0.43 Source:- Seema sepat and D. S. Rana, 2013
Yield and economics of rice-wheat system as affected by different treatments (mean of 3 yrs) Treatment Rice equivalent Yield (q/ha) Cost of cultivation (Rs/ha) Gross income (Rs/ha) B: C Ratio Rice Direct seedling by zero till drill without tillage after spray of glyphosate 0.5 kg a. i./ha 69.4 20,217 50,686 2.50 Transplanting under puddled condition 65.0 22,867 47,480 2.01 C D (P-0.05) 4.8 Wheat Conventional tillage 43.4 13,550 25,173 1.86 Zero tillage 45.5 8,900 26,399 2.97 C D (P-0.05) 5.6 Singh et al., 2006
Conclusions  Conservation agriculture is a complete agriculture system that combines three basic principle: minimum disturbances of soil, adequate levels of crop residues on soil surface and diversified crop rotation.  Conservation agriculture based technology may lead to improvement of physical, chemical and biological properties of soils which in turn maintain sustainable of crop production.  Availability of affordable seeding machinery and their maintenance and transfer of appropriate technology are needed to encourage the farmers for its adoption.
Conservation agriculture and its impact on soil health and crop yield