SANTHOSH S - 2022002156 - CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE.pptx

Conservation agriculture

1. Presented By Santhosh S (2022002156) Conservation Agriculture AGR 304

2. Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a concept for resource-saving agricultural crop production system that strives to achieve acceptable profits together with high and sustained production levels while conserving the environment. It is based on minimum tillage, crop residue retention, and crop rotations, has been proposed as an alternative system combining benefits for the farmer with advantages for the society. Conservation Agriculture remains an important technology that improves soil processes, controls soil erosion and reduces production cost. Introduction cost.

3. cost. What is Conservation Agriculture

4. Globally, CA is being practiced on about 125 M ha. USA has been the pioneer country in adopting CA systems and currently more than 25.5 million ha land is under such system. Countries where CA practices have now been widely adopted for many years in Brazil (25.5 M ha), Argentina (25.5 M ha), Canada (13.5 M ha) and Australia (17.0 M ha). France and Spain are the two countries where CA was being followed in about one million ha of area under annual crops. Conservation Agriculture Success World Over cost.

5. The total area under no-tillage/zero tillage in India it is about 3.43 mha . Efforts to adapt and promote resource conservation technologies have been underway for nearly a decade. Spread of conservation agriculture have been made through the combined efforts of several SAU’s, ICAR institutes. CA technologies is taking place in the irrigated regions of Indo- Gangetic plains where rice-wheat cropping system dominates. CA systems have not been tried or promoted in other major agro-eco regions like rainfed semi-arid tropics, the arid regions. Conservation Agriculture in India cost.

6. Microclimate Management Soil C Sequestration Optimum Nutrient Management Soil biodiversity Principles of Conservation Agriculture cost.

7. Goals of conservation agriculture Achieve acceptable profits Alleviating hunger High and sustained production levels Contributing to food security Reduce input and labor cost Environmental objectives (such as carbon sequestration and climate change) cost.

8. Why We Do It? Sustainability Enhanced Biodiversity Carbon Sequestration Labour saving Healthier Soils Increased Yields Reduced Cost cost.

9. 1. In situ management of crop residues. 2. Engineering measures: i) Contour bunding ii) Graded bunding iii)Terracing 3. Adoption of micro-irrigation system. 4. Mulching. 5. Tillage. 6. Integrated nutrient management in soil. Components of Conservation Agriculture cost.

10. Extra CO 2 emission into atmosphere 405.6 ppm Why CA represent a new paradigm? cost.

11. 2.Land Degradation 3.Soil organic matter reduction 4.Soil contamination 5.Soil compaction

12. 6.Lesser storage of water 7.Decline in soil biodiversity Dumanski et al, (2006) cost.

13. cost . Reduction in cost of production. Enhancement of soil quality. Enhancement in long term C sequestration. Reduction of the incidence of weeds, such as phalaris minor in wheat. Enhancement of water and nutrient use efficiency. Enhancement of production and productivity (4% – 10%). Advanced sowing date. Reduction in greenhouse gas emission. Avoiding crop residue burning reduces loss of nutrients. Providing opportunities for crop diversification. Improvement of resource use efficiency. Use surface residues as mulch. Potential benefits of Conservation Agriculture

14. Conservation Agriculture and Soil Quality Soil Physical Quality Soil structure and aggregation Hydraulic conductivity Soil bulk density Soil Chemical Quality Soil organic carbon Nutrient dynamics Biological Soil Quality Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) Soil enzymatic activity cost.

15. Comparison of conventional and conservation agriculture systems S.No . Conventional agriculture Conservation agriculture 1. Cultivating land, using science and technology to dominate nature Least interference with natural processes 2. Excessive mechanical tillage and soil erosion No-till or drastically reduced tillage (biological tillage) 3. High wind and soil erosion Low wind and soil erosion 4. Residue burning or removal (bare surface) Surface retention of residues (permanently covered) 5. Water infiltration is low Infiltration rate of water is high 6. Use of ex-situ FYM/composts Use of in-situ organics/composts 7. Green manuring (incorporated) Brown manuring /cover crops (surface retention) 8. Kills established weeds but also stimulates more weed seeds to germinate Weeds are a problem in the early stages of adoption but decrease with time 9. Free-wheeling of farm machinery, increased soil compaction Controlled traffic, compaction in tramline, no compaction in crop area. 10. Mono cropping/culture, less efficient rotations Diversified and more efficient rotations 11. Heavy reliance on manual labor, uncertainty of operations Mechanized operations, ensure timeliness of operations 12. Poor adaptation to stresses, yield losses greater under stress conditions More resilience to stresses, yield losses are less under stress conditions 13. Productivity gains in long-run are in declining order Productivity gains in long-run are in incremental order cost.

16. Conservation tillage is defined as: "any tillage or planting system in which at least 30% of the soil surface is covered by plant residue after planting to reduce erosion. No tillage, minimum tillage, reduced tillage and mulch tillage are terms synonymous with conservation tillage. Appropriate tillage practices are those that avoid the degradation of soil properties but maintain crop yields as well as ecosystem stability Conservation tillage provides the best opportunity for halting degradation and for restoring and improving soil productivity In recent years interest in conservation tillage systems has increased in response to the need to limit erosion and promote water conservation. Conservation tillage cost.

