An Appraisal of Conservation Agriculture on Soil Properties and Crop-A Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 558-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay Kumar ◽  
Soil Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Somasundaram ◽  
M. Salikram ◽  
N. K. Sinha ◽  
M. Mohanty ◽  
R. S. Chaudhary ◽  
...  

Conservation agriculture (CA) including reduced or no-tillage and crop residue retention, is known to be a self–sustainable system as well as an alternative to residue burning. The present study evaluated the effect of reduced tillage coupled with residue retention under different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields in a Vertisol of a semiarid region of central India. Two tillage systems – conventional tillage (CT) with residue removed, and reduced tillage (RT) with residue retained – and six major cropping systems of this region were examined after 3 years of experimentation. Results demonstrated that soil moisture content, mean weight diameter, percent water stable aggregates (>0.25mm) for the 0–15cm soil layer were significantly (Pmoderately labile>less labile. At the 0–15cm depth, the contributions of moderately labile, less labile and non-labile C fractions to total organic C were 39.3%, 10.3% and 50.4% respectively in RT and corresponding values for CT were 38.9%, 11.7% and 49.4%. Significant differences in different C fractions were observed between RT and CT. Soil microbial biomass C concentration was significantly higher in RT than CT at 0–15cm depth. The maize–chickpea cropping system had significantly (P–1 followed by soybean+pigeon pea (2:1) intercropping (3.50 t ha–1) and soybean–wheat cropping systems (2.97 t ha–1). Thus, CA practices could be sustainable management practices for improving soil health and crop yields of rainfed Vertisols in these semiarid regions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 165-193
Author(s):  
Rakesh Kumar ◽  
Kirti Saurabh ◽  
Janki Sharan Mishra ◽  
Surajit Mondal ◽  
Hansraj Hans ◽  
...  

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdu Y. Yimam ◽  
Tewodros T. Assefa ◽  
Nigus F. Adane ◽  
Seifu A. Tilahun ◽  
Manoj K. Jha ◽  
...  

A field experiment consists of conservation agriculture (CA) and conventional tillage (CT) practices were set up in two areas, Robit and Dangishta, in sub-humid Ethiopian highlands. Irrigation water use, soil moisture, and agronomic data were monitored, and laboratory testing was conducted for soil samples, which were collected from 0 to 40 cm depth before planting and after harvest during the study period of 2015–2017. Calculation of crop coefficient (Kc) revealed a significant decrease in Kc values under CA as compared to CT. The result depicted that CA with a drip irrigation system significantly (α = 0.05) reduced Kc values of crops as compared to CT. Specifically, 20% reductions were observed for onion, cabbage, and garlic under CA whereas 10% reductions were observed for pepper throughout the crop base period. Consequently, irrigation water measurement showed that about 18% to 28% of a significant irrigation water savings were observed for the range of vegetables under CA as compared to CT. On the other hand, the results of soil measurement showed the CA practice significantly (α = 0.05) increased soil moisture (4%, 7%, 8%, and 10% increment for onion, cabbage, garlic, pepper) than CT practice even if irrigation input was small in CA practice. In addition, CA was found to improve the soil physico-chemical properties with significant improvement on organic matter (10%), field capacity (4%), and total nitrogen (10%) in the Dangishta experimental site. CA with drip irrigation is evidenced to be an efficient water-saving technology while improving soil properties to support sustainable intensification in the region.


Author(s):  
Anita Kumawat ◽  
A.K. Vishwakarma ◽  
R.H. Wanjari ◽  
N.K. Sharma ◽  
Devideen Yadav ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 260 ◽  
pp. 108002
Author(s):  
Vijay Pooniya ◽  
Niraj Biswakarma ◽  
C.M. Parihar ◽  
Karivaradharajan Swarnalakshmi ◽  
Achal Lama ◽  
...  

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iwona Jaskulska ◽  
Dariusz Jaskulski

The non-inversion tillage systems, including strip-till (ST), are the key element of conservation agriculture (CA). The aim of the 2012–2018 study has been to demonstrate the application of strip-till one-pass technology (ST-OP) on the farms of Central and Eastern Europe based on the use of Mzuri Pro-Til machines. There has also been an evaluation of the effect of that technology on the soil properties and the effects of crops growing. The scientific observations and field experiments were made, e.g., in Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Eastern states of Germany, Belarus, Serbia, and Romania. ST-OP case study with the use of Mzuri Pro-Til machine can be applied for growing all the basic crops. Tillage with a simultaneous basic fertilization application and seeding made regularly for a few years in given field leads to favorable changes in the soil properties. As compared with the soil under conventional plough tillage (CT), the soil moisture, especially in the periods of rainfall deficit, the content of organic carbon and its fraction, the count of microorganisms and earthworms, as well as the enzymatic activity, are higher. This technology saves over 20–30 L ha−1 of fuel, respectively, compared to reduced tillage (RT) and CT. Plant emergence is uniform, dense canopies and crop yields—not lower and even higher than for tillage and seeding commonly applied in Central and Eastern Europe. ST-OP can be thus an important element of field plant production as part of CA and sustainable development.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 569-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Mloza-Banda ◽  
W. M. Cornelis ◽  
H. R. Mloza-Banda ◽  
C. N. Makwiza ◽  
K. Verbist

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document