Conservation Agriculture for Rice-Based Intensive Cropping by Smallholders in the Eastern Gangetic Plain

We review the recent development of Conservation Agriculture (CA) for rice-based smallholder farms in the Eastern Gangetic Plain (EGP) and the underpinning research on agronomy, weed control, soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions being tested to accelerate its adoption in Bangladesh. The studies are based mostly on minimum soil disturbance planting in strip planting (SP) mode, using the Versatile Multi-crop Planter (VMP), powered by a two-wheel tractor (2WT). One-pass SP with the VMP decreased fuel costs for crop establishment by up to 85% and labour requirements by up to 50%. We developed strip-based non-puddled rice (Oryza sativa) transplanting (NPT) in minimally-disturbed soil and found that rice grain yield increased (by up to 12%) in longer-term practice of CA. On farms, 75% of NPT crops increased gross margin. For non-rice crops, relative yield increases ranged from 28% for lentil (Lens culinaris) to 6% for wheat (Triticum aestivum) on farms that adopted CA planting. Equivalent profit increases were from 47% for lentil to 560% for mustard (Brassica juncea). Moreover, VMP and CA adopting farms saved 34% of labour costs and lowered total cost by up to 10% for production of lentil, mustard, maize (Zea mays) and wheat. Effective weed control was obtained from the use of a range of pre-emergent and post-emergence herbicides and retention of increased crop residue. In summary, a substantial body of research has demonstrated the benefits of CA and mechanized planting for cost savings, yield increases in many cases, increased profit in most cases and substantial labour saving. Improvement in soil quality has been demonstrated in long-term experiments together with reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

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Increases in soil sequestered carbon under conservation agriculture cropping decrease the estimated greenhouse gas emissions of wetland rice using life cycle assessment

Journal of Cleaner Production ◽

10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.03.215 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 224 ◽

pp. 72-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Md Khairul Alam ◽

Richard W. Bell ◽

Wahidul K. Biswas

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Wetland Rice ◽

Gas Emissions

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The role of conservation agriculture on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing carbon sequestration in soils

Soil Science Society of America Journal ◽

10.1002/saj2.20323 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 85 (5) ◽

pp. 1332-1333

Author(s):

Craig F. Drury ◽

Jane M. F. Johnson ◽

Charles W. Rice

Keyword(s):

Carbon Sequestration ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Gas Emissions

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Conservation Agriculture: An Agroecological Approach to Adapting and Mitigating Climate Change Impacts on Malawi’s Agriculture

International Journal of World Policy and Development Studies ◽

10.32861/ijwpds.67.88.96 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 88-96

Author(s):

Adewale M. Ogunmodede

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽

Nutrient Use Efficiency ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Farming System ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation

Although Africa’s contribution to the world’s greenhouse gas emission is the smallest compared to other continents, yet they tend to be affected most by the variability in Climate. Malawi is not an exception to this climate change, as they are not just faced with rising temperatures and variable rainfall patterns, but with reoccurring droughts and severe flooding. Agriculture has been noted to contribute significantly to not only climate change but also has significant impacts on global warming through its greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, not all farming systems impact negatively on climate change. Conservation Agriculture is a farming system that encourages no or minimum soil disturbance, maintenance of a permanent soil cover, and diversification of crop species. These three interlinked principles combined with good agricultural practices promote biodiversity and normal biotic processes, both on and under the ground surface, thereby increasing the productivity and nutrient use efficiency of water, into a more resilient farming system which will help sustain and improve agricultural production. This review looks at Conservation Agriculture practices in the Machinga Agricultural Development Division of Malawi and its role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This paper shows that Conservation Agriculture has played an active role in the adaptation and mitigation of climate change effect by reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions but suggested there is a need for the government to formulate a CA framework that is founded on the three interlinked principles and not just based on soil and water conservation principles which are currently being advocated and practised.

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Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices in Ethiopia: Implications of Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Review Paper

10.20944/preprints202012.0324.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Wakshum Shiferaw

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Policy Design ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Organic Fertilizers ◽

Soil Fertility Management ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Mitigation Potential ◽

Ghg Reduction

This paper aimed to assess climate-smart agricultural practices in Ethiopia, discuss the contribution of climate-smart agricultural practices for mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and examine determinant factors of climate-smart agricultural practices in mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Conservation agriculture, integrated soil fertility management, agroforestry, crop diversification, and improved livestock feed and feeding practices are among the best climate-smart agricultural practices in Ethiopia. Combination of the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices such as no-tillage increased crop diversity and retaining crop residue on-farm have a mitigation potential of increased SOC in non-flooded crops that change in a significant ton of CO2e ha-1 year-1. In addition, a mitigation potential of CH4 in reduced irrigation of paddy rice farms was also changed in ton CO2e ha-1 year-1. It was found that productivity enhancing interventions in the tropics could reduce emission intensity in dairy systems by up to 0.9 t CO2e per milk. Agroforestry practices and the addition of organic fertilizers on the farm increased mitigation potential of 784093 t CO2e and 193050 t CO2e biomass of carbon and SOC per year respectively. Adoptions of climate-smart agricultural practices are affected by different factors such as farming factors, technology inaccessibility, environmental factors, policy design and social expertise, negative attitudes and motivations of farmers, farmers’ socio-demographic factors, and farmers' socioeconomic factors. To reverse the situation, preparation of targeted climate-smart agricultural practices to areas that are likely to provide the greatest GHG reduction potential and demonstration of these practices to other areas should be encouraged so that other farmers will learn for similar agro-ecologies.

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