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Conservation Agriculture.pptx

This document defines conservation agriculture as a concept for sustainable crop production that aims to achieve profits and high yields while protecting the environment. It has three key principles: minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop diversification. Conservation agriculture was developed in response to issues like soil erosion and degradation. It involves practices like no-till farming, cover cropping, and crop rotation to improve soil health, biodiversity, and water retention while reducing costs, pollution, and soil disturbance compared to conventional agriculture. The document provides details on the history, principles, practices, impacts, and limitations of conservation agriculture.

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CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE
DEFINITION • Concept for resource saving agricultural crop production that strives to achieve acceptable profits together with high and sustained production level while concurrently saving the environment (FAO 2009)
• It enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface, which contribute to increased water and nutrient use efficiency and to improved and sustained crop production.
• Edward H Faulkner (1886-1964)- Father of conservation tillage criticized mould board plough use for disastrous tillage of soil . • Tilling soil continuously without adding organic matter has adverse effect on soil health and quality of the produce. • The concerns for soil erosion ,soil quality deterioration made scientist to evolve conservation based agricultural system.
• Evolved in USA because of increased oil prices and land degradation • 1930-dust bowl formed in USA great plains due to extensive tillage practices and soil exposure to wind
• During 1942 introduction of 2,4-D ,Atrazine and paraquat enable the farmers to manage weeds with less tillage. • In 1970s no-till drills, which open small groves for placing seeds and disturb soil to a least were developed . • In 1990s, newer version of no till drill so called new generation machines like Happy seeder , Turbo seeder came into existence
3 PRINCIPLES Minimum soil disturbance Permanent soil organic cover Species diversification If these three principles overlap maximum and sustained productivity can be achieved
Why minimum soil disturbance ? • Tillage and ploughing is the most time and power consuming operation avoided saving time and cost • Ploughing disturbs the soil making it susceptible to erosion by water and wind
TILLAGE-Immediate effect • Weeds control • Seed bed preparation • Water infiltration increases • Soil aeration increases • Nutrients released • Incorporation of organic manure and nutrients
Long term effects • Depleted soil organic matter • Damaged soil structure and macropores • Soil flora and fauna decreases • Hard plough pan formation • Restricted aeration • Decline in nutrient avilability
• Direct seeding involves growing crops without mechanical seedbed preparation and with minimal soil disturbance since the harvest of the previous crop • synonymous with no-till farming, zero tillage, no- tillage, direct drilling • The equipment penetrates the soil cover, opens a seeding slot and places the seed into that slot.
2.Permanent soil cover • By crop residues –dead plant matter and imported mulch • By cover crops • By living plants synchronized for all year round production
why permanent soil cover? • More soil organic matter and available nutrients • Promotes biological activity of soil organisms leading to increased fauna • Increased humus leads to soil enrichment and improved soil structure • Increased water infiltration ,decreased water evaporation, water and nutrient holding capacity
• Cushions temperature changes • Better root penetration and crop growth • Less soil erosion from both water and wind • Less weed pressure
3.Crop rotation • Greater crop production overall • Break pest cycle and control weeds by introducing weed smothering combinations • Improved nutrient cycling from deeper layers to crop rooting zones • Mitigate dry spells and some crop failures • Balance amount and quality of residues for soil cover from legumes,cereals,high and low bio mass crops
OTHER PRINCIPLES • utilization of green manures/cover crops (GMCC's) to produce the residue cover • no burning of crop residues • integrated disease and pest management • controlled/limited human and mechanical traffic over agricultural soils.
