Farmers’ perspectives as determinants for adoption of conservation agriculture practices in Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

Understanding the farmer's perspective has traditionally been critical to influencing the adoption and out-scaling of CA-based climate-resilient practices. The objective of this study was to investigate the biophysical, socio-economic, and technical constraints in the adoption of CA by farmers in the Western- and Eastern-IGP, i.e., Karnal, Haryana, and Samastipur, Bihar, respectively. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was administered to 50 households practicing CA in Western- and Eastern-IGP. Smallholder farmers (<2 ha of landholding) in Karnal are 10% and Samastipur 66%. About 46% and 8% of households test soil periodically in Karnal and Samastipur, respectively. Results of PCA suggest economic profitability and soil health as core components from the farmer's motivational perspective in Karnal and Samastipur, respectively. Promotion and scaling up of CA technologies should be targeted per site-specific requirements, emphasizing biophysical resource availability, socio-economic constraints, and future impacts of such technology

Can agroecological transition of intensive cereal system of Indo-Gangetic plains deliver sustainable and nutritious food?

As of Jan. 18, 2023 this article is listed as a pre-print and as such has not been peer reviewed.Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) of South Asia have supported bulk of human and bovine population in the region since ages, and a spectacular progress has been made here on food production. However, this cereal-system-dominated region still suffers with challenges of malnourishment, declining total factor productivity and natural resource degradation with potential threats of climate change. Addressing these challenges would require a transition towards agroecological cropping systems. A study was, therefore, conducted on crop diversification and sustainable intensification options using agro-ecological approaches such as Conservation Agriculture (CA) to ensure food and nutritional security while sustaining the natural resources. On 2 years mean basis, CA-based cropping system management scenarios (mean of Sc2-Sc7) using diversified rotations; increased the system yield by 15.4%, net return by 28.7%, protein yield by 29.7%while using 53.0% less irrigation water compared to conventional tillage (CT)-based rice-wheat system (Sc1). Maize-mustard-mungbean on permanent beds (Sc4) recorded the highest productivity (+40.7%), profitability (+60.1%), and saved 81.8% of irrigation water compared to Sc1 (11.8 Mg ha-1; 2190 USD ha-1; 2514 mm ha-1). It was closely followed by Sc5 (32.3, 57.4, 413.8, 75.5%) i.e. maize-wheat-mungbean on permanent beds. In terms of nutritional value, Sc5 was more balanced than other scenarios, and produced 43.8, 27.5 and 259.8% higher protein, carbohydrate and fat yields, respectively, compared to Sc1 (0.93, 8.55 and 0.14 Mg ha-1). Scenario 5 was able to meet the nutrient demand of 19, 23 and 32 more persons ha-1 year-1 with respect to protein, carbohydrate and fat demand, respectively, compared to Sc1 (44, 86 and 13 persons ha-1 year-1).However, the highest protein and fat yield and their adult equivalents was associated with Sc6 (soybean based) and Sc4 (maize based), respectively. Soybean based system (Sc6) was economically more efficient with respect to nutrients than other systems. Mungbean integration improved the system productivity by 17.2 % and profitability by 32.1%, while improving the irrigation water productivity by three times compared to CT-based systems. In western IGP, CA-based maize-wheat-mungbean system was the most productive, profitable and nutritionally rich and efficient system compared to other systems. Therefore, CA- based crop diversification is an option to ensure quality and nutritious food for the dwelling communities in the region

Scalable diversification options delivers sustainable and nutritious food in Indo-Gangetic plains

Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) of South Asia have supported bulk of human and bovine population in the region since ages, and a spectacular progress has been made in food production. However, malnutrition, diminishing total factor productivity, and natural resource degradation continue to plague this cereal-dominated region, which is also vulnerable to climate change. Addressing these challenges would require a transition towards diversifying cereal rotations with agroecological cropping systems. A study was, therefore, conducted at the experimental farm of ICAR-CSSRI, Karnal on crop diversification and sustainable intensification options using agro-ecological approaches such as Conservation Agriculture (CA) and diversified cropping systems to ensure food and nutritional security while sustaining the natural resources. On 2 years mean basis, CA-based cropping system management scenarios (mean of Sc2–Sc7) using diversified crop rotations; increased the system yield by 15.4%, net return by 28.7%, protein yield by 29.7%, while using 53.0% less irrigation water compared to conventional tillage (CT)-based rice–wheat system (Sc1). Maize-mustard-mungbean on permanent beds (PBs) (Sc4) recorded the highest productivity (+ 40.7%), profitability (+ 60.1%), and saved 81.8% irrigation water compared to Sc1 (11.8 Mg ha−1; 2190 USD ha−1; 2514 mm ha−1). Similarly, Sc5 (maize-wheat-mungbean on PBs) improved productivity (+ 32.2%), profitability (+ 57.4%) and saved irrigation water (75.5%) compared to Sc1. In terms of nutritional value, Sc5 was more balanced than other scenarios, and produced 43.8, 27.5 and 259.8% higher protein, carbohydrate and fat yields, respectively, compared to Sc1 (0.93, 8.55 and 0.14 Mg ha−1). Scenario 5 was able to meet the nutrient demand of 19, 23 and 32 additional persons ha−1 year−1 with respect to protein, carbohydrate and fat, respectively, compared to Sc1. The highest protein water productivity (~ 0.31 kg protein m−3 water) was recorded with CA-based soybean-wheat-mungbean (Sc6) system followed by maize-mustard-mungbean on PBs (Sc4) system (~ 0.29 kg protein m−3) and lowest under Sc1. Integration of short duration legume (mungbean) improved the system productivity by 17.2% and profitability by 32.1%, while triple gains in irrigation water productivity compared to CT-based systems. In western IGP, maize-wheat-mungbean on PBs was found most productive, profitable and nutritionally rich and efficient system compared to other systems. Therefore, diversification of water intensive cereal rotations with inclusion of legumes and CA-based management optimization can be potential option to ensure nutritious food for the dwelling communities and sustainability of natural resources in the region

