Planting System on Permanent Beds; A Conservation Agriculture Alternative for Crop Production in the Mexican Plateau

Abstrak. Wilayah Nusa Tenggara mempunyai lahan kering beriklim kering seluas 4,9 juta ha dengan curah hujan <2.000 mm/tahun dan bulan kering 5-10 bulan, bersolum tanah dangkal dan berbatu. Sebagian lahan tersebut sudah dimanfaatkan menjadi lahan pertanian terutama jagung, akibatnya produktivitas tanaman jagung rendah dibandingkan potensi genetiknya, yaitu sekitar 2,5 ton/ha di NTT dan 5,3 ton/ha di NTB dibanding dengan potensi genetiknya 9 ton/ha. Sejak tahun 2010-2015, Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pertanian telah mengembangkan inovasi teknologi pengelolaan lahan kering beriklim kering dan berbatu di beberapa kabupaten di NTT dan NTB, meliputi penyediaan sumberdaya air (dam parit, embung, tampung renteng mini, sumur dangkal), pengenalan varietas unggul baru dan budidaya tanaman pangan. Pembelajaran yang diperoleh menunjukkan bahwa penyediaan air menjadi titik ungkit untuk meningkatkan indeks pertanaman dan produktivitas tanaman. Inovasi teknologi yang dibutuhkan petani adalah, mudah diterapkan, biaya murah, dan efisien tenaga kerja mendorong berlanjutnya teknologi tersebut meskipun progam tersebut telah selesai. Pada tahun 2014-2018 telah dilaksanakan kegiatan pertanian konservasi melalui dana hibah barang dan jasa yang dikelola FAO. Prinsip dasar pertanian konservasi terdiri atas 3 pilar, yaitu olah tanah terbatas berupa lubang olah permanen, penutupan permukaan tanah, rotasi/tumpangsari. Lubang tanam tersebut diberi pupuk kandang atau kompos, dan ditanami jagung pada 4 penjuru lubang, dan ditumpangsarikan dengan berbagai kacang-kacangan atau tanaman merambat seperti labu kuning yang berfungsi sebagai penutup tanah dan penghasilan tambahan dari kacang-kacangan berumur pendek. Berdasarkan hasil analisis tanah sebelum dan sesudah implementasi pertanian konservasi menunjukkan bahwa pertanian konservasi dapat meningkatkan kesuburan tanah, retensi air dan meningkatkan produksi tanaman jagung. Abstract. The Nusa Tenggara region has upland area with dry climate of 4.9 million ha, less than 2,000 mm annual rainfall, 5-10 dry months, shallow and rocky soils. Some of the land has been used for agricultural development, especially corn, resulting in low corn productivity of around 2.5 tons / ha in NTT and 5.3 tons / ha in NTB as compared to it genetic potential 9 tons /ha. Since 2010-2015, Indonesian Agency of Agricultural Research and Development has developed innovation of soil management technology for upland with dry climates and and rocky soils in several districts in NTT and NTB. The innovation includes the provision of water resources (dam trenches, reservoirs, mini catchments, and shallow wells), introduction of new high yielding varieties and cultivation crops. The lessons learned show that water supply is the initial point to increase cropping index and crop productivity. Technological innovations needed by farmers are easy to implement, low cost, and labor efficient thereby encourage the continuation of the technology even though the program has been completed. In 2014-2018, conservation agriculture activities were carried out through grants of goods and services managed by Food Agriculture Organization (FAO). The basic principle of conservation agriculture consists of 3 pillars, namely limited tillage in the form of permanent planting holes, cover crops, rotation / intercropping. The planting hole is given manure or compost, and planted with corn in 4 corners, and intercropped with various nuts or vines such as pumpkin that serves as a soil cover and additional income from short-lived beans. Based on the results of soil analysis before and after the implementation of conservation agriculture, it shows that conservation agriculture can increase soil fertility, water retention and increase corn crop production.

