CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE: CONCEPT, PRINCIPLES AND METHODOLOGIES

Authors

  • Awanish Kumar, A. K. Biswas, Sanjay K. D L. K. Srivastava and V.N. Mishra Research Scholar, Indian Institute of soil science, Bhopal (M.P.) Scientist, Indian Institute of soil science, Bhopal (M.P.) Scientist, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (C.G.)

Keywords:

..

Abstract

Conservation agriculture aims to achieve sustainable and profitable agriculture and improved social, economic and environmental outcomes through three basic principles: minimal soil disturbance, Permanent soil cover and Crop rotations. Indian agriculture is moving into new era. Transition from ‘begging bowl at the time of independence to self-sufficiency was a major achievement for the country. This could possible through research and development efforts of county’s scientist. However, until now, agricultural intensification from intensive tillage-based production systems generally had a negative effect on the quality of many of the essential natural resources such as soil, water, terrain, biodiversity and the associated ecosystem services provided by nature. This degradation of the land resource base has caused crop yields and factor productivities to decline and has forced farmers, scientists and development stakeholders to search for an alternative paradigm that is ecologically sustainable as well as profitable (Friedrich et al., 2012). Another challenge for agriculture is its environmental foot print and c1inate change. Agriculture is responsible for about 30% of the total greenhouse gas emissions of CO2. N20 and CH4 while being directly affected by the consequences of a changing climate (IPCC, 2007). These new challenges demand that issues of efficient resource use and resource conservation to ensure the post green revolution sustainability and further enhanced to meet the emerging needs of burgeoning population

References

•Aase, J.K., Schaefer, G.M., 1996. Economics of tillage practices and spring wheat and barley crop

•sequence in northern Great Plains. J. Soil Water Conserv. 51,167–170.

•Abu-Hamdeh, N. H., 2004.The effect of tillage treatments on soil waterholding capacity and on soil

•physical properties. ISCO 2004 -13th International Soil Conservation Organisation Conference

•Conserving Soil and Water for Society: Sharing Solutions 532 – Brisbane, July 2004

•Acharya,C. L., Sharma, P. D., 1994. Tillage and mulch effects on soil physical environment, root growth,

•nutrient uptake and yield of maize and wheat on an Alfisol in north-west India. Soil & Till. Res. 32,

•291-302

•Ahn, P.M. and Hintze, B., 1990. No tillage, minimum tillage, and their influence on soil properties. In:

•Organic-matter Management and Tillage in Humid and Sub-humid Africa. pp. 341-349. IBSRAM

•Proceedings No.10. Bangkok: IBSRAM.

•Akram, Mohd., and W.D. Kemper. 1979. Infiltration of soils as affected by the pressure and water content

•at the time of compaction Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 43,1080-1086.

•Allen, M., Lachnicht, S.L., McCartney, D., Parmelee, R.W.1997. Characteristics of macroporosity in a

•reduced tillage agroecosystem with manipulated earthworm populations: implications for infiltration

•and nutrient transport. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 29,493–498.

•Adapted from: http://www.fao.org/ag/ca/1c.html [Accessed 21 August 2006]

•Abrol, I. P and Sanger, S. (2006). Sustaining Indian Agriculture-Conservation agriculture the way

•forward. Current Science 91 (8): 1020-1024.

•Abrol, I. P., Gupta, R. K., Malik, R. K. (2005). Conservation Agriculture status and Prospects. Centre for

•Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture, New Delhi.

•Al-Kaisi, M. M. (2009). Residue Management & Cultural Practices. published by Iowa State University

•Extension, with funding support from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

•through Cooperative Agreement No. 74-6114-0-2.

•Anonymous (2000). Conservation Tillage Systems and Management, MWPS-45, Pages 36 - 39, 2nd Ed.

•Bajracharya, R. M., Lal, R., Kimble, J. M. (1998). Long-term tillage effects on soil organic carbon,

•distribution in agregates and primary particle fractions of two ohio soils. In: Lal, R., Kimble,

•J.M., Follett, R.F., Stewart, B.A. (Eds.), Management of Carbon Sequestration in Soil. Advances

•in Soil Science. CRC Press, Boca Raton, New York, pp. 113–123.

•Blanco-Canqui, H., and Lal, R. (2009). Crop Residue Removal Impacts on Soil Productivity and

•Environmental Quality. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 28(3):139-163.

