Conservation Agriculture and Role of Enzymes in Maintaining Soil Health

2018 ◽  
pp. 01-35
Author(s):  
Dipender Kumar ◽  
R.K. Naresh ◽  
A.K. Shukla
Keyword(s):  
Soil Health ◽  
Conservation Agriculture

scholarly journals The crucial role of mulch to enhance the stability and resilience of cropping systems in southern Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Blessing Mhlanga ◽  
Laura Ercoli ◽  
Elisa Pellegrino ◽  
Andrea Onofri ◽  
Christian Thierfelder
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Yield Stability ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Stability And Resilience

AbstractConservation agriculture has been promoted to sustainably intensify food production in smallholder farming systems in southern Africa. However, farmers have rarely fully implemented all its components, resulting in different combinations of no-tillage, crop rotation, and permanent soil cover being practiced, thus resulting in variable yield responses depending on climatic and soil conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the effect of conservation agriculture components on yield stability. We hypothesized that the use of all three conservation agriculture components would perform the best, resulting in more stable production in all environments. We evaluated at, eight trial locations across southern Africa, how partial and full implementation of these components affected crop yield and yield stability compared with conventional tillage alone or combined with mulching and/or crop rotation. Grain yield and shoot biomass of maize and cowpea were recorded along with precipitation for 2 to 5 years. Across different environments, the addition of crop rotation and mulch to no-tillage increased maize grain by 6%, and the same practices added to conventional tillage led to 13% yield increase. Conversely, adding only mulch or crop rotation to no-tillage or conventional tillage led to lower or equal maize yield. Stability analyses based on Shukla’s index showed for the first time that the most stable systems are those in which mulch is added without crop rotation. Moreover, the highest yielding systems were the least stable. Finally, additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis allowed clarifying that mulch added to no-tillage gives stable yields on sandy soil with high rainfall. Similarly, mulch added to conventional tillage gives stable yield on sandy soil, but under low rainfall. This is the first study that highlighted the crucial role of mulch to enhance the stability and resilience of cropping systems in southern Africa, supporting their adaptability to climate change.

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 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

Mapping farmer perceptions, Conservation Agriculture practices and on-farm measurements: The role of systems thinking in the process of adoption

2021 ◽  
Vol 191 ◽  
pp. 103171
Author(s):  
Baqir Lalani ◽  
Payam Aminpour ◽  
Steven Gray ◽  
Meredith Williams ◽  
Lucie Büchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Farmer Perceptions ◽  
On Farm

scholarly journals Spatially Mediated Peer Effects in the Adoption of Conservation Agriculture Practices

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Deepthi Kolady ◽  
Weiwei Zhang ◽  
Tong Wang ◽  
Jessica Ulrich-Schad
Keyword(s):  
Peer Effects ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Local Conservation ◽  
Specific Data ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Practice Adoption ◽  
Conservation Practice Adoption

Abstract This study uses location-specific data to investigate the role of spatially mediated peer effects in farmers’ adoption of conservation agriculture practices. The literature has shown that farmers trust other farmers and one way to increase conservation practice adoption is through identifying feasible conservation practices in neighboring fields. Estimating this effect can help improve our understanding of what influences the adoption and could play a role in improving federal and local conservation program design. The study finds that although spatial peer effects are important in the adoption of conservation tillage and diverse crop rotation, the scale of peer effects are not substantial.

A critical review and re-assessment of theories of smallholder decision-making: a case of conservation agriculture households, Zambia

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridget Bwalya Umar
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Uncertain Environments

AbstractDifferent theories have been posited that try to explain the decision-making process of smallholders especially regarding the adoption of new technologies or new agricultural techniques. The objective of this paper is to review and re-assess the dominant household production theories to explain the decision making of smallholders practicing conservation agriculture (CA) in the southern, eastern, and central provinces of Zambia. It also discusses the potential role of CA toward economic development. It finds that the CA smallholders studied did not aim to maximize profits but tried to secure household consumption from their own production before any other considerations in risky and uncertain environments. Their response to economic incentives was contingent on minimizing risks associated with securing a minimum level of livelihood and investing into local forms of insurance. This paper concludes that the ability for CA to contribute to rural livelihoods and economic development would depend on how adequately the factors that hinder smallholder agricultural development in general are addressed.

scholarly journals Organik Matter: It’s Role in Sustainable Farming of Sugarcane

Perspektif ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Djajadi Djajadi
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Organic Fertilizer ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Cane Yield ◽  
Sustainable Farming

<p class="Default">ABSTRACT</p><p class="Default">Organik matter has an important role in determining soil health of sugarcane, i.e. soil capacity to support sugarcane to produce sustainable high yield. Soil organic matter influences soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, so that a consequence of declining soil organic matter is poorer soil fertility and lower yield. This paper has an objective to elucidate the important role of organic matter on sustainable farming of sugarcane. The important role of organic matter in soil fertility has been known for a long time before Green Revolution concept was introduced. With more intensity in sugarcane farming and more increasing of sugar demand, application of organic fertilizer started to be substituted by chemical fertilizer. Using green manure and/or biofertilizer has a chance to be spread out to the farmers due to more practical and more efficient than solid organik fertilizer, such as dung manure or compost. Future research should be focusing on the efectivity of green manure and or biofertilzer sources in improving soil fertility and cane yield, minimizing soil pathogen, reducing soil erosion of sugar cane land monoculture, and improving awareness of farmers about soil degradation as consequences of sugarcane monoculture planting for years.</p><p class="Default">Keywords: Organic matter, sugarcane, soil health sustainable farming</p><p class="Default"> </p><p class="Default"><strong>Bahan Organik: Peranannya dalam Budidaya Tebu Berkelanjutan</strong></p><p class="Default">ABSTRAK</p><p class="Default">Bahan organik tanah berperan penting dalam menentukan kesehatan tanah tebu, yaitu kapasitas tanah yang dapat mendukung produksi tebu yang tinggi secara berkelanjutan. Kadar bahan organik tanah mempengaruhi sifat fisik, kimia dan biologi tanah. Paper ini bertujuan untuk menguraikan tentang peranan bahan organik dalam memperbaiki sifat fisik, kimia dan biologi tanah pertanaman tebu. Pentingnya peran bahan oganik tersebut sudah disadari dari dulu, sehingga sebelum revolusi hijau penggunaan pupuk organik sudah umum dilakukan petani. Dengan semakin intensifnya budidaya tebu dan semakin meningkatnya kebutuhan gula, pemanfaatan pupuk organik sudah jarang dilakukan. Diperlukan usaha untuk meningkatkan dan mempertahankan kadar bahan organik pada lahan tebu, antara lain berupa gerakan masal dalam bentuk gerakan nasional melalui program aplikasi bahan organik. Pemanfaatan pupuk hijau dan/atau pupuk hayati berpeluang untuk diterapkan karena lebih praktis dan efisien daripada penambahan pupuk organik padat. Penelitian ke depan perlu difokuskan untuk mengkaji jenis-jenis pupuk organik dan pupuk hayati yang efektif memperbaiki kesuburan, dalam menekan serangan penyakit, meminimalkan erosi pada lahan-lahan tebu monokultur, dan meningkatkan kesadaran petani tebu tentang terjadinya degradasi lahan akibat penanaman tebu yang terus menerus.</p><p class="Default">Kata kunci: Bahan organik, tebu, kesehatan tanah, budidaya berkelanjutan</p><p class="Default"> </p>

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