Types of agriculture agroecology broadly stated, it is the study of the role of agriculture in the world. Climatesmart agriculture training manual iv exercises exercise a. Oct 2007 somalia water and land information management ngecha road, lake view. Conservation agriculture and sustainable crop intensification. Conservation agriculture regional working group carwg, and is leading two thematic groups out of six. Conservation agriculture matching production with sustainability summary fao. Conservation agriculture also requires careful planning of crop rotations, new approaches to weed control and pest management, and range of other precision farming skills. Conservation agriculture ca can be defined by a statement given by the food and agricultural organization of the united nations as a concept for resourcesaving agricultural crop production that strives to achieve acceptable profits together with high and sustained production levels while concurrently conserving the environment fao 2007. Conservation agriculture, based on notill, the permanent cover of soil surface by crops and their harvest residues and crop rotation, is an efficient system to protect the soil against erosion and to improve som lal, 2015.
Climate resilient cropping systems are required to adapt to the increasing threats of climate change projected for southern africa and to better manage current climate variability. It explains what conservation agriculture is, and why it is important, how to use conservation agriculture principles in the field and highlights the issues and challenges that farmers and extension personnel may encounter when they adopt and adapt conservation. Conservation agriculture practices perused in many parts of the world are built on ecological principles making land use more sustainable wassmann et al. More recently, it has become widely promoted and adopted in latin america. Faofood and agriculture organization of the united nations, agriculture and consumer protection department, conservation agriculture. This section introduces a range of climatesmart agriculture csa practices and technologies within seven entry points for csa. Eds proceedings of the international workshop on conservation agriculture for sustainable land management to improve the livelihood of people in dry areas 79 may 2007. Conservation agriculture in central asia food and agriculture. Agriculture is the most important economic activity in many of the worlds poorest countries and most.
Impact on farmers livelihoods, labour, mechanization and equipment. The conservation agriculture manual goal to ensure participants understand conservation agriculture in the lusipgef project and appreciate opportunities and constraints that may come with the technology. Theodor friedrich and josef kienzle fao, viale delle terme di caracalla, 00153 rome, italyabstractconservation agriculture ca is defined as a concept for resourcesaving agricultural cropproduction that strives to achieve acceptable profits, high and sustained production levels. Fao in july 2011 as a policymakers guide to the sustainable intensification. Conservation agriculture and sustainable crop intensification in. Provides a background to conservation agriculture it explains what conservation agriculture is. Productivity and profitability of manual and mechanized. It is the study of the relation of agricultural crops and environment. Ministry of agriculture, mechanization and irrigation development, 2007.
Conservation agriculture ca climatesmart agriculture. It was prepared for the ebrd agribusiness team, under the faoebrd programme of cooperation. Conservation agriculture can be practised on different types of farms, with different combinations of crops and sources of power. Funded by the european union and implemented by the food and agriculture organization of the united nations. Farmers can adopt the principles of conservation agriculture with a minimum of investment on their farms. A manual for extension agriculture production systems based in conservation agriculture casi and others are being threaten by a massive introduction and colonization of exotic pests fao. Climate change in the planet, globalization and the moderns transport systems and. In africa, however, adoption rates by smallscale farmers has been slower and more context specific fao 2009 1. The manual serves as a guiding document for activities of the national cooperative soil survey ncss. Conservation agriculture food and agriculture organization of the.
Fao project on conservation agriculture in mongolia. Conservation agriculture ca can be defined by a statement given by the food and agriculture organization of the united nations as a concept for resourcesaving agricultural crop production that strives to achieve acceptable profits together with high and sustained production levels while concurrently conserving the environment fao 2007. Mechanization of conservation agriculture in zambia. Ifoam training manual on organic agriculture in the tropics. However, they may be reluctant to do so if they do not have clear rights to the land they cultivate. Key lessons from international experiences about conservation agriculture and considerations for its implementation in dry areas. Conservation agriculture aims to boost agricultural production by optimising the use of farm resources and helping to reduce widespread land degradation through the integrated management of available soil, water and biological resources combined with external inputs. Fao encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. The state of food and agriculture food and agriculture organization of the united nations rome, 2007 fao agriculture series no. Training guide for extension agents and farmers in eastern europe and. Gender in agriculture sourcebook the world bank, food and agriculture organization, and international fund for agricultural development. Conservation agriculture ca is defined as a sustainable agriculture production system comprising a set of farming practices adapted to the requirements of crops and local conditions of each region, whose farming and soil management techniques protect the soil from erosion and degradation, improve its quality and biodiversity, and contribute to the preservation of the natural resources, water. This is a comprehensive manual that explains in a step by step easy to follow manner on how to implement conservation agriculture. It is regarded as an approach to managing agroecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, increased profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource.
