*Global CA-CoP* *CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE* *for sustainable agriculture, land use and ecosystem management* Dear Subscribers, Please see herebelow the April CA Newsletter from Cornell. Apologies for any cross-posting. *Amir Kassam * *Moderator* *Global CA-CoP* e-mail: [log in to unmask] URL: http://www.fao.org/conservation-agriculture ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Peter Hobbs <[log in to unmask]> Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2021 at 15:07 Subject: April Cornell CA Scoopit newsletter To: Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]> Dear Amir: Here is our April 2021 Conservation Agriculture Scoopit Research Update. You can also view online at https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?curate=true&null Can you send this out to people who get your listserv material? The hard copy is below. An easier link to see all the research papers on CA is as follows: https://www.zotero.org/groups/348525/cornell_conservation_agriculture/collections/KGBFX8BX Also, visit our main website at http://soilhealth.org for news and other CA information. Please use this link since we had to move our web site to a new server and this links takes you to the CA web site. [image: Conservation Agriculture Research Updates - April 2021] <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag> Conservation Agriculture Research Updates - April 2021 <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag> by Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org) <https://www.scoop.it/u/conservation-ag> Powered by [image: Scoop.it] <https://www.scoop.it> Anthropogenic drivers of soil microbial communities and impacts on soil biological functions in agroecosystems. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964657/2021/03/28/anthropogenic-drivers-of-soil-microbial-communities-and-impacts-on-soil-biological-functions-in-agroecosystems> From linkinghub.elsevier.com <https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/articleSelectSinglePerm?Redirect=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989421000718?via%3Dihub&key=8e6a7a428e4a696abd9cdd1fc381ebb9d5df933d> - Today, 3:09 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964657/2021/03/28/anthropogenic-drivers-of-soil-microbial-communities-and-impacts-on-soil-biological-functions-in-agroecosystems> Yang, T., Lupwayi, N., Marc, St-A., Siddique, & Bainard, L.D. 2021. Global Ecology and Conservation. 27. Article number e01521. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964657/2021/03/28/anthropogenic-drivers-of-soil-microbial-communities-and-impacts-on-soil-biological-functions-in-agroecosystems> https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01521 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This review assessed the impact of anthropogenic interventions, including crop diversification in rotations, soil physical disturbance, synthetic chemical inputs, and biofertilizer use on soil microbial community structure and function, and the consequential effects on agroecosystem productivity and environmental sustainability from 160 medium- to long-term experiments across the globe and in various soil-climatic zones. Excellent conclusions are made and the study concludes that the key is to establish a rational balance between anthropogenic activities for agroecosystem productivity and potential negative influences on the soil microbial community and long-term soil health. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964657/2021/03/28/anthropogenic-drivers-of-soil-microbial-communities-and-impacts-on-soil-biological-functions-in-agroecosystems> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123964657?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123964657?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123964657?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123964657> Regenerative Agriculture: An agronomic perspective. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966190/2021/03/28/regenerative-agriculture-an-agronomic-perspective> From doi.org <https://doi.org/10.1177/0030727021998063> - Today, 2:51 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966190/2021/03/28/regenerative-agriculture-an-agronomic-perspective> Giller, K.E., Hijbeek, R., Andersson, J.A. & Sumberg, J. 2021. Outlook on Agriculture. Pages 1-13. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966190/2021/03/28/regenerative-agriculture-an-agronomic-perspective> https://doi.org/10.1177/0030727021998063 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This paper explains what "Regenerative Agriculture" is from an agronomist point of view. Why is it gaining such prominence? Which problems does it solve, and how? It has been promoted strongly by civil society and NGOs as well as by many of the major multi-national food companies. Many practices promoted as regenerative, including crop residue retention, cover cropping and reduced tillage are central to the canon of ‘good agricultural practices’, while others are contested and at best niche practices (e.g. permaculture, holistic grazing). The paper suggests RA represents a re-framing of what have been considered to be two contrasting approaches to agricultural futures, namely agroecology and sustainable intensification, under the same banner. More importantly, it draws attention away from more fundamental challenges. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966190/2021/03/28/regenerative-agriculture-an-agronomic-perspective> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123966190?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123966190?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123966190?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123966190> A global dataset for crop production under conventional tillage and no tillage systems. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123965364/2021/03/28/a-global-dataset-for-crop-production-under-conventional-tillage-and-no-tillage-systems> From doi.org <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-00817-x> - Today, 2:19 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123965364/2021/03/28/a-global-dataset-for-crop-production-under-conventional-tillage-and-no-tillage-systems> Su, Y., Benoit, G. & Makowski, D. 2021. Scientific Reports. 