CA-CoP CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

for sustainable production intensification


Dear Subscribers,

Please see herebelow the Conservation Agriculture Research Updates for December 2015 from the Cornell CA Group.

Thank you Peter Hobbs for sharing.

Apologies for any cross-postings.

Amir Kassam

Moderator

e-mail: [log in to unmask]

URL: www.fao.org/ag/ca


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Peter Hobbs <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sun, Dec 6, 2015 at 9:24 PM
Subject: CA Newsletter
To: Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
Cc: Lucy Hill Fisher <[log in to unmask]>, Emily Virginia Ambrose <[log in to unmask]>


Dear  Amir: Here is our December Conservation Agriculture Research Update. You can also review on line at http://www.scoop.it/t/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag 
Can you send this out to people who get your list serve material? The hard copy is below. Peter


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This research hypothesized that adopting CA system would improve system productivity and efficiency, hence resulting in higher profits. Four tillage treatments, including farmers’ practice (residues removed), conventional tillage (residues removed) and two CA practices with residue retention (zero tillage and furrow–ridge), were laid out in 22 farmers’ fields. Data was collected from 4 seasons from 2010-2012. Joint use of zero tillage and furrow–ridge provided higher WUE and yield advantage (25–34%) in the third and fourth seasons compared to the conventional practices. Weddings costs were reduced in CA but only because they used herbicides and reduced labor costs. They concluded that CA will certainly increase crop yields,WUE, generate more revenue and diversify risks during poor seasons. However, these benefits may not necessarily be earned in the first season, but will accrue in subsequent seasons.
A simulation study that looks at the economic and risk effects of different crop residue retention practices for a crop-livestock agricultural household in western China. Retaining minimal crop residues produced highest profits in the short term whereas full crop residue retention produced highest profits in the long term. Calls for comprehensive crop residue retention are unlikely to be attractive when farmers discount future profits, and when crop residues have significant value as a fuel and feed source. The economic benefits of crop residue retention can take numerous years to eventuate and retaining crop residues also increased simulated ground cover and this positive environmental impact extends beyond individual farm boundaries. Because of these time lags and external environmental benefits, providing financial incentives to retain crop residues during the initial transition years could be a policy option.
Conservation agriculture—consisting of four components including permanent soil cover, minimum soil disturbance, diversified crop rotations and integrated weed management—is considered the principal pathway to sustainable agriculture and the conservation of natural resources and the environment. Leading researchers in the field describe the basic principles of conservation agriculture, and synthesize recent advances and developments in conservation agriculture research. This book is a ready reference on conservation agriculture and reinforces the understanding for its utilization to develop environmentally sustainable and profitable food production systems. The book describes various elements of conservation agriculture; highlights the associated breeding and modeling efforts; analyses the experiences and challenges in conservation agriculture in different regions of the world; and proposes some pragmatic options and new areas of research in this very important area of agriculture.
An interesting study that looks at obstacles to CA adoption in southern Spain. Many farmers implemented some components of CA while disregarding others as a strategy to adapt to local conditions. Most farmers equated CA with direct seeded cereals without considering residues or rotations. 50% farmers used direct seeded wheat followed by tilled sunflowers and yields did not differ much from standard practices. They conclude that to overcome the most important identified problems in CA, there is a need to collaborative research with farmers and other stakeholders to develop appropriate drill technology for spring crops, identify non-cereal crops that are better adapted to CA than sunflower, improve residue management, increase energy efficiency through better fertilizer management, and promote CA among farmer groups excluded by socioeconomic barriers.
This paper highlights the challenges facing agriculture in the future.The challenges of farming are exacerbated by a changing and uncertain climate, increase in risks of soil degradation by erosion and other processes driven by decline in soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and pool, increase in dependence on energy-based inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, high risks of shifts in spectrum of pests and pathogens, and decrease in availability of soil and water resources because of diversion to nonagricultural uses. Increasing adoption of CA requires prudent strategies to address limitations and uncertainties of NT. The objective of this article was therefore to deliberate on a system approach to CA for minimizing uncertainties and limitations while maximizing merits and ecological benefits.
Interesting data from Cambodia on use of CA to increase soil organic carbon in rice, soybean and cassava cropping systems. Included conventional and no-till treatments and C was compared with an adjacent reference vegetation. On average, NT SOC stocks at 0–5 cm depth was greater than those of CT by 10%, 20% and 18% and STN stocks by 8%, 25% and 16% for RcCS, SbCS and CsCS, respectively. But sub-soil layers had less SOC in NT compared to CT. Cover crops were used for providing resides. Amount and diversity of crop residues added impacts on particulate organic C and can be an indicator of C accumulation. The results confirm the hypothesis that short-term CA associated with high biomass-C inputs (particularly bi-annual rotations) promotes SOC recovery in the topsoil layer and creates a potential to increase SOC in the subsoil layers when deep-rooting cover crops are included in crop rotations.
This paper from Uzbekistan shows that CERES rice and wheat models can simulate water saving irrigation and CA practices. Conventional methods of rice and wheat establishment in this area are challenged by labor, water and energy scarcity. Simulated rice yield was higher under conventional than under AWD irrigation and CA-practices.But AWD and CA practices saved significant amounts of water. Under these two practices, rice yield was limited by nitrogen and not water. Substantial amounts of N losses through leaching, immobilization by residue mulch, combined with gaseous losses through volatilization and denitrification are the major causes for the lower simulated yield of rice. Deep placement of urea supergranules could help in this respect. CA uses 3 times less water compared to conventional and so CA for rice-wheat systems of Central Asia should be adapted and considered for this region.



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