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Exploring the Major Climate-smart Agricultural Practices for Dry Season Crop Production in Salinity Affected Fallow Land in the Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

International Journal of Environment and Climate Change ◽

10.9734/ijecc/2021/v11i1030506 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 185-192

Author(s):

Md. Abdul Awal

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Safety Net ◽

Coastal Areas ◽

Dry Season ◽

Fallow Land ◽

Short Life Span ◽

Crop Varieties ◽

Study Results

The landmasses of the coastal areas of Bangladesh still remains under-utilized, thus cropping intensity is much less than the national average. Most areas remain fallow during dry (rabi) season from December to May due to presence of higher concentration of salts in soil and water, and scarcity of suitable irrigation water. Available adaptation options or technologies are not capable to solve these problems at all. Nevertheless, the areas receive a lot of water from monsoon rain, most of that rainwater is drain-out as surface runoff. The present study results suggest that the use of harvested rainwater and conservation agriculture either in combination or alone could mitigate the problem for bringing huge areas under crop cultivation. The public social safety net programmes such as cash-for-work, food-for-work etc. can be deployed for excavating or re-excavating the abandoned coastal ponds, ditches or canals for storing rainwater. Salt-, drought- and/or heat-tolerant crop varieties with short life span can also be cultivated to get the better results. Early plantation or growing crops with early-maturing varieties can ensure safer harvest in ahead of stress arrives. The avenues have immense potential as climate-smart practices for growing crops preferably non-rice crops during dry season in vast fallow land that will not only ensure food security for coastal people but could turn the entire southern Bangladesh as a food surplus zone. The findings refer the broad recommendation, therefore, specific research works based on the locations and resources available are necessary.

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Effect of Climate Change on the Production and Productivity of Wheat Crop in the Highlands of Ethiopia: A Review

Agricultural Reviews ◽

10.18805/ag.a-342 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (01) ◽

Author(s):

Amare Aleminew ◽

Merkuz Abera

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Elevated Co2 ◽

Crop Production ◽

Nutrient Use Efficiency ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Wheat Crop ◽

Crop Failure ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation ◽

The Government

Climate change is a recent challenge on crop production and productivity in the world. The objective of this paper is to review the major effects of climate change on the production and productivity of wheat in the high lands of Ethiopia. Effects of climate change on wheat would be mainly through changes in [CO2], temperature, rainfall, length of growing period, actual growth rate and increased evapo-transpiration, which may lead to reduce yield or complete crop failure. Moreover, flower fertilization and grain set are highly sensitive to heat stress during mid-anthesis. In C3 crops like wheat, the elevated CO2 level is expected to increase productivity as a result of higher CO2 diffusion through stomata leading to a higher photosynthesis rate. But, elevated [CO2] may have negative effects on the grain-quality of wheat in terms of protein, lipids, number of mitochondria and nitrogen contents. Unlike CO2, elevated temperature affects crop production negatively by increasing rate of respiration; hastening plant growth and development; increasing photorespiration of wheat, reducing photosynthetic efficiency due to O2 interrupts the photosynthetic path way instead of CO2, increasing rate of water loss by increasing evapo-transpiration and decreasing nutrient use-efficiency through increased rate of decomposition and mineralization. As a result, wheat area is forecast to be displaced by other crop types. In order to tackle this issue, major mitigation and adaptation measures for example promoting area closures and conservation agriculture-based (CA), agroforestry practices, efficient use of energy sources, etc. should be practiced and given special attention by the communities as well as the government to solve the effects of climate change on wheat production and productivity in the country.

