An organic herbicide was also evaluated for cover crop termination. Crop residue management to reduce erosion and improve soil quality. This practice may be applied as part of a conservation management system to support one or more of the following purposes. The residue can be ploughed directly into the ground, or burned first. Accordingly, national policy for management of crop residue npmcr has following major objectives. Leaving last seasons crop residues on the soil surface by limiting tillage. Conservation agriculture ca was introduced in the 1930s as a soil conservation system to counter the dust bowl in the united states.
New approaches to crop disease management in conservation agriculture steven simpfendorfer, alan mckay and kathy ophelkeller. What is conservation agriculture ca ca is a set of soil management practices that minimize the disruption of the soils structure, composition and natural biodiversity. Leaving crop residue on the soil surface during cropping has a number of clear advantages over tillage that leaves the soil surface bare. Sustainable crop production is possible through use of appropriate tillage and crop residue management practices. Conflicts between conservation agriculture and livestock over. Potential, constraints and policy needs find, read and cite all the research you need. Conservation agriculture is seen as an ideal system for sustainable and climatesmart agricultural intensification, through which farmers can attain higher levels of productivity and profitability while improving soil health and the environment.
The role of conservation agriculture in sustainable agriculture. The largest quantities of agricultural residues and wastes are from the major commodity crops. The person on the tractor seat is one of the keys to leaving heavy residues on the soil surface. Carbon input and maize productivity as influenced by. Conservation agriculture farmer innovation programme. Management of rice straw, rather than wheat straw is a serious problem, because there is very little turnaround time between rice harvest and wheat sowing and due to the lack of proper technology for. Livestock converts above ground biomass to urine and manure, creating a beneficial environment that increases organic matter in the soil. In many areas of the world, crops and livestock compete for the same resources, and require proper management to meet conservation agriculture objectives. Crop residue management through conservation agriculture can improve soil productivity and crop production by maintaining som levels. Out of 620 mt crop residues produced annually in the country, 234 mt is surplus and 30% of it is contributed by rice and wheat. The role of conservation agriculture in sustainable. Crop residues on the soil surface that conserves the moisture, may favour snails and slugs, causing damage to crops.
Conservation agriculture, which is based on minimum tillage, permanent soil cover and crop rotations, has widely been promoted as a practice to maintain or improve soil quality and enhance crop productivity. Journal of sustainable agriculture designing a process of comanagement of crop residues for forage and soil conservation in sudanosahel. In many cases land preparation is of a low standard, planting is often delayed and crops are not well managed. Residues may originate from the harvested crop or be artificially applied such as through the use of a hay mulch. Crop residue management systems asa special publications. Crop residues can improve soil structure, increase organic matter content in the soil, reduce evaporation, and help fix co 2 in the. Thus proper nitrogen management in conservation agriculture is needed to ensure proper crop growth and development. Land degradation and soil fertility deterioration are two of the main causes of agricultural production stagnation and decline in many parts of the world. Crop residues management with conservation agriculture. Many african farmers cultivate by hand, using hoes. Importance, management challenges and possible solutions article pdf available may 2014. Indian foreword india being an agriculturedominant country produces more than 500 million tons of crop residues annually. Chapter 7 use of crop residues and straw decay factor or humification rate table 11 and t is year.
In africa, however, adoption rates by smallscale farmers has been slower and more context specific fao 2009 1. These residues are used as animal feed, for thatching of homes, and as a source of domestic and industrial fuel. Conservation agriculture also resulted in savings, as farmers reduced their use of inputs and saved money by not having to buy. Conservation agriculture is a farming system that promotes minimum soil disturbance i. Crop residue agricultural research management to conservation.
The experiment evaluated management of three di erent cover crops in three vegetable crop systems. In subsequent modelling steps k is corrected for temperature, moisture and plant development a. United states department of agriculture natural resources. Province of manitoba agriculture crop residue burning. A vast majority of land is used for farming and a wide range of crops are cultivated in its different agroecological regions. Crop residue management an overview sciencedirect topics. How cover crop residue management and herbicide rate. Pdf journal of sustainable agriculture designing a process. These residues include stalks and stubble, leaves, and seed pods.
