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. Pdf journal of sustainable agriculture designing a. More recently, it has become widely promoted and adopted in latin america. Conservation agriculture toolbox for zimbabwe giller k. Pdf crop residue management in conservation agriculture. Ct systems, the burial and increased rate of decomposition of crop residues reduces the survival of stubbleborne pathogens bockus and shroyer 1998. Crop residue management in conservation agriculture systems in zimbabwe smallholder farming sector. These residues are used as animal feed, for thatching of homes, and as a source of domestic and industrial fuel. Appropriate field management of crop residues can help to achieve all of these goals.
Crop residues can improve soil structure, increase organic matter content in the soil, reduce evaporation, and help fix co 2 in the. Crop residues are materials left on cultivated land after the crop has been harvested. 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. These residues include stalks and stubble, leaves, and seed pods. Potential, constraints and policy needs introduction india is an agrarian economy. In subsequent modelling steps k is corrected for temperature, moisture and plant development a. Residue management is the emerging challenge for sustainable growth of indian agriculture and environmental protection mainly in indogangetic plains igp. 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. Conservation agriculture is an appropriate technology that can address some of the underlying crop management problems facing farming in the sub region. Conflicts between conservation agriculture and livestock. Land degradation and soil fertility deterioration are two of the main causes of agricultural production stagnation and decline in many parts of the world.
Many african farmers cultivate by hand, using hoes. Conservation agriculture strategy for climate smart farming rishikesh singh1, pratap srivastava2. Conservation agriculture was developed in brazil and argentina in the 1970s, and adheres to three core principles. Despite high variability in the types of crops grown and specific management regimes, all forms of conservation agriculture share three core principles. Importance, management challenges and possible solutions. The largest quantities of agricultural residues and wastes are from the major commodity crops. Journal of sustainable agriculture designing a process of co management of crop residues for forage and soil conservation in sudanosahel. Table 1 average crop parameters for organic matter production on agricultural land. Crop residue management crm through conservation agriculture can improve soil productivity and crop production by preserving soil organic matter som levels. Crops grown with conservation agriculture were less vulnerable to drought than those grown in the conventional fields. The role of agriculture in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Conservation agriculture food and agriculture organization. Indian foreword india being an agriculturedominant country produces more than 500 million tons of crop residues annually.
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. This requires a total change of cropping systems and often also of livestock husbandry. To a large extent, the beneficial effects of conservation agriculture are expected to be provided by permanent soil cover with crop residues. Indian foreword india being an agriculture dominant country produces more than 500 million tons of crop residues annually. Pdf journal of sustainable agriculture designing a process. Management of cereal crop residues for sustainable ricewheat production system to the ground as possible if the straw is to be fed to livestock. 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. Sustainable weed management for conservation agriculture. Conservation agriculture is a farming system that promotes maintenance of a permanent soil cover, minimum soil disturbance i.
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. 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. Witter et al 2009 conservation agriculture and smallholder farming in africa. It involves maintenance of permanent soil cover, diverse crop rotations andor. 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. Research conservation agriculture systems innovation. 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. Wilts, in encyclopedia of soils in the environment, 2005. Crop residue management in 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 natural resources, water. These farmers can practise conservation agriculture by digging small planting holes in lines, at care. The role of conservation agriculture in sustainable agriculture. Conservation agriculture aims to boost agricultural production by optimising the use of. Mar 17, 2016 organic mulches have been reported to increase damage of cutworms due to moisture conservation. The role of conservation agriculture in sustainable. Thus proper nitrogen management in conservation agriculture is needed to ensure proper crop growth and. Conservation agriculture ca was introduced in the 1930s as a soil conservation system to counter the dust bowl in the united states. Research has shown that cover crop grazing can improve soil health more rapidly than cover crops alone as part of a cropping system. Sustainable crop production is possible through use of appropriate tillage and crop residue management practices. Postharvest residue levels from a small grain crop wheat ref. How cover crop residue management and herbicide rate. Conservation agriculture can be practised on different types of farms, with different combinations of crops and sources of power. 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.
Two significant advantages of surfaceresidue management are increased om near the soil surface and enhanced nutrient cycling and retention. Effect of tillage, crop residues and nitrogen management. 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. Chapter 7 use of crop residues and straw decay factor or humification rate table 11 and t is year. The standard practice is to quote residue production in terms of drymatter mass and crop yield at field moisture smil 1983, unpublished report. Crop residue management in ricewheat cropping system for. Simple line transect measurements can be used to estimate residue coverage. 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. The residue can be ploughed directly into the ground, or burned first. Prohibits night burning of crop residues and noncrop plant material in yards, rightsofway, ditches, native pastures and waste areas all year round.