PRACTICES IN CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE • Laser land levelling • Conservation tillage • Ridge tillage • Brown manuring
STATUS OF CA • World wide 157 mha • Major in USA,Brazil,Argentina,Canada, Australia • 11% cropped area 50% in developing countries • In India practised in 3.5 mha • Mostly in Indo gangetic plains of rice- wheat consortium of about 2 million hectares
• Crops cultivated direct seeded rice, soybean ,maize, cluster bean, mungbean, pearl millet, wheat ,chickpea ,rapeseed- mustard and lentil • Equipments for conservation agriculture- turbo seeder, happy seeder, multi crop planter, zero till fertilizers seed drill fitted with T openers, disk planters, punch planter,trash movers or roto disk openers
Conventional agriculture • Excessive tillage and soil erosion • Residue Burning • Use of ex-situ FYM • Green manuring • Free wheeling farm machinery • Crop based management • Sole crops • Uneven field levels
Conservation agriculture • No tillage/drastically reduced tillage • Surface retention of residues minimum 30% • Use of in-situ organics • Brown manuring (surface drying) • Controlled traffic • Cropping system based management • Intercropping /Relay Cropping
PROPERTIES CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE SOIL ORGANIC MATTER Lower More SOIL BIOLOGICAL HEALTH Lower More SOIL TEMPERATURE More variable Moderated SOIL COMPACTION Increased reduced INFILTRATION Lower more EROSION Maximum less Weeds Lower More cost More lower
Advantages • Economic benefits production efficiency • Agronomic benefits soil productivity • Environmental and protect the soil social benefits
Economic benefits • Time saving and reduction in labour requirement • Reduction of cost (fuel, machinery operating costs and maintanence) • More output for lower input
LAND • Improves soil structure • Protects the soil against erosion • Prevent nutrient losses by maintaining a permanent soil cover and minimizing soil disturbance. • Enhance soil organic matter (SOM) levels and nutrient availability by utilizing the previous crop residues or growing green manure/ cover crops (GMCC's) and keeping these residues as a surface mulch rather than burning. • Thus, arable land under CA is more productive for much longer periods of time.
WATER • Requires significantly less water use due to increased infiltration and enhanced water holding capacity from crop residues left on the soil surface. • Mulches also protect the soil surface from extreme temperatures and greatly reduce surface evaporation, which is particularly important in tropical and sub-tropical climates.
NUTRIENTS • Enhanced by the biochemical decomposition of organic crop residues at the soil surface that are also vital for feeding the soil microbes. • nitrogen needs of primary food crops can be achieved by planting nitrogen-fixing legume species, other essential nutrients must be supplemented by additional chemical and/or organic fertilizer inputs. • In general, soil fertility is built up over time under conservation agriculture, and fewer fertilizer amendments are required to achieve optimal yields over time.
SOIL BIOTA • Diverse community of beneficial soil organisms, including predatory wasps, spiders, nematodes, springtails, mites and beneficial bacteria and fungi, among other species. • The burrowing activity of earthworms and other fauna create tiny channels or pores in the soil that facilitate the exchange of water and gases and loosen the soil for enhanced root penetration.
ENVIRONMENT • Environmentally-friendly set of technologies since it uses resources more efficiently than conventional agriculture, these resources become available for other uses, including conserving them for future generations. • The significant reduction in fossil fuel use under no-till agriculture results in fewer greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere and cleaner air in general. • Reduced applications of agrochemicals under CA also significantly lessens pollution levels in air, soil and water.
LIMITATIONS • Enhanced weed and pest problems • Lack of knowledge regarding different ecosystems • Frequent dearth of information on locally adapted cover crops that produce high bio mass • Initial nervousness about switching from plough based farming to conservation agriculture
CONSTRAINTS • lack of appropriate seeders • Wide spread use of crop residues for livestock feed and fuel • Burning of crop residues • Lack of knowledge about the potential of CA to agricultural leaders, extension agents and farmers • Skilled and scientific man power
Reference • CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE KNOWLEDGE PORTAL,CORNELL UNIVERSITY • Conservation agriculture in India – Problems, prospects and policy issues Suraj Bhan and U. K. Behera, INTERNATIONAL SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION RESEARCH • Ajoy gangopadhyay., Conserving agriculture 2007.,