*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>
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<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>
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<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>
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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>
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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>
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<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>
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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>
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<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>

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