CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE FOR INCREASED YIELDS, IMPROVED SOIL HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11353349Keywords:
Conservation agriculture, Soil health, Water Conservation, Climate Change, Biodiversity.Abstract
Conservation agriculture (CA) is an agricultural management system gaining traction globally for its potential to achieve a trifecta of benefits: increased crop yields, improved soil health, and enhanced environmental protection. This approach minimizes soil disturbance through reduced tillage practices, promotes crop diversity through rotations and cover crops, and maintains soil cover with crop residues. By fostering a healthy soil ecosystem, CA improves water infiltration and retention, leading to increased water efficiency and potentially higher crop yields. Additionally, reduced tillage minimizes soil erosion, nutrient runoff, and greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a cleaner environment. This article explores the scientific basis behind CA's effectiveness and its potential to contribute to sustainable agricultural practices that meet the growing demands for food production while safeguarding our planet.
References
Belén Cárceles Rodríguez , Víctor Hugo Durán-Zuazo, Miguel Soriano Rodríguez, Iván F. García-Tejero, Baltasar Gálvez Ruiz 1 and Simón Cuadros Tavira (2022) “Conservation Agriculture as a Sustainable System for Soil Health: A Review” https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/6/4/87
Hobbs, P. R., & Govaerts, B. (2010). Conservation agriculture: what is it and why is it important for future sustainable food production? Journal of Agricultural Science, 148(6), 523-535.
Kassam, A., Friedrich, T., Shaxson, F., & Pretty, J. (2009). The spread of conservation agriculture: justification, sustainability and uptake. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 7(4), 292-320.
Lal, R. (2015). Restoring soil quality to mitigate soil degradation. Sustainability, 7(5), 5875-5895.
Pittelkow, C. M., Liang, X., Linquist, B. A., Van Groenigen, K. J., Lee, J., Lundy, M. E., ... & Van Kessel, C. (2015). Productivity limits and potentials of the principles of conservation agriculture. Nature, 517(7534), 365-368.
Steward, D. R., Bruss, P. J., Yang, X., Staggenborg, S. A., Welch, S. M., & Apley, M. D. (2013). Tapping unsustainable groundwater stores for agricultural production in the High Plains Aquifer of Kansas, projections to 2110. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(37), E3477-E3486.
Verhulst, N., Govaerts, B., Verachtert, E., & Castellanos-Navarrete, A. (2010). Conservation agriculture, improving soil quality for sustainable production systems? In Advances in agronomy (Vol. 105, pp. 221- 264). Academic Press.
Wall, P. C., Sanginga, N., & Woomer, P. L. (2013). Conservation agriculture as a sustainable option for the savannas: A Kenyan perspective. In Sustainable Agriculture Reviews (Vol. 11, pp. 139-162). Springer.
Wani, S. P., Rockström, J., Oweis, T., & Gichuki, F. (2009). Conservation agriculture improves soil fertility and enhances cereal yields in rainfed farming. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 29(3), 491-500.
Zhang, H., Liu, M., Bai, Y., & Huang, Y. (2016). Effects of different irrigation technologies on crop yields and water use efficiency in the North China Plain. Agricultural Water Management, 167, 53-61.
Blanco-Canqui, H., & Lal, R. (2017). No-tillage and soil-profile carbon sequestration: an on-farm assessment. Soil Science Society of America Journal.
Panagiotis Kanatas,(2020). Mini-Review: The Role of Crop Rotation, Intercropping, Sowing Dates and Increased Crop Density Towards A Sustainable Crop And Weed Management in Arable Crops
Pittelkow, C. M., Liang, X., Linquist, B. A., van Groenigen, K. J., Lee, J., Lundy, M. E., ... & van Kessel, C. (2015). Productivity limits and potentials of the principles of conservation agriculture.
Conservation Agriculture. Available online: www.fao.org/conservation-agriculture/en/ (accessed on 17 November 2021).
Himanshu Verma 2021 “Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices to improve Soil Fertility” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348936826
J. P. Mitchell1, D. C. Reicosky, E. A. Kueneman, J. Fisher and D. Beck. 2018 “Conservation agriculture systems”.
John N. Landers, Pedro Luiz de Freitas, Mauricio Carvalho de Oliveira, Sebastião Pedro da Silva Neto, Ricardo Ralisch and Eric Alan Kueneman 2021 “Next Steps for Conservation Agriculture”.
