scholarly journals Effects of conservation agriculture on physicochemical soil health in 20 maize‐based trials in different agro‐ecological regions across Mexico

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Fonteyne ◽  
Juan Burgueño ◽  
Blanca Aide Albarrán Contreras ◽  
Enrique Andrio Enríquez ◽  
Luis Castillo Villaseñor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Health ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Ecological Regions

scholarly journals Factors influencing the adoption of conservation agriculture practices among smallholder farmers in Mozambique

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Chichongue ◽  
Andre Pelser ◽  
Johan V. Tol ◽  
Chris Du Preez ◽  
Gert Ceronio
Keyword(s):  
Cell Phone ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Ecological Regions ◽  
Health Decline ◽  
Female Headed Households

This study aimed to identify the factors that influence smallholder farmers’ decisions to adopt four different conservation agriculture (CA) practices (i.e. minimum tillage, intercropping, cover cropping and crop rotation) in Mozambique. A non-probability sampling approach, incorporating both purposive and accidental sampling types, was followed. Three agro-ecological regions, followed by four provinces, were purposely selected. In addition, Accidental sampling was used to select 616 smallholder farmers from 38 communities in the three agro-ecological regions where CA projects were historically implemented by several NGO institutions. A questionnaire was administered to the 616 selected smallholder farmers. A descriptive logit model was applied in STATA to determine the probability of respondents adopting CA practices. The findings show that 44.6% of smallholder farmers adopted one or more of the CA practices, and 55.4% did not. It was also clear that most farmers did not adopt all components CA. Results obtained revealed that household size, animal ownership, communication assets (such as television, radio, and cell phone) and group membership had a positive influence on CA adoption. Interestingly, female-headed households were more likely to adopt CA. Awareness of soil health decline is an important factor determining adoption. The study concluded that the reasons for adoption are site-specific and a ‘blanket approach’ to promote adoption of CA is unlikely to be successful.

scholarly journals Agricultural Conservation Practices and Aquatic Ecological Responses

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1687
Author(s):  
Richard E. Lizotte ◽  
Peter C. Smiley ◽  
Robert B. Gillespie ◽  
Scott S. Knight
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Harmful Algal Blooms ◽  
Algal Blooms ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Runoff ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Ecological Responses ◽  
And Function

Conservation agriculture practices (CAs) have been internationally promoted and used for decades to enhance soil health and mitigate soil loss. An additional benefit of CAs has been mitigation of agricultural runoff impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Countries across the globe have agricultural agencies that provide programs for farmers to implement a variety of CAs. Increasingly there is a need to demonstrate that CAs can provide ecological improvements in aquatic ecosystems. Growing global concerns of lost habitat, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, increased eutrophication and associated harmful algal blooms are expected to intensify with increasing global populations and changing climate. We conducted a literature review identifying 88 studies linking CAs to aquatic ecological responses since 2000. Most studies were conducted in North America (78%), primarily the United States (73%), within the framework of the USDA Conservation Effects Assessment Project. Identified studies most frequently documented macroinvertebrate (31%), fish (28%), and algal (20%) responses to riparian (29%), wetland (18%), or combinations (32%) of CAs and/or responses to eutrophication (27%) and pesticide contamination (23%). Notable research gaps include better understanding of biogeochemistry with CAs, quantitative links between varying CAs and ecological responses, and linkages of CAs with aquatic ecosystem structure and function.

scholarly journals Soil and Crop Management Strategies to Ensure Higher Crop Productivity within Sustainable Environments

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farooq Shah ◽  
Wei Wu
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Crop Management ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Agricultural Producers ◽  
Integrated Crop Management

The rising population and reduction in the amount of land and some other resources have created tremendous pressure on current agricultural producers to meet the increasing food demands. To cope with this challenge, certain key inputs, such as fertilizers and other chemicals, are overused, which are worsening the surroundings. This intensive agricultural production without adherence to ecological sustainability has led to declining soil health, land degradation, and severe environmental problems. So, future efforts to feed the growing population should aim for greater agricultural production within sustainable environments. In this regard, innovative steps are needed, as business-as-usual policies lack the potential to cope with these challenges. The concept of agricultural sustainability and various soil and crop management strategies (SCMS) that have been designed to optimize crop yield under sustainable environmental conditions are discussed, including nutrient management, site specific nutrient management (SSNM), integrated nutrient management (INM), integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), integrated soil-crop system management (ISSM), ridge-furrow mulching systems (RFMS), sustainable water management (SWM), conservation agriculture (CA), sustainable land management (SLM), vertical/sky farming, and integrated crop management, and breeding strategies as well as other approaches combined with technological and behavioural changes. The present review suggests that a sustainable production system can be developed by combining the multifaceted efforts under SCMS practices with short- and long-term preventive measures. Reducing chemicals’ usage, such as that of fertilizers and pesticides, plus improvements in the crop input use efficiency could minimize greenhouse gases emissions while protecting the environment. Sustainable agriculture holds promise for humankind and the planet Earth, and it can be successful if all developed and developing nations stand together to seek ‘our common future’ to produce more food while generating less environmental pressure.