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Comparative Advantages of Conservation Agriculture Practice in Coastal Areas of Chattogram Division: A Productivity and Profitability Analysis

Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies ◽

10.9734/ajess/2020/v13i230329 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 29-42

Author(s):

Kausar Ahmed Majumder ◽

Jasim Uddin Ahmed ◽

Kanij Fatema

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Coastal Region ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Productivity Index ◽

Farm Size ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Gross Margin ◽

Profitability Analysis ◽

Comparative Advantages

The study was conducted to assess comparative advantages of the productivity and profitability for conservation agriculture practice in Chattogram. A total of 120 farmers (60 farmers adopting conservation agriculture (CA) and 60 farmers non-adopting CA) from two districts (Feni and Noakhali) of Chattogram division were selected. Descriptive statistics like sum, averages, percentages, and ratios were calculated to evaluate the nature and extent of use of advanced machinery and fertilizer data. Farmers were categorized on the basis of farm size (small, medium and large) and selected by multistage stratified sampling. Crop productivity was measured using the Enyedi’s crop productivity index. The profitability of crop production was measured in terms of gross return, gross margin, net margin and benefit-cost ratio (BCR). The crop productivity of rice, mustard and soybean were increased by 0.18, 26, and 0.19 percent, respectively in respect to non-practicing conservation agriculture. BCR increased by 42.43%, 40.78% and 36.61% for rice, mustard and soybean cultivation respectively with respect to the entire region for adopting conservation agriculture practice. Ultimately, the farmers who adopted conservation agriculture were gaining more profit than the farmer whose were not adopting the conservation agriculture practice. As Bangladesh is a labour intensive country and the availability of capital is short. The expense of purchasing the machines cannot be afforded by the farmers. In Feni and Noakhali are located in the coastal region. Climatic problem is another problem of the people of this area. The uses of advanced machineries are still limited. The quality of soil is decreasing day by day because of excessive use of synthetic fertilizers.

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Biochar: a potential soil ameliorant for sustainable land, agriculture and environmental development

10.22541/au.161884210.06764839/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sanat Dwibedi ◽

VC Pandey ◽

Donakonda Divyasree

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Sustainable Agriculture ◽

Environmental Remediation ◽

Crop Production ◽

Synergistic Effects ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Chemical Conversion ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Economically Deprived

Biochar or pyrogenic carbon, obtained from thermo-chemical conversion of biomass in an anaerobic or oxygen limited environment has been in use in agriculture since long back to Neolithic era. Its unique soil ameliorating properties, render it suitable for environmental remediation as well as sustainable crop production. It improves soil physicochemical properties and plant nutrient availability, facilitates biodiversity, and reduces emission of greenhouse gases, thereby subsiding global warming. Application of biochar reduces soil erosion, improves soil hydrological properties, and soil microbial dynamics. It has synergistic effects on plant growth, disease-pest resistance, and crop yield per unit area and time. Due to its soil ameliorative effects, and soil and water conserving ability, it can very well be used in organic farming, pemaculture, dryland farming, conservation agriculture, and land remediation. Cheaper production cost, simple and easy pyrolytic technologies, easy availability of feedstock and bio-wastes in many developing countries and its long-term effects in soil not only build up soil carbon pool but also help support small and marginal farmers in resource-rich but economically deprived countries for sustainable agriculture and environment. In this review, efforts have been made to elucidate various methods of biochar synthesis, its characteristics and effects on soil properties, and plant growth and development, its role in sustainable agriculture and remediation of the environment.

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Conservation agriculture in rainfed annual crop production in South Africa

South African Journal of Plant and Soil ◽

10.1080/02571862.2021.1891472 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

JA Strauss ◽

PA Swanepoel ◽

MC Laker ◽

HJ Smith

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Crop Production ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Annual Crop

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Is it appropriate to support the farmers for adopting conservation agriculture? Economic and environmental impact assessment

Italian Journal of Agronomy ◽

10.4081/ija.2015.661 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 169 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Antonio Troccoli ◽