17. Zero Tillage: Soil is completely left undisturbed from harvest to planting except sowing and nutrient application. Weed control is only by herbicides. Strip Tillage: Strip-tillage is a form of conservation tillage that clears crop residues in a narrow zone of soil and loosens subsoil layers prior to planting. Reduced tillage Little soil disturbance before sowing to break the crust, loosen compact soil and prepare seedbed. Weed control by herbicides or some secondary tillage. Mulch Tillage: It includes any CT system other than no-tillage, strip tillage, or ridge-tillage that preserves 30 % or more surface residues. Types of Conservation Tillage Systems cost.

18. Minimum tillage Zero tillage Stubble mulch tillage cost.

19. Direct planting involves growing crops with minimum soil disturbance since the harvest of the previous crop. Direct planting can be used with all annual and perennial crops and vegetables. Conservation agriculture can be done manually or mechanically ( i.e. animal or tractors drawn conservation agriculture planters). Improves soil organic matter Protects the soil against erosion by water and wind Cost Savings : fuel, time and labour costs in the long term Improves infiltration and conserves soil moisture (FAO) cost.

20. Agricultural and environmental co-benefits of zero tillage Zero tillage is a ‘cornerstone’ of CA, and can be practiced in both large and small farming system Gradually, organic matter of the surface layers of zero tilled land increases, due to reduced erosion, increased yields resulting in more crop residue added to the soil surface Most of the agricultural benefits of zero tillage relate to increased organic matter in the soil. Increased biomass from improved crop yields, reduced surface soil temperatures and increased biodiversity. In dry years, the improved soil moisture levels , aggregation and organic matter status of the zero till soils. Soil carbon sinks are increased by increased biomass due to increased yields, as well as by reducing organic carbon losses from soil erosion. Greatly improved soil aggregation , biodiversity and organic matter status, and subsequent improved water infiltration and water storage in the soil. cost.

21. Mulch is any organic material (such as decaying leaves, bark, or compost) spread over the soil and around a crop to enrich and insulate the soil. Live mulches are crops intercropped for purposes of providing soil cover. Suppresses weed germination and growth Improves organic matter accumulation and carbon sequestration Improves recycling of nutrients Protects the soil from erosion by water and wind cost.

22. Crop residue management “The portion of a plant left in the field after harvest of the crop that is (straw, stalks, stems, leaves, roots) not used domestically or sold commercially.” Need of conservation agriculture to enhance soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Crop residues are excellent source of organic matter and plant nutrients. Organic recycling has to play a key role in achieving sustainability in agricultural production. cost.

23. Soil structure : Favor the formation of aggregates. Bulk Density & porosity : Decreases the bulk density of soil & increase the porosity of the soils. Hydraulic conductivity : Increase hydraulic conductivity by modifying soil structure microspores. Soil temperature : Increases the minimum soil temperature in winter and decrease soil temperature during summer due to shading effect. Soil moisture : Reduces evaporation rate due to increase in amount of residues on the soil surface. Effect of crop residues on physical properties of soil cost.

24. Crop Rotation “Crop rotation refers to recurrent succession of crops on the same piece of land either in a year or over a longer period of time.' In crop rotation land is fixed but crop is rotated year after year. Maintains and even improve soil fertility. It checks the soil erosion and conserves moisture. The rotation of crops offer a diverse "diet" to the soil micro organisms. cost.

25. Advantages of crop rotation Improvement of Water use: Crops with different water systems also utilize soil water at different soil depths. Improve fertility and production: crops have different rooting patterns which take up nutrients at different soil depths. Rotations help to utilize soil nutrients more efficiently. In addition, legumes fix nitrogen in the soil for the benefit of successive cereal crops in a rotation cost. Reduction of Pest and Diseases: Different crops are susceptible to different diseases and pest agent. Therefore growing such crops in rotation will reduce the incidence of diseases and pests with no cost

26. Constraints in adopting Conservation Technologies cost. Possess a challenge both for the scientific community and the farmers to overcome the past mindset and explore the opportunities. The wide spread use of crop residues for livestock feed and as fuel . Burning of crop residues. Lack of knowledge about the potential of CA to Agril . leaders, extension agents & farmers. Compaction can be a problem in initial stage of conservation agriculture. Managing conservation agriculture systems will be highly demanding in terms of knowledge base, Conservation agriculture as an upcoming paradigm for raising crops will require an innovation system. Conservation agriculture systems are much more complex than the conventional systems.

27. Preserving environment and natural resources Preserving biodiversity Increasing soil carbon storage Promoting sustainable agriculture FUTURE CHALLENGES cost.

28. CONCLUSION Conservation agriculture technologies are the future of sustainable agriculture. Conservation agriculture practices such as conservation tillage, residue and land cover management, appropriate crop rotation have shown the proven benefit to improve soil quality across the world. The benefits range from nano -level (improving soil properties) to micro-level (saving inputs, reducing cost of production, increasing farm income), and macro-level by reducing poverty, improving food security, alleviating global warming. To achieve sustainable food production with minimal impact on the soil and the atmosphere, conservation agriculture practices become more important now than ever. cost.

29. “ SOIL HEALTH CARE - THE KEY TO NATIONS PROSPERITY” Thank You