CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN THE INDOGANGETIC PLAINS OF INDIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER HOBBS ◽  
RAJ GUPTA ◽  
RAJ KUMAR JAT ◽  
R. K. MALIK
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Gangetic Plains ◽  
Farmer Adoption ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Complex Technology ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Made In

SUMMARYThis paper follows the progress made in India for research and farmer adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) since the publication of Erenstein (2012), who contested the idea that zero-till (ZT) establishment of wheat in rice–wheat systems could be further developed into full CA systems. Data presented in this paper show that research has successfully found solutions for both the wheat and rice phases of the rice–wheat systems of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) in the past 8 years. It shows that by finding solutions in both the rice and wheat phases, yields, water use efficiency and profits increased, while labour needs reduced. Indian scientists have also confirmed these benefits in participatory on-farm research in various locations, both east and west regions of the IGP. Farmers see for themselves through experimentation that they get higher yields with less cost and with more efficient use of inputs and water. A key factor has been the development of improved seed drills with the help of Indian private sector manufacturers of agricultural equipment. Indian scientists have also successfully conducted CA research on several other crops and in other regions besides the IGP. The paper shows that it is better to introduce parts of the CA management practices in a step-wise fashion first, rather than introducing the entire package at once since farmers first have to test and evaluate a new technology to understand how it benefits them personally before they will adopt it. The paper concludes that in the rice–wheat systems of South Asia, adoption of CA is indeed possible to achieve although it is still a work in progress. CA is a complex technology package and it takes time to overcome all of the contested issues mentioned in Erenstein (2012).

Stretching water – Queensland's water use efficiency cotton and grains adoption program

2003 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 191-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.J. Goyne ◽  
G.T. McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Public Image ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
On Farm

The Cotton and Grains Adoption Program of the Queensland Rural Water Use Efficiency Initiative is targeting five major irrigation regions in the state with the objective to develop better irrigation water use efficiency (WUE) through the adoption of best management practices in irrigation. The major beneficiaries of the program will be industries, irrigators and local communities. The benefits will flow via two avenues: increased production and profit resulting from improved WUE and improved environmental health as a consequence of greatly reduced runoff of irrigation tailwater into rivers and streams. This in turn will reduce the risk of nutrient and pesticide contamination of waterways. As a side effect, the work is likely to contribute to an improved public image of the cotton and grain industries. In each of the five regions, WUE officers have established grower groups to assist in providing local input into the specific objectives of extension and demonstration activities. The groups also assist in developing growersÕ perceptions of ownership of the work. Activities are based around four on-farm demonstration sites in each region where irrigation management techniques and hardware are showcased. A key theme of the program is monitoring water use. This is applied both to on-farm storage and distribution as well as to application methods and in-field management. This paper describes the project, its activities and successes.

scholarly journals A Survey of Farm Management Practices Relating to the Risk Factors, Prevalence, and Causes of Lamb Mortality in Ireland

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Dwayne Shiels ◽  
Jason Loughrey ◽  
Cathy M. Dwyer ◽  
Kevin Hanrahan ◽  
John F. Mee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Gross Margin ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Farm Survey ◽  
On Farm

Lamb mortality is a key factor influencing ewe productivity and profitability. The current study investigated risk factors associated with and management practices implemented on sheep farms to reduce lamb mortality. A survey consisting of 13 multiple-part questions (57 separate questions) was administered to all sheep farmers participating in the Teagasc National Farm Survey, representative of the Irish national population of sheep farms. A total of 60% of respondents identify mating or lambing date, and this practice tended to be associated with reduced lamb mortality (1.2%, p = 0.08). Individual lambing pens were used by 88% of farmers, but 26% did not clean or disinfect them. A total of 79% and 9.5% of farmers applied iodine to all lambs’ navels and administered antibiotics to all lambs to treat and/or prevent diseases, respectively. Most farmers vaccinated their ewes (86%) and lambs (79%) against clostridial diseases and/or pasteurellosis; 13% vaccinated against abortion agents. Lamb mortality tended to be lower (Kruskal–Wallis (KW) = 2.749; p = 0.09) on farms that used stomach tubing, heat box, iodine, hospital, and individual pens compared with farms that do not implement all those practices. Predators, lamb birth weight, and diseases were perceived by respondents to be the three main causes of live-born lamb mortality. The gross margin is significantly higher on lowland farms by €37 per ewe compared with hill farms (Kruskal–Wallis (KW) = 4.056; p < 0.001). The combination of full-time farming and the use of hospital and individual pens improved gross margin (€18/ewe, p = 0.028). It is concluded that on-farm management practices affect both lamb mortality and flock gross margin.

