Conservation Agriculture – Conservation Agriculture – Conservation Agriculture

241 Pages·2005·2.51 MB·English

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NELDA REPORT
Conservation Agriculture (cid:150)
Status and Prospects
Edited by
I.P. Abrol1, R.K. Gupta2 and R. K. Malik3
1Centre for Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture, New Delhi
2Rice-Wheat Consortium for Indo-Gangetic Plains, New Delhi
3Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana
Centre for Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture
National Agriculture Science Centre (NASC) Complex
DPS Marg, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110 012
Tel. : [phone]
Website: www.agricasa.org
Conservation Agriculture (cid:151) Status and Reports
Citation: Abrol, I.P., R.K. Gupta and R.K. Malik (Editors) 2005. Conservation Agriculture (cid:150)
Status and Prospects. Centre for Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture, New Delhi pp.242
' 2005 CASA
Published by Centre for Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture, National Agriculture
Science Centre (NASC) Complex DPS Marg, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110 012 and Printed
at Malhotra Publishing House, B-6, DSIDC Complex, Kirti Nagar, New Delhi 110 015.
Phones: 25157006, 51420246, Telefax: 25927597; E-mail: [email protected]
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Tillage Residue Systems-opportunities for Crop Genetic Enhancement
Contents
Acknowledgement v
Preface vii
Conservation Agriculture and Resource Conserving Technologies (cid:151)
A Global Perspective (cid:150) Larry Harrington and Olaf Erenstein 1
Resource Conservation Technologies in Rice-wheat Cropping System of Indo-
Gangetic Plains (cid:150) R.K. Malik, Ashok Yadav and Sher Singh 13
Conservation Tillage and Crop Residue Management in Rice-Wheat
Cropping System (cid:150) K.K. Singh and S.K. Sharma 23
Machinery for Zero-Till Surface Managed Crop Residue Systems (cid:151)
Progress and Prospects (cid:150) T.C. Thakur and Arun Kumar 33
Machinery for Conservation Agriculture: Progress and Needs (cid:150) S.K. Rautaray 43
Residue Open Burning in Rice-Wheat Cropping System in India: An Agenda for
Conservation of Environment & Agricultural Resources (cid:150) Prabhat K. Gupta and
Shivraj Sahai 50
Experience with Managing Rice Residues in Intensive Rice-Wheat Cropping
System in Punjab (cid:150) B.S. Sidhu and V. Beri 55
Cropping Systems Diversification Opportunities and Conservation Agriculture (cid:150)
M.S. Gill and L.S. Brar 64
Resource Conservation Technologies and Cropping System Diversification
Opportunities (cid:150) S.C. Tripathi, A.D. Mongia and Jag Shoran 72
Cropping System Options in No/Reduced Till (cid:150) Surface Residue Managed
Systems (cid:150) U.P. Singh, Y. Singh, H.P. Singh and Raj K. Gupta 79
Conservation Agriculture and Opportunities for Sugarcane Based Cropping
Systems (cid:150) R.L. Yadav and T.K. Srivastava 86
Water Management Imperatives in Zero/Reduced Till (cid:150) A.K. Sikka, A.R. Khan,
S.S. Singh and N. Subash 93
Conservation Agriculture - IPM issues (cid:150) Saroj Jaipal, R.K. Malik, Peter Hobbs,
A. Yadav and Samar Singh 100
Zero/Reduced Tillage/Bed Planting/Surface Managed Crop Residue Systems-
opportunities for Crop Genetic Enhancement (cid:150) A.K. Joshi, B. Arun, R. Chand,
V.K. Chandola, K. Ram Krishna1, L.C. Prasad, C.P. Srivastava, P. Raha and R. Tripathi 115
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Conservation Agriculture (cid:151) Status and Reports
Wheat Cultivars in Relation to Resource Conservation Technologies (cid:150)
Jag Shoran, Ravish Chatrath and A.S. Kharub 125
Transfer of Resource Conserving Technologies through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (cid:150)
A.K. Mehta and Randhir Singh 129
Ripples of Changes Through Zero-Tillage Technology for Enhancement of
Productivity and Conservation of Resources: Experiences of K.V.K. Bahraich (cid:150)
M.P. Singh and Vinay Kumar 136
Laser Land Leveling- The Precursor Technology for Resource Conservation in
Irrigated Eco-system of India (cid:150) M.L. Jat, S.K. Sharma, Raj K. Gupta, Kuldeep Sirohi
and Parvesh Chandna 146
Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of Bed Planting Technology in Punjab (cid:150)
D.K. Grover, Joginder Singh, Ranjeet Singh and S.S. Dhillon 156
Socio-economic Impact of Zero-tillage Technology in Wheat in Punjab (cid:150)
Harjeet Singh Dhaliwal and Joginder Singh 164
Studies on Extent of Adoption of Zero Till Seed-cum-Fertilizer Drill for
Wheat Sowing in District Kurukshetra (Haryana) (cid:150) O.P. Lathwal and K.L. Banga 172
Conservation Tillage for Enhancing Productivity and Protecting Environment:
ICRISAT Experience (cid:150) S.P. Wani, P. Pathak and R.C. Sachan and Suresh Pande 177
Prospects and Limitations of Reduced Tillage in Arid Zone (cid:150) Pratap Narain and
Praveen Kumar 192
Conservation Agriculture in Rainfed Semi Arid Tropics (cid:150) Some Past Experiences,
Lessons Learnt and Future Scopes (cid:150) Y.S. Ramakrishna, K.P.R. Vittal and K.L. Sharma 200
An Appraisal of Soil Quality Assessment Indicators (cid:150) D.L.N. Rao and M.C. Manna 212
Remote Sensing/GIS/GPS for Diagnosis, Prognosis and Management of Soil
Water Domains (cid:150) Madhurama Sethi 220
Policy and Institutional Requirements for Transition to Conservation
Agriculture: An Innovation Systems Perspective (cid:150) Rajeswari S. Raina,
Rasheed Sulaiman V., Andrew J. Hall, and Sunita Sangar 226
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Tillage Residue Systems-opportunities for Crop Genetic Enhancement
Acknowledgement
The Centre gratefully acknowledges the financial support by Indian
Council of Agricultural Research and the Department of Agriculture
and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture for organizing conference
and this publication.
