Bioeconomic optimization of conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) for smallholder tribal farmers in the hill region of Nepal

2016 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Paudel ◽  
C. Chan ◽  
J. Halbrendt ◽  
S. E. Crow ◽  
T. J. K. Radovich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Hill Region ◽  
Tribal Farmers ◽  
The Hill

scholarly journals Implications of Adoption of Zero Tillage (ZT) on Productive Efficiency and Production Risk of Wheat Production

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3640
Author(s):  
Tamer El-Shater ◽  
Amin Mugera ◽  
Yigezu Yigezu
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Productive Efficiency ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Zero Tillage ◽  
Stochastic Production Frontier ◽  
Production Risk ◽  
Information Gap

The impacts of zero tillage (ZT) on soil physical, biological, and chemical properties have been fairly documented in the literature. However, there is still an information gap in the developing world in general and in integrated crop–livestock production systems in dry areas of the world in particular. Using a sample of 621 farmers in Syria, this study assessed the implications of adoption of ZT technology on productive efficiency, input-specific resource use efficiency, and production risk. A stochastic production frontier model, which explicitly and simultaneously accounts for technical inefficiency and production risk, was used to estimate total factor and input-specific technical efficiencies and the risk of obtaining lower levels of yields for each of the sampled farms. Model results show that adoption of ZT proved to be an effective risk management strategy in this dryland production system, where it led to 95% and 33.3% reductions in the risk of obtaining wheat yield levels below 1000 kg/ha and 1500 kg/ha, respectively. Overall, the results have a clear indication that using ZT leads to improvements in productive efficiency as the adoption of ZT led to 93% reduction in the risk of obtaining efficiency levels below 40%. Future research will be needed to shed light on whether coupling ZT with the other components of conservation agriculture will reverse some of these effects.

scholarly journals Innovating Traditional Production Systems Through On-Farm Conservation Agriculture and Agroforestry Research

2022 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Fonteyne ◽  
Columba Silva Avendaño ◽  
Angel Ramos Sanchez ◽  
Juan Pablo Torres Zambrano ◽  
Fernando García Dávila ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Sustainable Intensification ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
On Farm Conservation ◽  
Input Use ◽  
Traditional Production ◽  
Set Up

Maize (Zea mays L.), the staple crop of Mexico, is often produced by smallholder farmers on sloping terrains. Historically, little agronomic research has been performed under the conditions of these farmers to support them in the sustainable intensification of their production systems. We set up trials at two locations in the state of Oaxaca to evaluate conservation agriculture and agroforestry in collaboration with local farmers. Crop diversification through crop rotations, multicropping, relay cropping or agroforestry increased system yields the most, by up to 1.4 t ha−1 in Teopoxco and 1.7 t ha−1 in Tamazulapam. Increased input use through increased fertilization or liming did not increase profitability enough to justify their use. Zero tillage and residue retention increased yields and reduced production costs. Conservation agriculture with agroforestry was a high-yielding, profitable system that also reduced farmers' risk by providing several harvests per year. The most profitable combinations of agroforestry and conservation agriculture could produce up to $4,854 USD ha−1 in Teopoxco and $2,143 USD ha−1 in Tamazulapam, while the control treatments in the same sites and years produced $175 USD ha−1 and $92 USD ha−1 respectively. In several years the main crop failed, while the trees were able to produce due to their different growing season compared to maize. Through adaptive investigation under farmers' conditions, sustainable intensification of traditional production system is possible with low-cost changes that are locally adapted and within farmers' possibilities.

scholarly journals Potential of conservation agriculture modules for energy conservation and sustainability of rice-based production systems of Indo-Gangetic Plain region

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 246-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajiv Nandan ◽  
Shish Pal Poonia ◽  
Sati Shankar Singh ◽  
Chaitanya Prasad Nath ◽  
Virender Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Net Energy ◽  
Energy Productivity ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Transplanted Rice

AbstractRice-based cropping systems are the most energy-intensive production systems in South Asia. Sustainability of the rice-based cropping systems is nowadays questioned with declining natural resource base, soil degradation, environmental pollution, and declining factor productivity. As a consequence, the search for energy and resource conservation agro-techniques is increasing for sustainable and cleaner production. Conservation agriculture (CA) practices have been recommended for resource conservation, soil health restoration and sustaining crop productivity. The present study aimed to assess the different CA modules in rice-based cropping systems for energy conservation, energy productivity, and to define energy-economic relations. A field experiment consisted of four different tillage-based crop establishment practices (puddled-transplanted rice followed by (fb) conventional-till maize/wheat (CTTPR-CT), non-puddled transplanted rice fb zero-till maize/wheat (NPTPR-ZT), zero-till transplanted rice fb zero-till maize/wheat (ZTTPR-ZT), zero-till direct-seeded rice fb zero-till maize/wheat (ZTDSR-ZT)), with two residue management treatments (residue removal, residue retention) in rice–wheat and rice–maize rotations were evaluated for energy budgeting and energy-economic relations. Conservation-tillage treatments (NPTPR-ZT, ZTTPR-ZT, and ZTDSR-ZT) reduced the energy requirements over conventional tillage treatments, with the greater reduction in ZTTPR-ZT and ZTDSR-ZT treatments. Savings of energy in conservation-tillage treatments were attributed to reduced energy use in land preparation (69–100%) and irrigation (23–27%), which consumed a large amount of fuel energy. Conservation-tillage treatments increased grain and straw/stover yields of crops, eventually increased the output energy (6–16%), net energy (14–26%), energy ratio (25–33%), and energy productivity (23–34%) as compared with CTTPR-CT. For these energy parameters, the treatment order was ZTDSR-ZT ≥ ZTTPR-ZT > NPTPR-ZT > CTTPR-CT (p < 0.05). Crop residue retention reduced net energy, energy ratio, and energy productivity when compared with residue removal. Our results of energy-economic relations favored the “conservative hypothesis,” which envisages that energy and monetary investments are not essentially the determinants of crop productivity. Thus, zero tillage-based crop establishments (ZTTPR-ZT, ZTDSR-ZT) in rice-based production systems could be the sustainable alternative to conventional tillage-based agriculture (CTTPR-CT) as they conserved non-renewable energy sources, reduced water requirement, and increased crop productivity.

scholarly journals Profitability of no-till grain production systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Fuentes-Llanillo ◽  
Tiago Santos Telles ◽  
Bruno Volsi ◽  
Dimas Soares Júnior ◽  
Sérgio Luiz Carneiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
No Till ◽  
Gross Margins

In general, the technical and agronomic benefits of no-till farming are widely known and well documented in the literature. However, studies focusing on the economics of no-tillage are scarce. In this context, the objective of this study is to determine whether no-till grain production systems that follow the principles of conservation agriculture are economically profitable by analyzing gross margins per hectare per year over six harvests for the agricultural years 1998/1999 to 2003/2004. In addition, a possible link between profitability and different no-till methods in terms of degree of soil turnover, crop rotation, and whether machinery used in agricultural operations is owned or rented is investigated. For this purpose, the multi-case analytical method was applied to thirteen grain producing family farms in Northern Paraná state, Brazil. Based on the results, two ranges of agricultural production variable costs and gross margins were identified. Higher gross margins were associated with longer use of the no-till system, ownership of machinery and equipment, specialization in grains, rotation of the commercial crops used, and higher variable costs. Lower gross margins were associated with outsourcing of sowing, small-scale cropping, and lack of crop rotation. It is concluded that family mechanized no-till systems of grain production in north Paraná are profitable.

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