•Blevins, R. L., and Frye, W. W. (1993). Conservation tillage: an ecological approach to soil management.

•Advances in Agronomy, 51, 33–78.

•Boyle, M., Frankenberger, W. T. and Stolzy, L. H. (1989). Influence of organic matter on soil

•aggregation and water infiltration. Journal of Production Agriculture. 2:290-299.

•Brennan, R. F., Bolland, M. D. A. and Bowden, J. W. (2004). Potassium deficiency, and molybdenum

•deficiency and aluminium toxicity due to soil acidification, have become problems for cropping

•sandy soils in south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 44:1031–

•39

•Chen, Y., Tessier, S., Cavers, C., Xu, X. and Monero, F. (2005). A survey of crop residue burning

•practices in Manitoba. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 21: 317–323.

•Conant, R.T., Easter, M., Paustian, K., Swan, A. and Williams, S. (2007). Impacts of periodic tillage on

•soil C stocks: a synthesis. Soil and Tillage Research, 95: 1–10.

•FAO, (2005). Global Forest Resource Assessment 2005 – Progress towards sustainable forest

•management, FAO Forestry Paper 147, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

•(FAO), Rome, Italy.

•Freibauer, A., Rounsevell, M. D. A., Smith, P. and Verhagen, J. (2004). Carbon sequestration in the

•agricultural soils of Europe. Geoderma, 122: 1–23.

•Gadi, R., Kulshrestha, U.C., Sarkar, A.K., Garg, S.C. and Parashar, D.C. (2003). Emissions of SO2 and

•NOx from bio-fuels in India. Tellus B 55 (3): 787-795.

•Gupta, P. K., Sahai, S., Singh, N., Dixit, C. K., Singh, D. P., Sharma, C., Tiwari, M. K., Gupta, R. K., and

•Garg, S. C. (2004). Residue burning in rice–wheat cropping system: Causes and implications,

•Current Science, 87(12): 1713-1717.

•IARI, (2012). Crop residues management with conservation agriculture: Potential, constraints and policy

•needs. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, vii+32 p. 44

•Kushwaha, C.P. Srivastava R. and Singh, K.P. (2000). Implications of tillage and residue management

•on soil microbial biomass, N-mineralization rate and available-N in a dryland agro ecosystem.

•Tropical Ecology, 41(1): 123-126.

•Lal, R. (2005). World crop residues production and implication of its use as a biofuel. Environmental

•International, 31: 575-584.

•Logan, T. J., Lal, R. and Dick, W. A. (1991). Tillage systems and soil properties in North America. Soil

•and Tillage Research, 20: 241–270.

•Lopez-Fando, C., Pardo, M.T., (2009). Changes in soil chemical characteristics with different tillage

•practices in a semi-arid environment. Soil and Tillage Research 104: 278–284.

•MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Resources) (2009) Govt. of India, New Delhi.

•www.mnre.gov.in/biomassrsources.

•Ogbodo, E. N. (2010). Effect of Crop Residue on Soil Physical Properties and Rice Yield on an Acid

•Ultisol at Abakaliki, Southeastern Nigeria. Research Journal of Agriculture and Biological

•Sciences, 6(5): 647-652.

•Prasad, R., Gangaiah, B and Aipe, K.C. (1999). Effect of crop residue management in rice-wheat

•cropping system on growth and yield of crops and on soil fertility. Experimental Agriculture

•35:427-435.

•Saha, S., Chakraborty, D., Sharma,

•A.R., Tomar, R.K., Bhadraray, S., Sen, U., Behra, U.K., Purakayastha,

•T.J., Garg, R.N., and Kalra, N. (2010) Effect of tillage and residue management on soil physical

•properties and crop productivity in maize (Zea mays)–Indian mustard (Brassica

•juncea) system. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 80(8), 678-685

•Shaver, T. (2010). Crop Residue and Soil Physical Properties. Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Central

•Plains Irrigation Conference, Kearney, NE., February 24-25, 2010. PP 22-27.

•Singh, B. and Rengel, Z. (2007). The role of crop residue in improving soil fertility. In Nutrient Cycling

•in Terrestrial Ecosystems (Eds) P. Marschner, and Z. Rengel. Spreonger-Verlag Berlin, Soil

•Biology, 10: 183-214.