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Conservation Agriculture (cid:151) Status and Reports
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Tillage Residue Systems-opportunities for Crop Genetic Enhancement
Preface
Indian agriculture is entering a new phase. While the major research and development
efforts in the (cid:145)Green revolution(cid:146) era focussed on enhancing production and productivity of
selected foodgrains and other crops the new challenges demand that issues of efficient
resource use and resource conservation receive high priority to ensure that past gains can
be sustained and further enhanced to meet the emerging needs. Issues of conservation
have assumed importance in view of widespread resource degradation and the need to
reduce production costs, increase profitability and make agriculture more competitive.
The conventional mode of agriculture through intensive agricultural practices was
successful in achieving goals of production, but simultaneously led to degradation of natural
resources. The growing concerns for sustainable agriculture have been seen as a positive
response to limits of both low-input, traditional agriculture and intensive modern agriculture
relying on high levels of inputs for crop production. Sustainable agriculture relies on
practices that help to maintain ecological equilibrium and encourage natural regenerative
processes such as nitrogen fixation, nutrient cycling, soil regeneration, and protection of
natural enemies of pest and diseases as well as the targeted use of inputs. Agricultural
systems relying on such approaches are not only able to support high productivity, but also
preserve biodiversity and safeguard the environment. Conservation agriculture has come
up as a new paradigm to achieve goal of sustained agricultural production. It is a major
step toward transition to sustainable agriculture.
Over the past three decades or so, internationally, rapid strides have been made to
evolve and spread resource conservation technologies like zero and reduced tillage systems,
better management of crop residues and planting systems which enhance water and nutrient
conservation. Conservation Agriculture which has its roots in universal principles of
providing permanent soil cover (through crop residues, cover crops, agroforestry), minimum
soil disturbance and crop rotations is now considered the principal road to sustainable
agriculture: Thus it is a way to achieve goals of higher productivity while protecting natural
resources and environment. Conservation Agriculture is currently practiced on more than
80 million ha. worldwide in more than 50 countries and the area is expanding rapidly.
In India significant efforts to develop and spread these technologies are underway
through the combined efforts of several state and national institutions and CG Centers,
particularly Rice-Wheat Consortium for Indo Gangetic Plains. The new technologies, on
the one hand, are exciting the farmers to take up new ways of managing their resources
more productively and, on the other hand throwing new challenges to the scientific
community to solve emerging problems associated with new technologies.
Developing and promoting Conservation Agricultural practices require multi disciplinary
team efforts and strong farmer participation in finding answers to emergry questions. A
conference (cid:145)Conservation Agriculture (cid:150) Conserving Resources (cid:150) Enhancing Productivity
was organizational in September 2005 with a view to arrive at a shared perception of
Research and Development agenda for Conservation Agriculture. The present volume is
a compilation of articles based on selected presentations and submissions for this conference.
Editors
vii
Conservation Agriculture and Resource Conserving
Technologies (cid:151) A Global Perspective
Larry Harrington and Olaf Erenstein
CIMMYT, New Delhi 110 012, India
ABSTRACT : With the rapid expansion of wheat zero tillage in the Indo-Gangetic
Plains, there has been within that region a surge of interest in resource conserving
technologies (RCTs). But other regions of the world have also made progress in fostering
farmer use of these practices. This paper defines RCTs and (cid:147)conservation agriculture(cid:148)
(CA), and then summarizes a global perspective on CA and RCTs, emphasizing recent
advances in selected developing countries, among them China, Central Asia, southern
Africa, and the southern Cone of South America. Success in the introduction of CA
practices is found to be favored by the following factors: emphasis on development
and adaptation of suitable implements often using prototypes from elsewhere;
participation of the private sector in implement development, adaptation, manufacture
and marketing; long-term technical mentoring; strong local champions; a crisis mentality
that brings with it a willingness to consider radical departures from conventional
practices; and the emergence of a dynamic innovations system.