Biocharresidue integrated approach as a conservation. Pdf crop residues management with conservation agriculture. Crop residues can improve soil structure, increase organic matter content in the soil, reduce evaporation, and help fix co 2 in the soil. These farmers can practise conservation agriculture by digging small planting holes in lines, at care. Management of crop residues for sustainable crop production. Burning of crop residue and noncrop herbage regulation 7793 pdf 129kb was enacted in 1993 to deal with the legal aspects of crop residue burning. Conservation agriculture food and agriculture organization. Farming with crop residues, a brochure published by the nrcs, presents photographs of various percentages of ground cover that can be expected using different tillage techniques use these photographs of residue amounts to get a good picture in your mind of what the various percentages of ground cover might look like as you look down at evenly distributed residues. Conservation agriculture aims to boost agricultural production by optimising the use of farm resources and helping to reduce widespread land degradation through the integrated management of available soil, water and biological resources combined with external inputs. Conservation agriculture was developed in brazil and argentina in the 1970s, and adheres to three core principles. Crop residue management in ricewheat cropping system for. Conservation agriculture can be practised on different types of farms, with different combinations of crops and sources of power.
Leaving last seasons crop residues on the surface after harvest and before and during the next planting provides cover for the soil at critical times of year. Research conservation agriculture systems innovation. Conservation agriculture is an appropriate technology that can address some of the underlying crop management problems facing farming in the sub region. This requires a total change of cropping systems and often also of livestock husbandry. Good management of field residues can increase efficiency of irrigation and control of erosion. Residues in excess of carefully determined recycling requirements can make a major difference at both the local and regional levels in producing highquality animal and fungal protein or fiber.
The model of crop production based on mechanical soil tillage and exposed soils is typically accompanied by negative effects on the natural resource base of the farming environment, which can be so serious that they. Ct systems, the burial and increased rate of decomposition of crop residues reduces the survival of stubbleborne pathogens bockus and shroyer 1998. Importance, management challenges and possible solutions. Interactive e ects of tillage crop residue management on the weight of a thousand grains in a maizebased conservation agriculture system in a semiarid climate in south africa during the 20152016 summer season. When n was applied as crop residues, its retention in the soil was higher than for fertilizer n, but its recovery by plants was poor, as mentioned above. Among the crop residues management options fencing fields reduces the chances of crop residues grazing by free roaming cattle during the dry season. Limiting soil disturbance to manage the amount, orientation and distribution of crop and plant residue on the soil surface year around. Mar 17, 2016 organic mulches have been reported to increase damage of cutworms due to moisture conservation. Conservation agriculture ca is defined as a sustainable agriculture production system comprising a set of farming practices adapted to the requirements of crops and local conditions of each region, whose farming and soil management techniques protect the soil from erosion and degradation, improve its quality and biodiversity, and contribute to the preservation of the natural resources, water.
Indian foreword india being an agriculture dominant country produces more than 500 million tons of crop residues annually. Agroecological functions of crop residues under conservation. Department of agriculture, agricultural research service, crr40, 68 pp. However, recent research and farm innovation have produced a variety of conservation tillage ct management alternatives that cut costs, reduce soil disturbance, and produce fewer emissions. A copy of the five other regional reports on crop residue management to reduce erosion and improve soil quality can be obtained from the conservation technology information center, 1220 potter drive, room 170, west lafayette, in 47906 fax 3174945969, telephone 317494. Conservation agriculture ca climatesmart agriculture. Crop residue management in conservation agriculture systems.
Conservation agriculture promotes minimal disturbance of the soil by tillage zero tillage, balanced application of chemical inputs only as required for improved soil quality and healthy crop and animal production, and careful management of residues and wastes. Crop residue management in conservation agriculture systems in zimbabwe smallholder farming sector importance, management challenges and possible solutions conservation agriculture ca is promoted as a cropping system that has potential to alleviate poor crop yields in smallholder farming while protecting the environment. Cover crop management page 2 of 6 august 2018 cover crop grazing. Research has shown that cover crop grazing can improve soil health more rapidly than cover crops alone as part of a cropping system. Organic mulches have been reported to increase damage of cutworms due to moisture conservation. Management of cereal crop residues for sustainable ricewheat production system to the ground as possible if the straw is to be fed to livestock. Potential, constraints and policy needs introduction india is an agrarian economy. Journal of sustainable agriculture designing a process of co management of crop residues for forage and soil conservation in sudanosahel. Witter et al 2009 conservation agriculture and smallholder farming in africa. Conservation agriculture toolbox for zimbabwe giller k.