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

Agronomy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 304 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Designing profitable, resource use efficient and environmentally sound cereal based systems for the Western Indo-Gangetic plains

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanuman S. Jat ◽  
Virender Kumar ◽  
Ashim Datta ◽  
Madhu Choudhary ◽  
Yadvinder-Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
System Productivity ◽  
Gangetic Plains ◽  
Environment Quality ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Environmentally Sound ◽  
Evidence Generation

Abstract In the western Indo-Gangetic plains, issues of deterioration in soil, water, and environment quality coupled with low profitability jeopardize the sustainability of the dominant rice–wheat (RW) system. To address these issues, crop diversification and conservation agriculture (CA)-based management hold considerable promise but the adoption of both approaches has been low, and additional evidence generation from a multi-criteria productivity and sustainability perspective is likely required to help drive the change. Compared to prevailing farmers’ practice (FP), results suggest that CA-based rice management increased profitability by 13% and energy use efficiency (EUE) by 21% while reducing irrigation by 19% and global warming potential (GWP) by 28%. By substituting CA-based maize for rice, similar mean profitability gains were realized (16%) but transformative improvements in irrigation (− 84%), EUE (+ 231%), and GWP (− 95%) were observed compared to FP. Inclusion of mungbean in the rotation (i.e. maize-wheat-mungbean) with CA-based management increased the system productivity, profitability, and EUE by 11, 25 and 103%, respectively while decreasing irrigation water use by 64% and GWP by 106% compared to FP. Despite considerable benefits from the CA-based maize-wheat system, adoption of maize is not widespread due to uneven market demand and assured price guarantees for rice.

scholarly journals Effects of conservation agriculture on crop productivity and water-use efficiency under an irrigated pigeonpea–wheat cropping system in the western Indo-Gangetic Plains

2016 ◽  
Vol 154 (8) ◽  
pp. 1327-1342 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. K. DAS ◽  
K. K. BANDYOPADHYAY ◽  
RANJAN BHATTACHARYYA ◽  
S. SUDHISHRI ◽  
A. R. SHARMA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Wheat Grain ◽  
Gangetic Plains ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Use Efficiency

SUMMARYIn search of a suitable resource conservation technology under pigeonpea (Cajanus cajanL.)–wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, the effects of conservation agriculture (CA) on crop productivity and water-use efficiency (WUE) were evaluated during a 3-year study. The treatments were: conventional tillage (CT), zero tillage (ZT) with planting on permanent narrow beds (PNB), PNB with residue (PNB + R), ZT with planting on permanent broad beds (PBB) and PBB + R. The PBB + R plots had higher pigeonpea grain yield than the CT plots in all 3 years. However, wheat grain yields under all plots were similar in all years except for PBB + R plots in the second year, which had higher wheat yield than CT plots. The contrast analysis showed that pigeonpea grain yield of CA plots was significantly higher than CT plots in the first year. However, both pigeonpea and wheat grain yields during the last 2 years under CA and CT plots were similar. The PBB + R plots had higher system WUE than the CT plots in the second and third years. Plots under CA had significantly higher WUE and significantly lower water use than CT plots in these years. The PBB + R plots had higher WUE than PNB + R and PNB plots. Also, the PBB plots had higher WUE than PNB in the second and third years, despite similar water use. The interactions of bed width and residue management for all parameters in the second and third years were not significant. Those positive impacts under PBB + R plots over CT plots were perceived to be due to no tillage and significantly higher amount of estimated residue retention. Thus, both PBB and PBB + R technologies would be very useful under a pigeonpea–wheat cropping system in this region.

scholarly journals Herbicides and Zero Tillage in South Asia: Are we creating a gendered problem?