•Six, J., Elliott, E.T. and Paustian, K. (2000). Soil macroaggregate turnover and microaggregate formation:

•a mechanism for C sequestration under no-tillage agriculture, Soil Biology and Biochemistry 32:

•2099–2103.

•Skidmore, E.L., Layton, J.B., Armbrust, D.V. and Hooker, M.L. (1986). Soil physical properties as

•influenced by cropping and residue management. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 50:

•415-419.

•Subba Rao, A., Biswas, A.K., Sammi Reddy, K., Hati, K.M. and Ramana, S. (Eds) (2009). IISS: Two

•Decades of Soil Research, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, 1-132.

•Thomas, G.A., Dalal, R.C. and Standley, J., (2007). No-till effects on organic matter, pH, cation

•exchange capacity and nutrient distribution in a Luvisol in the semi-arid subtropics. Soil and

•Tillage Research, 94: 295–304.

•Tomar, S.S. 2008. Conservation agriculture for rice wheat cropping systems, Journal of Indian Society of

•Soil Science, 56:358-356 (PACA Newsletter, May 2008, pp 1-9).

•UNCCD Report (2009). Rivitalizing UNCCD, pp: 1-12.

•Valzano, F., Murphy, B. and Koen, T. (2005). The impact of tillage on changes in soil carbon density

•with special emphasis on Australian conditions, National Carbon Accounting System Technical

•Report 43.

•West, T. O. and Marland, G. (2002). Soil organic carbon sequestration rates by tillage and crop rotation.

•Soil Science Society of America Journal, 66: 1930–1946.

•Abrol, I.P and Sunita, S. (2006). Sustaining Indian Agriculture-Conservation agriculture the way

•forward. Current Science, 91 (8): 1020-1024.

•Abrol, I.P and Sunita, S. (2005). Conservation agriculture for transition to sustainable agriculture,

•Meeting report. Current Science, 88(5): 686-687.

•Agarwal, P.K and Pathak, H. (2009). Conservation Cultivation to combat Climate change. Indian

•Farming, 5-10 & 20.

•Baker, C.J., Saxton, K.E., Ritchie, W.R. (1996). No-tillage seeding: Science and Practice. CAB

•International, Wallingford, UK, 255pp.

•Climate Change and India (2010): A 4x4 Assessment A Sectoral And Regional Analysis For 2030s

•Ministry of Environment And Forest, GOI,pp:1-160

•Delgado, J.A., Groffman, P.M., Nearing, M.A., Goddard, T., Reicosky, D., Lal, R., Kitchen, N.R., Rice,

•C.W., Towery, D and Salon, P. (2011). Conservation practices to mitigate and adapt to climate

•change, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 66 (4):118A-19A

•Derpsch R and Friedrich T. (2010) Global overview of conservation agriculture adoption. In:

•Conservation agriculture: Innovations for Improving Efficiency, Equity and Environment (Eds.

•PK Joshi et al.), National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, India, pp 727-744.

•Derpsch, R. (2011). Frontiers in conservation tillage and advances in conservation practice.

•http://www.rolf-derpsch.com/notill.htm.

•Dey, P., Biswas, A.K., Hati, K.M., Srivastava, S., Jha, P., and Subba Rao, A. 2012. In: Proc. of National

•Seminar on strategies to rationalize and reduce consumption of water soluble phosphorus and

•potassium in the country to minimize import held at IISS, Bhopal during 18-19

•Dec, 2012, pp1-152.

•FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). (2009). Agriculture and Consumer

•Protection Department. Conservation Agriculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the

•United Nations. http://www.fao.org/ ag/ca/.

•Hobbs, P. R. Conservation Agriculture: What Is It and Why Is It Important for Future Sustainable Food

•Production?. Department Crops and Soil Sciences, Cornell University Ithaca NY, 14853 USA.

•http://www.conserveagri.org/understanding.htm

•IARI. (2012) Crop residues management with conservation agriculture: Potential, constraints and policy

•needs. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, vii+32 p.

•Jarecki, M.K. and Lal, R. (2003). Crop management for soil carbon sequestration. Critical Review of

•Plant Science 22:471-502.

•Joshi, (2008), In Business line

•Lal, R. (1991). Tillage and agricultural sustainability. Soil and Tillage Research 20:133-146.