USING A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
With the rapid expansion of wheat zero tillage in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, there has been
within that region a surge of interest in resource conserving technologies. In the 2004-2005
wheat season, zero tillage is estimated to have been used on nearly 2m ha of sown area
(RWC, 2005). And wheat zero tillage is seen by many as merely the first step in a broad
movement towards the development and adoption of an ever richer collection of resource
conserving, conservation agriculture technologies.
But other regions of the world have also made progress in fostering farmer use of these
practices. Zero tillage direct sowing ((cid:147)siembra directa(cid:148)) of crops has become especially
widespread in the Southern Cone of South America. Work on resource conserving technologies
has also been done in Mexico and Mesoamerica with some success. The use of conservation
agriculture is being explored in areas of sub-Saharan Africa and is making good progress
in China and Central Asia. And, of course, there are substantial areas covered by conservation
agriculture in the US, Canada and Australia. Taken together, area under zero tillage/
conservation agriculture was estimated for 2000-01 to be of the order of 60m ha, most of it
in the US, Australia, Canada, Brazil and Argentina.
The purpose of this paper is to provide, in brief summary form, a global perspective on
conservation agriculture and the use of resource conserving technologies. We emphasize
recent advances in the development and use of conservation agriculture in selected developing
countries. Our hope is that this information will inform and inspire the efforts of researchers,
development workers and farming communities in South Asia.
CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE AND RESOURCE CONSERVING
TECHNOLOGIES
In the above, the terms (cid:147)conservation agriculture(cid:148) (CA) and (cid:147)resource-conserving
technologies(cid:148) (RCTs) were used as if their meanings were similar. In the rest of this paper,
a sharper distinction will be made.
Henceforth, (cid:147)resource conserving technologies(cid:148) will refer to those practices that enhance
resource- or input-use efficiency. This covers a lot of ground. New varieties that use nitrogen
Conservation Agriculture (cid:151) Status and Prospects
more efficiently may be considered RCTs. Zero or reduced tillage practices that save fuel
and improve plot-level water productivity may also be considered RCTs, as may land-
leveling practices that help save water. There are many, many more.
In contrast, (cid:147)conservation agriculture(cid:148) practices will only refer to the RCTs with the following
characteristics::
l Soil cover, particularly through the retention of crop residues on the soil surface;
l Sensible, profitable rotations; and
l A minimum level of soil movement, e.g., reduced or zero tillage.
The distinction is important because some RCTs, while attractive in the near-term, may be
unsustainable in the longer-term. An example of this is the use of zero tillage without
residue retention and without suitable rotations which, under some circumstances, can be
more harmful to agroecosystem productivity and resource quality than a continuation of
conventional practices (Sayre, 2000).
The principles listed above are defined as common to CA systems. However, the specific
components of a CA system (establishment methods, farm implement selection, crops in the
rotation, soil fertility management, crop residue and mulch management, germplasm selection,
etc.) tend to be different across environments. Local investments in adaptive research typically
are needed to tailor CA principles to local conditions. This process of (cid:147)tailoring(cid:148) is most
efficient when an (cid:147)innovation system(cid:148) emerges and begins to acquire a self-sustaining
dynamic. When this happens,
(cid:147). . . technology development and adoption [become a] social phenomenon in
which agents interact in several ways, creating multiple information flows in
many directions. These agents (e.g., public research and extension systems,
innovative farmers, commercial firms, foreign research institutions) form
networks that co-evolve with the technologies that they create.(cid:148) (Ekboir, 2002,
page 2).
CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN SOUTH AMERICA
In the developing world, conservation agriculture has been most successful in the South
American countries of Brazil and Argentina. In these countries, 45-60% of all agricultural
land is said to be managed by conservation agriculture systems (Derpsch, 2001). In the 2001-
2002 season, conservation agriculture practices are estimated to have been used on more
than 9m ha in Argentina and 13m ha in Brazil. Practices use include the use of specialized,
locally-adapted no-till planters, a mulch cover on the soil surface, and suitable crop rotations.
The story of how CA practices came to be so predominant in Brazil is skillfully related by
Ekboir (2002). The story begins with a government policy, a farmer response, and an ensuing
crisis. The government policy was a decision in the 1960s to promote a shift from livestock-
based farming systems to crop-based systems in the rolling, hilly, high-rainfall areas of
southern Brazil. The farmer response was to take up the crops being promoted (cid:150) especially
soybean. The crisis that ensued was a disquieting increase in soil erosion and land degradation.
In some instances, erosion so reduced productivity that farmers were unable to repay bank
loans. Many people felt that the answer lay in terracing.
Some early champions, however, felt that CA practices could sustainably maintain crop-
based agroecosystem productivity. Amongst these champions were an agro-chemical company
(ICI), an implement manufacturer (Semeato), a technical assistance agency (GTZ) who placed
a skilled agronomist in the affected region (Rolf Derpsch), a few national researchers (initially
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