2021 ◽  
pp. 003072702110138
Author(s):  
B Brown ◽  
E Karki ◽  
A Sharma ◽  
B Suri ◽  
A Chaudhary
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Zero Tillage ◽  
Tillage Systems ◽  
Gangetic Plains

Substantial efforts have been devoted to the promotion of Zero Tillage as part of a Conservation Agriculture based Sustainable Intensification agenda in the Eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia, yet there is no clear understanding of the gendered implications of the required change in weed management practices from tillage to herbicides. Other geographies such as in Sub-Saharan Africa have shown evidence that transitioning to Zero Tillage may have unbalanced gendered implications that burden women with additional tasks or lead to lessening agency. To address this, a targeted in-depth study with both spouses was implemented in 24 households across Bangladesh, India and Nepal over a period of 5 weeks during crop establishment to understand the perceptions, responsibilities, and knowledge of household spouses who have adopted Zero Tillage systems. This data is used to compare their weeding responsibilities and knowledge between their Pre- and post- Zero Tillage uptake. Findings indicate that the switch to Zero Tillage contributed to substantial time savings in India and Nepal and did not lead to any reallocation or increased burden of roles and responsibilities to women in any of the surveyed localities, while knowledge on weed management practices were balanced among spouses. This research suggests that the gendered experiences of users of Zero Tillage systems and subsequent use of herbicides in investigated locations may differ from Zero Tillage user experience in other geographies, in that Zero Tillage use did not reinforce or deepen existing inequalities within households. This highlights that Zero Tillage may provide an inclusive agricultural development pathway in the Eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia.

scholarly journals Effects of Long-Term (7 Years) Adoption of Conservation Agriculture and Nutrient Management Practices on the Soil Properties, System Crop and Water Productivity and Farm Economics of a Maize–Chickpea Rotation 

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay Pooniya ◽  
R.R. Zhiipao ◽  
Niraj Biswakarma ◽  
S.L. Jat ◽  
Dinesh Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Gangetic Plains ◽  
Soil Layers ◽  
Maize Grain Yield ◽  
Maize Grain

Abstract Conservation agriculture (CA)-based practices have been promoted and recouped, as they hold the potential to enhance farm profits besides a consistent improvement in soil properties. The CA-based crop establishment practices (CEP) along with adequate fertilizer inputs in the diversified maize-chickpea rotation (MCR) could be a profitable choice to sustain the crop production of Indo-Gangetic plains in the posterity. Therefore, a seven years' field experiment consisting of three CEP viz., zero till flatbed (ZTFB), permanent beds (PNB), conventional system (CT) along with the three nutrient management practices; nutrient expert assisted: site-specific nutrient management (NE®), recommended fertilization (RDF), and farmers’ fertilizer practice (FFP), was carried out from 2013–2020 in a sandy loam soil of the north-western Indo-Gangetic plains. Seven years’ mean maize grain yield under the ZTFB (4.34 Mg ha-1) and PNB (4.37 Mg ha-1) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than the CT (3.79 Mg ha-1). The NE® and RDF had 25.7% and 22.3% greater maize grain yield than the FFP, respectively. Similarly, ZTFB and PNB had 12.2% and 21.5% greater chickpea seed yield, respectively over the CT. The NE® and RDF gave 12.1% and 8.4% higher chickpea seed yield over the FFP, respectively. The CA-based CEP (ZTFB / PNB) produced 13.9–17.6% (seven years’ mean) higher maize grain equivalent yield (MGEY) compared to the CT, while NE® and RDF had 10.7–20% higher MGEY than the FFP. Furthermore, the PNB and ZTFB gave 28.8% and 24% additional net returns than the CT, while NE® and RDF had 22.8% and 17.4% greater returns, respectively over the FFP. The mean data showed that PNB had 7.5% and 30.8% greater system water productivity (SWP) than the ZTFB and CT, the NE® and RDF had 20% and 14% greater SWP than the FFP, respectively. After harvest of the 7th year maize, the PNB and ZTFB had 2.3–4.1% (0.0-0.20 m soil layers) lower bulk density (ρb) than the CT, however NE® and RDF had 1–1.9% lower ρb compared to the FFP. The CEP had a significant (p<0.05) impact on the soil organic carbon (OC) in 0.0-0.20 m soil layers but it remained unaffected due to the nutrient management beyond 0.10 m soil depth. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) increased by 8–19% (0.0-0.50 m soil layers) in the ZTFB / PNB over the CT, and by 7.6–11.0% in the NE® / RDF over FFP. The sustainability yield index (SYI) was also greater under the CA-based CEP and with the NE® or RDF compared to the CT practices. Hence, the present study suggests that the CA-based CEP coupled with the NE® or RDF could enhance the yields, farm profits, soil properties of the maize-chickpea rotation, thereby, could sustain the production in long-run.

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