Conservation agriculture aims to boost agricultural production by optimising the use of. Thus proper nitrogen management in conservation agriculture is needed to ensure proper crop growth and. When n was applied via crop residues, retention in soil was much greater than when n was applied via inorganic fertilizers, but the recovery in the cropsoil system was poor due to very low uptake rate by the crop, probably because of lack of synchrony between n release from the residues and n demand by the crop. Crop residue management crm through conservation agriculture can improve soil productivity and crop production by preserving soil organic matter som levels. Conflicts between conservation agriculture and livestock.
Conservation agriculture practices require a critical level of crop residues and cover crops to maintain or enhance soil chemical, physical and biological properties and prevent land degradation. Use these examples and the guide to estimated percentage of soil covered by crop residue after field operations only as a guide residue levels can vary with tillage management techniques. Potential, constraints and policy needs, iari, 2010 20 21. Conservation agriculture is a farming system that promotes maintenance of a permanent soil cover, minimum soil disturbance i.
Simple line transect measurements can be used to estimate residue coverage. The residual mass, expressed as a multiple of harvested yields, can be obtained simply as 1 hihi. Wilts, in encyclopedia of soils in the environment, 2005. Crop residue management in conservation agriculture. Retention of crop residues after harvesting is considered to be an effective antierosion measure. More recently, it has become widely promoted and adopted in latin america. For official use mulching department of agriculture. Management of the nonharvested plant tissues, such as leaves, stems, branches, and roots that constitute the residues from the production of food and fiber, is one of the farm practices that affects crop production via nutrient availability and cycling. Postharvest residue levels from a small grain crop wheat ref. Pdf crop residue management in conservation agriculture.
Field residues are materials left in an agricultural field or orchard after the crop has been harvested. Kurt steiner, gtz, 2002 background the maintenance of a permanent soil cover of living or dead plant material is the heart of conservation tillage. 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. Appropriate field management of crop residues can help to achieve all of these goals. The role of agriculture in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Conservation agriculture strategy for climate smart farming rishikesh singh1, pratap srivastava2.
Approximately 16% of total crop residue being burnt, 62% is contributed by rice and. Sustainable weed management for conservation agriculture. Conservation agriculture ca is defined as a sustainable agriculture production system comprising a set of farming practices adapted to the requirements of crops and local conditions of each region, whose farming and soil management techniques protect the soil from erosion and degradation, improve its quality and biodiversity, and contribute to the preservation of the. The standard practice is to quote residue production in terms of drymatter mass and crop yield at field moisture smil 1983, unpublished report. It involves maintenance of permanent soil cover, diverse crop rotations andor interactions. Two significant advantages of surfaceresidue management are increased om near the soil surface and enhanced nutrient cycling and retention. Residue management is the emerging challenge for sustainable growth of indian agriculture and environmental protection mainly in indogangetic plains igp. Suggested citation iari 2012 crop residues management with conservation agriculture. Management of cereal crop residues for sustainable rice. Conservation agriculture ca is promoted as a cropping system that has potential to alleviate poor crop yields in smallholder farming while protecting the environment. Crops grown with conservation agriculture were less vulnerable to drought than those grown in the conventional fields. Pathak and others published crop residues management with conservation agriculture. When adequate crop residues are available, conservation tillage is highly effective for conserving soil and water, achieving favorable crop yields, maintaining soil organic carbon contents, and soil and water quality.
Table 1 average crop parameters for organic matter production on agricultural land. Effect of tillage, crop residues and nitrogen management. Management of highresidue cover crops in a conservation. Despite high variability in the types of crops grown and specific management regimes, all forms of conservation agriculture share three core principles. Crop residue management in conservation agriculture systems in zimbabwe smallholder farming sector. Prohibits night burning of crop residues and noncrop plant material in yards, rightsofway, ditches, native pastures and waste areas all year round.
To a large extent, the beneficial effects of conservation agriculture are expected to be provided by permanent soil cover with crop residues. Production of crop residues is most commonly expressed as straw. Conservation tillage systems and management, 1992 agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries. It involves maintenance of permanent soil cover, diverse crop rotations andor. Crop residues are materials left on cultivated land after the crop has been harvested. Approximately 16% of total crop residue being burnt, 62% is contributed by rice and wheat. It enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface, which contribute to increased water and nutrient use efficiency and to. In contrast, notill, striptill or reduced till agriculture practices are carried out to maximize.
338 1522 985 767 1266 44 209 1345 1383 747 233 1312 540 1538 1594 1591 799 1116 1578 141 786 691 19 430 1043 1447 1278 1497 123 697 1567 1497 1304 1129 1116 313 449 388 634 1327 67 258 581 266 451 56 1246 423 359 738