Conservation Agriculture Benefits in South Asia: A Management of Tillage, Residue Retention and Crop Rotation

Abstract

Abstract

Conservation Agriculture (CA) a suit of agriculture technologies based on minimal soil disturbance, permanent organic soil cover, diversified crop rotation and integrated weed management offers a paradigms shift in crop production to sustain yields and have constructive environment friendly foot print. Under agricultural practices, soil  involves mechanical disturbance are reduced to minimum or avoided, and external inputs such as organic and inorganic fertilizers, and others agrochemicals are applied optimal and in ways that do not interfere with, or disrupt, the natural processes. Mineral nutrients taken up from the soil become incorporated into a variety of important compounds with structural and physiological roles in plant growth. This review summarizes correlation between plant nutrients and biochemical alterations which are linked to soil characteristics as soil is the ultimate medium for better plant growth. In India, the rice-wheat cropping system is the backbone of food security. The magnitude of the contribution of rice-wheat cropping system to the nation’s food security can be gauged from Punjab state alone, which has less than 2% of the country’s cultivated land, and provides 60% of the wheat and 40% of the rice to the Public Distribution System and national buffer stocks. The main focus of this article will be on the effect of direct and indirect characteristics of soil and bring about changes in the plants growth, yield and their physiological and biochemical function under different management of tillage, residue and crop rotation which influences soil characteristics.

Keywords: Conservation agriculture, soil organic carbon, zero-tillage, yield

Cite this Article

Brijesh Kumar, Avinash Tiwari, Y. S. Saharawat, Andrew J. McDonald, M. L. Jat. Conservation Agriculture Benefits in South Asia: A Management of Tillage, Residue Retention and Crop Rotation. Research & Reviews: Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. 2015; 4(2): 1–13p.