Carmen Maddaluno ◽

Massimo Mucci ◽

Mario Russo ◽

Michele Rinaldi

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Greenhouse Gases ◽

Soil Fertility ◽

Crop Production ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

C Sequestration ◽

Scientific Basis ◽

Early Years ◽

Soil C ◽

Erosion Risk

Conservation agriculture (CA) in the last decades has been spread in several parts of the world, especially in South and North America and Australia. In Italy, however, its adoption is often restrained by the risk to have a reduction in crop production in the early years of transition from conventional (CT) to CA. To quantify sufficient financial support to promote no-tillage and CA, a mini-review about main effects of CA was conducted. The effect on crop yield, soil fertility - especially as it is influenced by the chemical, physical and microbiological factors - on soil compaction, the economic balance of the farm and the cost of equipment for direct seeding, the influence of environment on soil erosion, water retention, emissions of greenhouse gases, and carbon sequestration are briefly treated. The paper reports findings from national and international scientific literature and some results from long-term experiments conducted in Southern Italy. The main conclusions are about the reduction of yield in the first years of transition from CT to CA (from -5 to - 10%), an improvement of soil fertility (soil organic carbon increases in the upper layers), reduction of management cost (less machinery operations), improvement of soil C sequestration (in specific conditions), a reduction of greenhouse gases emission and soil erosion risk. The paper provides the scientific basis in order to justify and quantify the amount to be paid to the farmers who decide to adopt the model of CA, oriented to protect the agro-ecosystem and to promote the principle of subsidiarity. Finally, a proposal of public subsidy in cash and for machinery purchase has been described.

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The Global Uptake of Conservation Agriculture and the Impact on Water-Related Ecosystem Services

The Oxford Handbook of Food, Water and Society ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190669799.013.59 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 689-708

Author(s):

Amir Kassam ◽

David Coates

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Crop Production ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Soil Disturbance ◽

Related Services ◽

Alternative Crop ◽

Current Spread ◽

The Impact ◽

Production Approach

Conventional tillage agriculture has a built-in propensity for soil erosion and land degradation leading to loss of ecosystem services that are required to sustain agricultural production as well as minimize off-farm impacts. It is associated with suboptimal crop and land productivity. The global uptake of Conservation Agriculture (CA), which is a recognized flagship alternative crop production approach, is built upon three practical interlinked principles of: no or minimum mechanical soil disturbance (‘no-till’), soil cover management, and diversified cropping. The current spread of CA globally is 180 M ha of annual cropland (12.5 per cent), increasing annually at 10 M ha. Knowledge of how CA positively affects ecosystem services at the field and landscape level, with emphasis on water-related services and food security, shows that CA has the potential to meet, or exceed, most of the current shortfall in projected global agricultural water demand by 2050.

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Assessment of Fertilizer Management Strategies Aiming to Increase Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Wheat Grown Under Conservation Agriculture

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy8120304 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. 304 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jesús Santillano-Cázares ◽

Fidel Núñez-Ramírez ◽

Cristina Ruíz-Alvarado ◽

María Cárdenas-Castañeda ◽

Iván Ortiz-Monasterio

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Use Efficiency ◽

Crop Production ◽

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Fertilizer Application ◽

Nitrogen Use ◽

Agronomic Efficiency ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

N Management

Sustainable crop production systems can be attained by using inputs efficiently and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) parameters are indirect measurements of sustainability of production systems. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of selected nitrogen (N) management treatments on wheat yields, grain and straw N concentration, and NUE parameters, under conservation agriculture (CA). The present study was conducted at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in northwest, Mexico. Seventeen treatments were tested which included urea sources, timing, and methods of fertilizer application. Orthogonal contrasts were used to compare groups of treatments and correlation and regression analyses were used to look at the relationships between wheat yields and NUE parameters. Contrasts run to compare wheat yields or agronomic efficiency of N (AEN) performed similarly. Sources of urea or timing of fertilizer application had a significant effect on yields or AEN (p > 0.050). However, methods of application resulted in a highly significant (p < 0.0001) difference on wheat yields and agronomic efficiency of N. NUE parameters recorded in this study were average but the productivity associated to NUE levels was high. Results in this study indicate that wheat grew under non-critically limiting N supply levels, suggesting that N mineralization and reduced N losses from the soil under CA contributed to this favorable nutritional condition, thus minimizing the importance of N management practices under stable, mature CA systems.

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