•Lal, R., Kimble, J.M., Follet, R.F., and Cole, C.V. (1998). The potential of U.S. croplands to sequester

•carbon and mitigate greenhouse effect. Ann Arbor press, Ann Arbor, MI,128pp.

•52

•th

•Lal, R. (2002). Carbon sequestration in dryland ecosystems of West Asia and North Africa. Land

•Degradation and Development 13:45-59.

•Lal, R. (2004). Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security. Science

•304:1623-1627.

•Lal, R. (2005). Forest soils and carbon sequestration. Forest Ecology and Management 220:242-258.

•Lal, R. (2008). Managing soil water to improve rainfed agriculture in India. Journal of Sustainable

•Agriculture, 32(1):51-75.

•Lal, R. (2010). Carbon sequestration in saline soils. Journal of Soil Salinity and Water Quality. 1:30-40.

•Huke, R.E., Huke, E.H., 1997. Rice Area by Type of Culture: South, Southeast, and East Asia .

•IRRI, Los Baños, Philippines, PP. 59.

•IPCC (2001) Climate change 2001: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Inter-Governmental

•Panel on Climate Change, Report of the Working Group II. Cambridge, UK.

•INCCA (2010). India: Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2007. INCCA-Indian Network for Climate

•Change Assessment. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Pp. 1-63.

•http://www.moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/Report_INCCA.pdf.

•Pathak, H., Bhatia, A., Shiv Prasad, Jain, M.C., Kumar, S., Singh, S. and Kumar, U., 2002.

•Emission of nitrous oxide from soil in rice-wheat systems of Indo-Gangetic plains of India. J.

•Environ. Monitoring Assessment 77(2): 163-178.

•Smith, K. A. & Conen, F. 2004 Impacts of land management on fluxes of trace greenhouse

•gases. Soil Use Manage. 20, 255–263.

•Bradford, J.M. and Peterson, G.A. 2000. Conservation tillage.In Handbook of soil science, ed. M. E.

•Sumner, G247-G269. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press.

•Cadisch, G., and K. Giller, 2001: Soil organic matter management. The role of residue quality in C

•sequestration and N supply. In: R. M. Rees, B. C. Ball, C. D. Campbell, and C. A. Watson (eds),

•Sustainable Management of Soil Organic Matter, pp. 97—111. CABI Publishing, Wallingford,

•UK.

•Cadisch, G., O. C. de Oliveira, R. Cantarutti, E. Carralho, and S. Urquiago, 1998: The role of legume

•quality in soil carbon dynamics in Savannah ecosystems. In: L. Bergstorm, and H. Kirkmann

•(eds), Carbon and Nutrient Dynamics in Natural and Agricultural Tropical Ecosystems, pp. 53—

•54. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.

•Chesson, A., 1997: Plant degradation in ruminants: parallels with litter decomposition in soils. In: G.

•Cadisch, and K. E. Giller (eds), Driven by Nature. Plant Litter Quality and Decomposition, pp.

•47—66. CAB International, Wallingford, UK

•Houghton JT, Ding Y, Griggs DJ (2001) ‘Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis. Contribution of

•Working Group I to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

•Change’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge).

•Ismail, I., Blevins, R.L., and Frye, W.W. 1994. Long-Term No-Tillage Effects on Soil Properties and

•Continuous Corn Yields.Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 58:193-198.

•Jungk AO (2002) Dynamics of nutrient movement at the soil-root interface. In: Waisel Y, Eshel A,

•Kafkafi U (eds) Plant Roots: The Hidden Half, 3rd Edn. Marcel Dekker,New York, pp 587–616

•Kalidurai, M., 1989: Studies on nitrogen fixation and nitrogen contribution of stem nodulating Sesbania

•rostrata in rice soil ecosystem. MSc (Ag.) Thesis, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,

•Coimbatore.

•Kang S, Kim S, Oh S, Lee D (2000) Predicting spatial and temporal patterns of soil temperature based on

•topography, surface cover and air temperature. For EcolManag 136: 173–18

•Kimball BA, Kobayashi K, and Bindi, M (2002) Responses of agricultural crops to free-air CO2

•enrichment. Advances in Agronomy 77,293-368

Downloads

Published

2015-08-31

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 9 (2015): AUGUST 2015

Section

Articles

License

Copyright Notice

Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher. The Editors reserve the right to edit or otherwise alter all contributions, but authors will receive proofs for approval before publication.

Copyrights for articles published in World Scholars journals are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.