An organic herbicide was also evaluated for cover crop termination. Province of manitoba agriculture crop residue burning. Crop residue management in conservation agriculture systems. 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. In many areas of the world, crops and livestock compete for the same resources, and require proper management to meet conservation agriculture objectives. Suggested citation iari 2012 crop residues management with conservation agriculture. Department of agriculture, agricultural research service, crr40, 68 pp. 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. Conservation agriculture also resulted in savings, as farmers reduced their use of inputs and saved money by not having to buy. Residues may originate from the harvested crop or be artificially applied such as through the use of a hay mulch. It involves maintenance of permanent soil cover, diverse crop rotations andor interactions. Thus proper nitrogen management in conservation agriculture is needed to ensure proper crop growth and development. Production of crop residues is most commonly expressed as straw.
New approaches to crop disease management in conservation agriculture steven simpfendorfer, alan mckay and kathy ophelkeller. Conservation agriculture is a farming system that promotes minimum soil disturbance i. In africa, however, adoption rates by smallscale farmers has been slower and more context specific fao 2009 1. 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.
Pathak and others published crop residues management with conservation agriculture. 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. The experiment evaluated management of three di erent cover crops in three vegetable crop systems. 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. United states department of agriculture natural resources. Leaving last seasons crop residues on the soil surface by limiting tillage. Cover crop management page 2 of 6 august 2018 cover crop grazing. Importance, management challenges and possible solutions article pdf available may 2014. In many cases land preparation is of a low standard, planting is often delayed and crops are not well managed. Livestock converts above ground biomass to urine and manure, creating a beneficial environment that increases organic matter in the soil. Conservation agriculture ca is promoted as a cropping system that has potential to alleviate poor crop yields in smallholder farming while protecting the environment. 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. For official use mulching department of agriculture. 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 residues management with conservation agriculture. Carbon input and maize productivity as influenced by. Management of highresidue cover crops in a conservation. The residual mass, expressed as a multiple of harvested yields, can be obtained simply as 1 hihi. Agroecological functions of crop residues under conservation. Crop residue management an overview sciencedirect topics. 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. Conservation agriculture ca climatesmart agriculture. 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. 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. Conservation tillage systems and management, 1992 agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries. Crop residue management to reduce erosion and improve soil quality. Management of cereal crop residues for sustainable rice.
Retention of crop residues after harvesting is considered to be an effective antierosion measure. Limiting soil disturbance to manage the amount, orientation and distribution of crop and plant residue on the soil surface year around. Biocharresidue integrated approach as a conservation. Good management of field residues can increase efficiency of irrigation and control of erosion. Leaving crop residue on the soil surface during cropping has a number of clear advantages over tillage that leaves the soil surface bare. Among the crop residues management options fencing fields reduces the chances of crop residues grazing by free roaming cattle during the dry season. A vast majority of land is used for farming and a wide range of crops are cultivated in its different agroecological regions. Potential, constraints and policy needs find, read and cite all the research you need. The person on the tractor seat is one of the keys to leaving heavy residues on the soil surface. Journal of sustainable agriculture designing a process of comanagement of crop residues for forage and soil conservation in sudanosahel. In contrast, notill, striptill or reduced till agriculture practices are carried out to maximize. Potential, constraints and policy needs, iari, 2010 20 21. 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.
Crop residue management through conservation agriculture can improve soil productivity and crop production by maintaining som levels. 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. Crop residues on the soil surface that conserves the moisture, may favour snails and slugs, causing damage to crops. Crop residue agricultural research management to conservation. Management of crop residues for sustainable crop production. Accordingly, national policy for management of crop residue npmcr has following major objectives.
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. Kurt steiner, gtz, 2002 background the maintenance of a permanent soil cover of living or dead plant material is the heart of conservation tillage. Organic mulches have been reported to increase damage of cutworms due to moisture conservation. Crop residue management systems asa special publications. This practice may be applied as part of a conservation management system to support one or more of the following purposes. Conflicts between conservation agriculture and livestock over.
Approximately 16% of total crop residue being burnt, 62% is contributed by rice and wheat. Approximately 16% of total crop residue being burnt, 62% is contributed by rice and. It enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface, which contribute to increased water and nutrient use efficiency and to. Field residues are materials left in an agricultural field or orchard after the crop has been harvested. Conservation agriculture farmer innovation programme.
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