But around the world from the humid tropics almost to the arctic circle conservation agriculture or ca is being adopted by increasing numbers of farmers. Recognizing that farmers must realize tangible livelihood bene. Many african farmers cultivate by hand, using hoes. Conservation agriculture is a farming system that promotes minimum soil disturbance i. Conservation agriculture in india problems, prospects. It enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface, which contribute to increased water and nutrient use efficiency and to improved and sustained crop production.
Working draft draft june 2007 not for citation for more information, contact. About conservation agriculture ca is a set of soil management practices that minimize the disruption of the soils structure, composition and natural biodiversity. Conservation agriculture employs all modern technologies that enhance the quality and ecological integrity of the soil, but the application of these is. Conservation agriculture encyclopedia of life support. Conservation agriculture and food and agriculture organization of. Conservation agriculture ca was introduced in the 1930s as a soil conservation system to counter the dust bowl in the united states.
Conservation agriculture improves yield and reduces. The paper focuses on conservation agriculture ca, defined as minimal soil disturbance notill, nt and permanent soil cover mulch combined with rotations, as a more sustainable cultivation. Introduction to soil conservation measures infonet. Conservation agriculture ca can contribute to sustainable agriculture and rural development sard by improving input use ef. Conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture overview and key messages 171 6. Conservation agriculture ca is an alternative landuse system reconciling economic viability, social balance, soil fertility restoration, and environmental conservation as well as climate change. Conservation agriculture ca is a land management system that depends essentially on three principal practices. Fao in july 2011 as a policymakers guide to the sustainable intensification of smallholder. Tropical croplivestock systems in conservation agriculture. Food and agriculture organization of the united nations fao, is designed to produce more from the same area of land while at the same time fostering the conservation of natural resources, reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture and improving the flow of. About conservation agriculture conservation agriculture. Practices are understood broadly as ways of doing things, for example, precision farming, tillage, and fertilization. Training participants the eff ect of hard pans on the growth of plants.
International institute of rural reconstruction iirr. Evergreen agriculture involves the promotion of conservation agriculture ca and agroforestry af practices. Handbook for ox farmers and hand hoe farmers in agroecological regions i and iia, p 6. Conservation agriculture has already contributed to the sustainable intensification of agriculture in several developed and developing regions of the world by improving. Productivity and profitability of manual and mechanized conservation agriculture ca systems in eastern zambia volume 34 issue 5 w. The manual is based on the skills and experience of 90 farmers, extension personnel and scientists from 16. Adaptation to climate change in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. The production of the manuals was financed by fao and by the ebrd.
Early adoption of conservation agriculture practices. Lack of information as an obstacle to adopting conservation agriculture. Conservation agriculture is the integration of ecological management with modern, scientific, agricultural production. This manual aims to help africas farmers and extension workers understand the conservation agriculture approach and choose those technologies that best suit their situation. Again, in 2007, between 400,000 and 550,000 people were affected by food. Crop production intensification draws on the data collected by fao in. Pdf the role of conservation agriculture in sustainable. Conservation agriculture managing soil organic matter the key to air and water quality. Mechanization and conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification facasi project for providing valuable expertise, and to the australian center for international. Benefits of conservation agriculture enhance its crop productivity and farm profitabil. Maize planted into wheat straw crop rotation by direct planter minimal soil disturbance, without removing the previous crop residue permanent soil cover.
These farmers can practise conservation agriculture by. Conservation agriculture an overview sciencedirect topics. However, the concept of the six ps plan, prepare, plant, provide, protect. The first section of this manual introduces conservation agriculture in the context of trends in subsaharan and especially zimbabwean agricultural production and practices. A farmer shows the international conservation agriculture. Conservation agriculture improves yield and reduces weeding activity in sandy soils of cambodia don a. For a cropping system to be labelled climatesmart it has to deliver three benefits. Soil survey manual ssm the newly updated soil survey manual issued march 2017, usda handbook no. Adoption of ca for enhancing resource use efficiency rue and crop productivity is the need of the hour as a powerful tool for management of natural resources. Conservation agriculture ca has been proposed among technologies that are climatesmart. Conservation agriculture matching production with sustainability fao. Incorporating biodiversity into integrated assessments of trade policy in the agricultural sector volume ii. Conservation farming, productivity and climate change conservation farming unit cfu zambia.
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