A brief overview of conservation agriculture and ecological intensification on agroecosystem

1. &सुरक्षित जीवनको लाक्षि जैक्षवक क्षवक्षवधता

2. Sustainable Intensification of
biodiversity in agroecosystem through
conservation agriculture
Subodh Khanal
Asst. Professor
Paklihawa Campus
Institute of
Agriculture and
Animal Science
World Environment day
2020
5th June, 2020
“ Biodiversity”

3. What is conservation?
• resource for present and future
generation
• Deep rooted in Nepalese society
traditionally.
• Above all, conservation is action.
• To be a conserver is to put your
values into action.

6. 1. Extra CO2 emission in atmosphere

7. 2. Land degradation
3. Soil organic matter
reduction
4. Soil contamination

8. 5. Soil compaction
6. Less storage of
water
7. Decline in soil
biodiversity

9. So what is conservation agriculture???
• CHANGE IN PRADISM SHIFT IN
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
• Represents change in
philosophy towards the land
“do not beat the land into
submission, rather work in
harmony with it”

11. If not practiced sustainably, agriculture can have a toll on the environment, produce greenhouse gases and
contribute to climate change.

12. Components of conservation agriculture
• Insitu management of crop residues
• Engineering measures
Contour bunding
Graded bunding
Terracing
• Adoption of micro irrigation system
• Mulching
• Tillage
• Interated nutrient management
• Das et al., 2009

13. • Zero tillage is the
cornerstone of CA
• Reduce surface soil
temperature
• carbon sink
• Soil aggregation

16. “Collaboration
has no
hierarchy. The
Sun
collaborates
with soil to
bring flowers
on the earth.”

17. …taking advantage of macroporosity
Zero tillage increases water infiltration

18. Field soil measurement
ConventionalZero till
35% more infiltration

19. (%)
Realizing sustainable agricultural mechanisation
Tillage type
Water
infiltration
(mm/minute)
Ground cover
No-till 2.7 48
Chisel Plow 1.3 27
Moldboard plow 0.8 12
Tillage effects on water infiltration and ground cover

21. Promotes biological
activity leading to
increased humus
 Aggregation
 Porosity
 Infiltration
 Water holding
capacity
 Better root
penetration
Cushions temperature
changes
Less weed pressure

23. -
 Soil cover by crop residues (dead
plant matter) or imported mulch
 Soil cover by cover crops
 Soil cover by living plants –
synchronized for all year round
production
Maintenance of soil cover……the important principle?

24. Soil cover by crops
Imported cover
Intercropped cover

25. In drylands the more soil cover, the more water
infiltration and the less soil and water loss

33. Rotations and Associations

34. Basis
1.
of a good rotation is
With differing ability to
nutrients (e.g. from deeper to top soil layers)
With different susceptibility to specific diseases
Based on considerations of beneficial or
detrimental effects of crop on following crop
2.
3.
4. Different peak requirements for
labour and water
inputs such as
Realizing sustainable agricultural mechanisation
Principle of crop rotation

35. Rotational schemes for annual crops T

36. Crop mixtures: for weed suppression

37. Improved nutrient
recycling
Integrated
holistic approach
Management
!
Improved
water
harvesting and
retention
Net
accumulation
of Soil Organic
matter
Realizing sustainable agricultural mechanisation
No soil
disturbance
RotationsCover crop

38. More roots…

39. Economic benefits
• Time saving and
labor reduction
• Reduced cost
• Higher efficiency
Agronomic benefits
• Increase in OM
• Soil water conservation
• Soil structure
• Rooting and nutrient
retention
• Lower weeds and pest
problem
Environmental benefits
• Low soil erosion
• Improvement of water
quality
• Biodiversity increases
• Carbon sequestration

40. In the long run……………………..
• Soil conservation with improved soil health
• Higher rainwater use efficiency
• Climate change mitigation

43. Complex interaction: land users and their en

48. Our context

49. The focus!!!

50. How ecological intensification?

51. Cannot change overnight!!!!!

52. Requires

53. The functional traits of soil organisms

54. Amplifying biogeochemical cycles
• By minimizing the loss of nutrients (leaching, erosion)
• By recycling the nutrients from deep soil profile (deep rooting
species)
• By increasing microbial activities
BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITY OF
SOIL IS
RESTORED

58. Example

64. Green: +ve, Red (-ve) , yellow (unknown, likely –ve) , blue( unknown, likely +ve)

65. Sweet pepper
CA is applicable to virtually all crops
Cucumber Onions
CassavaTomato
Realizing sustainable
Squash
agricultural mechanisation

66. And all ecological regions
• Slopes
• Wet and dry areas
• Rainfed and irrigation system

67. Challenges
• Change in mindset and exploring opportunities
• Crop residues as livestock feed and fuel
• burning of crop residues
• Lack of knowledge about CA
• Soil compaction at initial stage might be a problem
• Knowledge intensive
• More complex
• Farming as a business
• Inconsistencies in government policy support

68. Potentiality of conservation agriculture in
Nepal
• Precision land leveling, no-till systems, furrow irrigated raised bed planting systems, crop residue
management and crop diversification are potential areas of CA in Terai and plain areas of Nepal.
• Similarly, no-till, residue incorporation, strip cropping, intercropping and crop rotation with legume
species, introduction of high yielding varieties of crops are few of the potential technologies to be
tested, verified and promoted in the hills.
• In order to minimize the cost of intercultural operation especially for weeding and minimize the
intensity of nutrient mining, integrated weed management strategy consisting of mechanical,
manual, herbicide, cover crops, trap crops can be adopted in both hills and Terai.
• Multicrop, zero-till ferti-seed drills fitted with inverted-T openers, disk planters, punch planters, trash
movers or roto-disk openers are being used into loose residues in Terai.
• Laser land leveling machines are also being used in these areas.
• Mini-power tiller along with fitted seed drill, punch and jab planter having drill for both seed and
fertilizer, weed mower and chopper are some of the tools and implements that require less labor
and fuels appropriate for the hills.

69. Source
• https://www.cimmyt.org/news/what-is-conservation-agriculture/
• https://medcraveonline.com/APAR/conservation-agriculture-significance-
challenges-and-opportunities-in-nepal.html
• http://www.un-csam.org/Activities%20Files/A0710/02050.pdf
• Slides from Peter Kuria, Slideshare.net
• http://www.fao.org/3/i7154en/i7154en.pdf
• https://www.slideshare.net/FAOoftheUN/enhancing-the-roles-of-
ecosystem-services-in-agriculture-agroecological-principles
• https://www.slideshare.net/agroforestry/agro-ecological-intensification-in-
the-highlands-of-eastern-africa-options-and-trajectories

70. THANK YOU !!!!!