IMPLEMENTATION OF PERMANENT RAISED BEDS CONTRIBUTES TO INCREASED CROP YIELD AND PROFITABILITY IN THE NORTHEASTERN TIGRAY REGION, ETHIOPIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 807-817
Author(s):  
AMANUEL A. GEBRU ◽  
TESFAY ARAYA ◽  
TSEGAY WOLDE-GEORGIS ◽  
JAN NYSSEN ◽  
FRÉDÉRIC BAUDRON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yield ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Northern Ethiopia ◽  
Marginal Rate ◽  
Economic Productivity ◽  
Tigray Region

SUMMARYA major problem faced by small-scale farmers in northern Ethiopia is reduced crop yield due to increasing soil degradation resulting from repeated tillage and inadequate agronomic management practices. These practices have left soils and rainfed crops susceptible to hazardous climatic events such as droughts. Sustainable farm practices such as minimum tillage and surface residue retention have been shown to improve soil health and crop productivity. The objectives of this field study were thus to evaluate the impacts of conservation agriculture (CA) practices on crop yield and economic productivity over 6 years in the eastern Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. Using a barley–wheat rotation from 2010 to 2016, the applied treatments were (i) permanent raised beds (PRB); (2) semi-permanent raised beds (SPB) and (3) conventional tillage (CT). Average barley and wheat biomass and grain yields in PRB and SPB treatments were consistently greater than yields under CT each year. In addition, the highest marginal rate of return was obtained in PRB and SPB compared to CT in all years (2010–2016). These results suggest that the CA practices of PRB and SPB can improve crop yield and profit compared to CT practices in the Tigray region.

Lessons learnt from concern worldwide's conservation agriculture interventions in Malawi and Zambia, 2010-2018.

2022 ◽  
pp. 361-370
Author(s):  
Carl Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Financial Stability ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Seed Selection ◽  
Result Concern ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
Agriculture Extension ◽  
Supply Systems

Abstract Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a gateway technology intended to build both the productivity and resilience of smallholder farmers. Since 2010, the Ireland-based NGO Concern Worldwide has been promoting CA with extremely poor farmers in Malawi and Zambia. In the context of the specific regions within both countries, similar conditions of limited labour capacity, low financial capacity, poor soil health and constrained agriculture extension services were the primary barriers to the poorest farmers. Initial CA projects utilized broad, standardized approaches to CA with subsidized inputs that led to yield increases, but saw limited non-subsidized adoption. As a result, Concern has adapted its approaches to CA to better accommodate and embrace innovation by lead farmers, understanding different adoption strategies for follower farmers and working to improve input supply systems to meet farmers' needs. However, major constraints to adoption remain for the poorest and, going forward, CA projects will need to incorporate robust strategies for household financial stability such as the graduation model; fostering greater innovation by lead farmers within CA principles to meet local contexts; and integrating seed selection and saving for non-commercialized food crops to spur large-scale adoption of CA by the poorest farmers.

A review on conservation agriculture (CA) and sustainable food production

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-27
Author(s):  
Chandrabhan Bharti ◽  
Bulbul Ahmed ◽  
Alok Maurya
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Crop Diversification ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Sustainable Environment ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Policy Frameworks ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Time And Energy

Conservation agriculture (CA) is a set of practices and procedures that ensures higher agricultural productivity and profitability along with the improvement of soil health and the sustainable environment. CA provides opportunities to reduce the cost of production, save water and nutrients, increase yields, increase crop diversification, improve efficient use of resources and benefits the environment. With CA, growers can save from 30% to 40% of time and energy as compared to conventional cropping. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop policy frameworks and strategies to promote CA region wise for the prevention of soil degradation, improvement of soil fertility and moisture.

CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE- A WAY TO IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-368
Author(s):  
Gayatri Sahu ◽  
◽  
Samanyita Mohanty ◽  
Shreya Das ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Health ◽  
Conservation Agriculture
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