8. Article Number 33. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123965364/2021/03/28/a-global-dataset-for-crop-production-under-conventional-tillage-and-no-tillage-systems> https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-00817-x *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: The question whether NT systems are as productive as those relying on conventional tillage (CT) is a controversial issue, fraught by a high variability over time and space. This study expands existing datasets to include the results of the most recent field experiments, and we produce a global dataset comparing the crop yields obtained under CT and NT systems. In addition to crop yield, this dataset also reports information on crop growing season, management practices, soil characteristics and key climate parameters throughout the experimental year. The final dataset contains 4403 paired yield observations between 1980 and 2017 for eight major staple crops in 50 countries. The paper does discuss the results for NT versus CA, since the residue retention in the latter is important for success in some but not all situations and crops. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123965364/2021/03/28/a-global-dataset-for-crop-production-under-conventional-tillage-and-no-tillage-systems> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123965364?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123965364?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123965364?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123965364> Participatory multicriteria assessment of maize cropping systems in the context of family farmers in the Brazilian Cerrado. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966124/2021/03/28/participatory-multicriteria-assessment-of-maize-cropping-systems-in-the-context-of-family-farmers-in-the-brazilian-cerrado> From www.tandfonline.com <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14735903.2020.1788253> - Today, 1:55 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966124/2021/03/28/participatory-multicriteria-assessment-of-maize-cropping-systems-in-the-context-of-family-farmers-in-the-brazilian-cerrado> Valadares, X.J.H., Gomes, M.C., dos Anjos, F.S., Macena da Silva, F.A. & Corbeels, M. 2020. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. 18 (5) 410-426. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966124/2021/03/28/participatory-multicriteria-assessment-of-maize-cropping-systems-in-the-context-of-family-farmers-in-the-brazilian-cerrado> https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2020.1788253 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: The objective of this study was to evaluate CA cropping systems for rainfed maize as an alternative to the traditional tillage-based cropping systems (CT) in the context of family farms, using a multi-criteria model that represents the point of view of farmers in Brazil. Farmers evaluated based on 5 criteria a) costs; b) yield; c) labor; d) human health and environment; and e) risks. CA did not differ from CT for the `costs' criterion but was superior for the `yield' and `labour' criteria. In contrast, CT obtained better ratings for the criteria `human health and environment' and `production risks'. Considering all criteria, CA was better appraised than CT. However, a new local policy measure that subsidizes the hiring of mechanized tillage services overturns this outcome, indicating the importance of exogenous factors. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966124/2021/03/28/participatory-multicriteria-assessment-of-maize-cropping-systems-in-the-context-of-family-farmers-in-the-brazilian-cerrado> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123966124?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123966124?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123966124?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123966124> Conservation Agriculture: factors and drivers of adoption and scalable innovative practices in Indo-Gangetic plains of India – a review <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964146/2021/03/28/conservation-agriculture-factors-and-drivers-of-adoption-and-scalable-innovative-practices-in-indo-gangetic-plains-of-india-a-review> From www.tandfonline.com <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14735903.2020.1817655> - Today, 10:35 AM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964146/2021/03/28/conservation-agriculture-factors-and-drivers-of-adoption-and-scalable-innovative-practices-in-indo-gangetic-plains-of-india-a-review> Jat, H.S., Datta, A., Choudhary, M., Sharma, P.C. & Jat, M.L. 2020. International Journal for Agricultural Sustainability. 19 (1) 40-55. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964146/2021/03/28/conservation-agriculture-factors-and-drivers-of-adoption-and-scalable-innovative-practices-in-indo-gangetic-plains-of-india-a-review> https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2020.1817655 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This study introduced CA to manage agro-ecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, and increased farmers’ profits while maintaining natural resources in rice-wheat systems of the IndoGangetic Plains of India. The project managed natural resources at the farm, village, and landscape scales to increase synergies between food production and ecosystem conservation. The results show that the CA-based rice-wheat (RW) system integrated with mungbean improved the system productivity by ∼10%, profitability by 20–30% using 15–30% less irrigation water, and 20–25% less energy input compared to conventional RW system in the IGP. Replacing rice with maize improved the productivity by 10-15% and profitability by 40–50% using ∼70% less irrigation water. CA layered with subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in CA-based rice/maize systems recorded ∼5% higher system productivity and saved ∼50% of irrigation water compared to flood irrigation in CT-based systems. CA-based systems are found more adapted to extreme climatic conditions and can mitigate the negative effects of climatic stresses like terminal heat and water stress. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964146/2021/03/28/conservation-agriculture-factors-and-drivers-of-adoption-and-scalable-innovative-practices-in-indo-gangetic-plains-of-india-a-review> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123964146?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123964146?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123964146?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123964146> Political economy challenges for climate smart agriculture in Africa. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123947355/2021/03/26/political-economy-challenges-for-climate-smart-agriculture-in-africa> From link.springer.com <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10460-020-10126-5> - March 26, 3:50 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123947355/2021/03/26/political-economy-challenges-for-climate-smart-agriculture-in-africa> Shilomboleni, H. 2020. Agriculture and Human Values. 37. 1195-1206. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123947355/2021/03/26/political-economy-challenges-for-climate-smart-agriculture-in-africa> https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-020-10126-5 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This article looks at Climate Smart Agriculture and highlights three important challenges for CSA activities in Africa which provide insights into contested debates surrounding CSA's ability to respond holistically to the complex realities facing resource-constrained farmers in the global South. The three challenges are market policies, diversified livelihood strategies and growing competition for land and other resources. This paper looks into the political economy processes surrounding these three issues so as to bring critical attention to factors relevant to African agricultural development that highly impact farm-level practices and carry important implications for rural livelihood outcomes. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123947355/2021/03/26/political-economy-challenges-for-climate-smart-agriculture-in-africa> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123947355?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123947355?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123947355?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123947355> Conservation tillage and soil health: Lessons from a 5-year UK farm trial (2013-2018). <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123945609/2021/03/26/conservation-tillage-and-soil-health-lessons-from-a-5-year-uk-farm-trial-2013-2018> From linkinghub.elsevier.com <https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/articleSelectSinglePerm?Redirect=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016719872030430X?via%3Dihub&key=9d024502ccd0abd037edd031085393c81f467696> - March 26, 3:27 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123945609/2021/03/26/conservation-tillage-and-soil-health-lessons-from-a-5-year-uk-farm-trial-2013-2018> Cooper, R.J., Hama-Aziz, Z.Q., Hiscock, K.M., Lovett, A.A., Vrain, E., Dugdale, S.J., Sunnenberg, G., Dockerty, T., Hovesen, P. & Noble, L. 2020. Soil and Tillage Research. 202. Article Number 104648. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123945609/2021/03/26/conservation-tillage-and-soil-health-lessons-from-a-5-year-uk-farm-trial-2013-2018> https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2020.104648 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: The UK launched a program to evaluate the extent to which on-farm mitigation measures can cost-effectively reduce the impacts of agricultural water pollution on river ecology whilst maintaining food production capacity. This study looked at the impacts on soil health of two types of conservation tillage (direct drill and shallow non-inversion) against conventional mouldboard ploughing after five years. Results revealed that conservation tillage alone is ineffective at improving the short-term environmental sustainability of farming practices in this lowland intensive arable setting and indicates that a broader, integrated approach to conservation agriculture is required incorporating aspects of cover cropping, crop rotations and precision farming techniques. The improvements in farm business performance do, however, demonstrate land managers can make important financial gains by converting to a conservation tillage system. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123945609/2021/03/26/conservation-tillage-and-soil-health-lessons-from-a-5-year-uk-farm-trial-2013-2018> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123945609?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123945609?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123945609?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123945609> Behaviour of smallholder farmers towards adoption of conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123947218/2021/03/26/behaviour-of-smallholder-farmers-towards-adoption-of-conservation-agriculture-in-zimbabwe> From onlinelibrary.wiley.com <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sum.12528> - March 26, 2:59 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123947218/2021/03/26/behaviour-of-smallholder-farmers-towards-adoption-of-conservation-agriculture-in-zimbabwe> Mugandani, R. & Mafongoya, P. 2019. Soil Use and Management. 35 (4) 561-575. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123947218/2021/03/26/behaviour-of-smallholder-farmers-towards-adoption-of-conservation-agriculture-in-zimbabwe> https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12528 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This study was carried out to investigate the behavior of smallholder farmers towards the adoption of conservation agriculture in 3 districts of Zimbabwe. Data was collected by interviewing farmers in focus groups, key informants and observations. Only 10% of farmers had received any training on agriculture although 80% relied on it for income and food. Many had knowledge of social, environmental and economic benefits of CA. But non-adopters had an indifferent perception towards CA. The paper concludes that addressing perception gaps of farmers is key to enhance adoption of conservation agriculture. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123947218/2021/03/26/behaviour-of-smallholder-farmers-towards-adoption-of-conservation-agriculture-in-zimbabwe> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123947218?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123947218?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123947218?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123947218> Conservation agriculture improves adaptive capacity of cropping systems to climate stress in Malawi. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123965450/2021/03/28/conservation-agriculture-improves-adaptive-capacity-of-cropping-systems-to-climate-stress-in-malawi> From linkinghub.elsevier.com <https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/articleSelectSinglePerm?Redirect=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X21000706?via%3Dihub&key=be23ef43eb6b51e68f77c0e99ac7356b2ffa8267> - Today, 2:59 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123965450/2021/03/28/conservation-agriculture-improves-adaptive-capacity-of-cropping-systems-to-climate-stress-in-malawi> Komarek, A.M., Thierfelder, C. & Steward, P.R. 2021. Agricultural Systems. 190. Article number 103117 <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123965450/2021/03/28/conservation-agriculture-improves-adaptive-capacity-of-cropping-systems-to-climate-stress-in-malawi> https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103117 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This study estimates the statistical effect of Conservation Agriculture on cropping-system yields (as opposed to single crops) under historical climate conditions. The cropping-system yields considered all crops grown including maize (Zea mays L.) and legumes in intercropping or rotation, or both. Data included 6296 yield observations from on-farm trials in farmer plots conducted over 14 seasons. This work studied three treatments: (1) a Control Practice treatment where the soil was tilled, crop residues were removed, and there was no crop species diversification, (2) a NT treatment where the soil was not tilled, crop residues were retained, and there was no crop species diversification, and (3) a CA treatment where the soil was not tilled, crop residues were retained, and there was crop species diversification through legume intercropping. The results demonstrate how CA can improve the adaptive capacity of cropping systems and this provides urgently needed evidence on how farmers can adapt to climate stress. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123965450/2021/03/28/conservation-agriculture-improves-adaptive-capacity-of-cropping-systems-to-climate-stress-in-malawi> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123965450?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123965450?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123965450?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123965450> Improved nutrition and resilience will make conservation agriculture more attractive for Zambian smallholder farmers. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964599/2021/03/28/improved-nutrition-and-resilience-will-make-conservation-agriculture-more-attractive-for-zambian-smallholder-farmers> From www.cambridge.org <https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/renewable-agriculture-and-food-systems/article/improved-nutrition-and-resilience-will-make-conservation-agriculture-more-attractive-for-zambian-smallholder-farmers-corrigendum/9E36321B52822867B6F7A9F640D0445B> - Today, 2:37 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964599/2021/03/28/improved-nutrition-and-resilience-will-make-conservation-agriculture-more-attractive-for-zambian-smallholder-farmers> Mhlanga, B., Mwila, M. & Thierfelder, C. 2021. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. Pages 1-14 <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964599/2021/03/28/improved-nutrition-and-resilience-will-make-conservation-agriculture-more-attractive-for-zambian-smallholder-farmers> https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742170521000065 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This is a corrected manuscript for this article that looks at crop diversification and intercropping in CA systems that have a direct impact on nutritional status of farm households due to a more diverse diet. This study from 2012-2020 assesses how the integration of grain legumes, cowpeas and soybeans, in maize-based CA systems either as intercrops or rotational crops affects maize grain yield and stability, total energy yield, protein yield and surplus calories after satisfying the daily requirement per household. Results show that intercropping compromises maize yields with marginal yield penalties of −5% compared to no-till monocropping. However, intercropped yields were more stable across environments.Total system caloric energy and protein yield were highest in intercropping systems due to higher productivity per unit land area owing to the additive contribution of both maize and legumes. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964599/2021/03/28/improved-nutrition-and-resilience-will-make-conservation-agriculture-more-attractive-for-zambian-smallholder-farmers> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123964599?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123964599?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123964599?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123964599> Combining local knowledge and soil science for integrated soil health assessments in conservation agriculture systems. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966140/2021/03/28/combining-local-knowledge-and-soil-science-for-integrated-soil-health-assessments-in-conservation-agriculture-systems> From linkinghub.elsevier.com <https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/articleSelectSinglePerm?Redirect=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479721002541?via%3Dihub&key=ea00b67205d6f4d3f8425175776d0f4ea525cfae> - Today, 2:09 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966140/2021/03/28/combining-local-knowledge-and-soil-science-for-integrated-soil-health-assessments-in-conservation-agriculture-systems> Hermans, T.D.G., Dougill, A.J., Whitfield, S., Peacock, C.L., Eze, S. & Thierfelder, C. 2021. Journal of Evironmental Management. 286. Article number 112192 <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966140/2021/03/28/combining-local-knowledge-and-soil-science-for-integrated-soil-health-assessments-in-conservation-agriculture-systems> https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112192 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This study, based in Malawi, aims to 1) combine local knowledge and conventional soil science approaches to develop a contextualized understanding of the impact of CA on soil health; and 2) understand how an integrated approach can contribute to explaining farmer decision-making on land management. Key farmers' indicators of soil health were crop performance, soil consistence, moisture content, erosion, colour, and structure. In the conventional practice, farmers perceived ridges to redistribute nutrients. This perception contributes to the popularity of ridges, despite the higher yield measurements under CA. They conclude that the step wise integrated soil assessment framework developed in this study is useful in understanding the role of soil health in farmer-decision making. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123966140/2021/03/28/combining-local-knowledge-and-soil-science-for-integrated-soil-health-assessments-in-conservation-agriculture-systems> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123966140?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123966140?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123966140?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123966140> Long-term no-tillage and different residue amounts alter soil microbial community composition and increase the risk of maize root rot in northeast China. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964527/2021/03/28/long-term-no-tillage-and-different-residue-amounts-alter-soil-microbial-community-composition-and-increase-the-risk-of-maize-root-rot-in-northeast-china> From linkinghub.elsevier.com <https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/articleSelectSinglePerm?Redirect=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167198719301618?via%3Dihub&key=4b46c5d2c5515f88315f74f350dd6d3eeaceab83> - Today, 1:45 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964527/2021/03/28/long-term-no-tillage-and-different-residue-amounts-alter-soil-microbial-community-composition-and-increase-the-risk-of-maize-root-rot-in-northeast-china> Wang, H., Li, Xiang, Li, Xu, Wang, J., Li, Xinyu, Guo, Q., Yu, Z., Yang, T. and Zhang, H. 2020. Soil and Tillage Research. 196. Article number 104452. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964527/2021/03/28/long-term-no-tillage-and-different-residue-amounts-alter-soil-microbial-community-composition-and-increase-the-risk-of-maize-root-rot-in-northeast-china> https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2019.104452 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This study looked at how long-term no-tillage with different amounts of maize residue retention affect microbial community composition and soil microbial communities and soil-borne plant pathogen abundances. No-tillage with residue retention significantly increased fungal richness but had little effect on bacterial diversity. Relative abundances of some fungal and bacterial genera changed significantly under no-tillage and residue treatments, with the greatest change found in the 33% mulching treatment. Furthermore, no-tillage with 33% and 100% mulching had the greatest effect on F. graminearum and F. moniliforme abundances. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123964527/2021/03/28/long-term-no-tillage-and-different-residue-amounts-alter-soil-microbial-community-composition-and-increase-the-risk-of-maize-root-rot-in-northeast-china> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123964527?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123964527?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123964527?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123964527> Long-term conservation tillage and nitrogen fertilization effects on soil aggregate distribution, nutrient stocks and enzymatic activities in bulk soil and occluded microaggregates. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123963721/2021/03/28/long-term-conservation-tillage-and-nitrogen-fertilization-effects-on-soil-aggregate-distribution-nutrient-stocks-and-enzymatic-activities-in-bulk-soil-and-occluded-microaggregates> From linkinghub.elsevier.com <https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/articleSelectSinglePerm?Redirect=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016719871930100X?via%3Dihub&key=5c7b478f7deadcf713cb346bfd3cfbe8b27536f8> - Today, 10:13 AM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123963721/2021/03/28/long-term-conservation-tillage-and-nitrogen-fertilization-effects-on-soil-aggregate-distribution-nutrient-stocks-and-enzymatic-activities-in-bulk-soil-and-occluded-microaggregates> Piazza, G., Pelligrino, E., Moscatelli, M.C. & Ercoli, L. 2020. Soil and Tillage Research. 196. Article number 104482. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123963721/2021/03/28/long-term-conservation-tillage-and-nitrogen-fertilization-effects-on-soil-aggregate-distribution-nutrient-stocks-and-enzymatic-activities-in-bulk-soil-and-occluded-microaggregates> https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2019.104482 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This study assessed the impact of long-term conservation tillage and N fertilization in wheat-soybean rotation on soil aggregate distribution, nutrients stocks and functions of soil microorganisms. They compared conventional tillage and minimal tillage and 2 N levels; 0 and 200kgN/ha. Residues were incorporated to 25 cm in CT and 50% to 15cm in MT. Tillage was the most discriminant factor explaining 72% and 60% of total variance of soil parameters at 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm soil depth. All enzyme activities were higher under MT, whereas the majority of soil chemical parameters were higher under N200. They conclude that maintaining or even increasing SOC conservation in their silt loam soils may require both reduced tillage systems and N fertilization, shifting microbial community toward taxa more effective in contrasting soil degradation <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123963721/2021/03/28/long-term-conservation-tillage-and-nitrogen-fertilization-effects-on-soil-aggregate-distribution-nutrient-stocks-and-enzymatic-activities-in-bulk-soil-and-occluded-microaggregates> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123963721?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123963721?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123963721?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123963721> Adoption by adaptation: moving from Conservation Agriculture to conservation practices. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123946555/2021/03/26/adoption-by-adaptation-moving-from-conservation-agriculture-to-conservation-practices> From www.tandfonline.com <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14735903.2020.1785734> - March 26, 3:42 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123946555/2021/03/26/adoption-by-adaptation-moving-from-conservation-agriculture-to-conservation-practices> Rodenburg, J., Buchi, L. & Haggar, J. 2020. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. 19 pages. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123946555/2021/03/26/adoption-by-adaptation-moving-from-conservation-agriculture-to-conservation-practices> https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2020.1785734 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This study reviewed the literature on benefits, trade-offs, adoption and adaptation of CA in sub-Saharan Africa. They show that benefits are inconsistent and there are trade-offs with crop residue use, weeds and insect pests, labour demands and short-term yield penalties despite CA improving soils and sustaining crop yields with generally low adoption in SSA. They suggest that adoption constraints include 1. the magnitude of transformation of management practices required by farmers moving to CA, 2. The multiple trade-offs associated with CA practices and 3. the incompatibility of CA practices to local conditions. They suggest focusing CA in Africa in places where it best fits and identifying and overcoming locally important trade-offs through adaptation and finding farm-specific optimal combinations in terms of feasibility and benefits. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123946555/2021/03/26/adoption-by-adaptation-moving-from-conservation-agriculture-to-conservation-practices> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123946555?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123946555?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123946555?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123946555> Black Plastic Tarps Advance Organic Reduced Tillage I: Impact on Soils, Weed Seed Survival, and Crop Residue <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123946466/2021/03/26/black-plastic-tarps-advance-organic-reduced-tillage-i-impact-on-soils-weed-seed-survival-and-crop-residue> From doi.org <https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14792-19> - March 26, 3:12 PM <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123946466/2021/03/26/black-plastic-tarps-advance-organic-reduced-tillage-i-impact-on-soils-weed-seed-survival-and-crop-residue> Rylander, H., Rangarajan, A., Maher, R.M., Hutton, M.G., McGraph, M.T. & Sexton, Z.F. 2020. HortScience. 55 (6) 819-825. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123946466/2021/03/26/black-plastic-tarps-advance-organic-reduced-tillage-i-impact-on-soils-weed-seed-survival-and-crop-residue> https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14792-19 *Cornell Conservation Agriculture Group (soilhealth.org)*'s insight: This paper was chosen to show CA is viable for organic vegetable systems. Organic vegetable farmers are often dependent on tillage to incorporate crop residue, control weeds, and prepare seedbeds. Black, impermeable, polyethylene tarps applied on the soil surface and removed at planting can help suppress weeds before planting and reduce farmers' reliance on tillage. This study investigated the effects of tarp use and tarp duration on the soil environment, surface cover crop residue, and weed suppression to assess the efficacy of using tarps to improve reduced- and no-till practices for organic vegetable production in the US. They conclude that using tarps facilitates reduced and zero-till vegetables by providing a nutrient-rich and moist soil environment free of emerged weeds before planting without soil disturbance. <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag/p/4123946466/2021/03/26/black-plastic-tarps-advance-organic-reduced-tillage-i-impact-on-soils-weed-seed-survival-and-crop-residue> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/twitter/4123946466?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/facebook/4123946466?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/share/post/linkedin/4123946466?forceAnonymous=1> <https://www.scoop.it/topic/conservation-agriculture-by-conservation-ag?rescoopPostId=4123946466> ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the CA-Cop-L list, click the following link: &*TICKET_URL(CA-Cop-L,SIGNOFF);