Diverse and healthy cropping systems trial protocol

On-Farm Research Trials are part of TAFSSA’s Work Package 2 (WP2) activities. WP2 emphasizes farm-and landscape-level interdisciplinary research to identify strategies to increase farmers’ profits and nutritional yields, conserve resources, and maintain or enhance ecological services, while also mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from farms and agricultural landscapes. Going beyond typical agriculture-nutrition programs in South Asia, we explore field-and landscape-scale crop and animal farm diversification options supporting multiple benefits, including potential nutritional yield, across environmental and socioeconomic gradients of rice and maize-based farming systems. ICAR-CSSRI (Central Soil Salinity Research Institute) Karnal of Haryana in the northwest Indo-Gangetic Plains of India has been selected as basic research and learning site based on key information on food and nutrition security gaps, environmental stresses, air pollution due to residue burning, groundwater exploitation and climate challenges as well as the prevalence of commodities and farming systems that offer the greatest potential to achieve TAFSSA’s outcomes

The optimization of conservation agriculture practices requires attention to location-specific performance: Evidence from large scale gridded simulations across South Asia

The ways in which farmers implement conservation agricultural (CA) practices – which entail reduced tillage, maintenance of soil cover, and crop rotations – varies considerably in different environments, farming systems, and by the intensity with which farmers administer management practices. Such variability requires an efficient tool to evaluate the cost-benefit of CA, to inform agricultural policymakers and development priorities to facilitate expanded use of CA under appropriate circumstances. Rice-wheat rotation is the principal production system in South Asia (SA). Research has shown that CA can be promising in this rotation because of improved irrigated water, energy, and labor use efficiencies, in addition to the reduction in atmospheric pollution and potentially long term improvements in soil quality. Yield responses to CA are however varying across studies and regions. With a nine-year rice-wheat CA experiment in Eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia, this study parameterizes the Environmental Policy Climate (EPIC) model to simulate five CA and conventional managements on the RW cropping system. Information from geospatial datasets and farm surveys were used to parameterize the model at the regional scale, increasing the management flexibility and range of localities in the simulation. Yield potential of the CAs in the whole SA was thereby explored by utilizing the model with various management strategies. Our results demonstrate how geospatial and survey data, along with calibration by a long-term experiment, can supplement a regional simulation to increase the model's ability to capture yield patterns. Yield gains from CA are widespread but generally low under current management regimes, with varied yield responses among CAs and environments. Conversely, CA has considerable potential in SA to increase rice-wheat productivity by up to 38%. Our results highlight the importance of applying an adaptive definition of CA, depending on environmental circumstances, while also building the capacity of farmers interested in CA to apply optimal management practices appropriate for their environment

Diverse and healthy cropping systems trial protocol

On-Farm Research Trials are part of TAFSSA’s Work Package 2 (WP2) activities. WP2 emphasizes farm-and landscape-level interdisciplinary research to identify strategies to increase farmers’ profits and nutritional yields, conserve resources, and maintain or enhance ecological services, while also mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from farms and agricultural landscapes. Going beyond typical agriculture-nutrition programs in South Asia we explore field-and landscape-scale crop and animal farm diversification options supporting multiple benefits, including potential nutritional yield, across environmental and socioeconomic gradients of rice and maize-based farming systems. Nalanda district of Bihar in eastern India has been selected as a learning site based on key information on food and nutrition security gaps, environmental stresses and climate challenges as well as the prevalence of commodities and farming systems that offer the greatest potential to achieve TAFSSA’s outcomes

A Compendium of Key Climate Smart Agriculture Practices in Intensive Cereal Based Systems of South Asia

CSA initially proposed by FAO in 2010 at “The Hague Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (CC)”, to address the need for a strategy to manage agriculture and food systems, under climate change. The CSA by its original proponents describes the three objectives; i) sustainably increasing agricultural productivity to support equitable increases in incomes, food security and development; ii) adapting and building resilience to climate change from the farm to national levels; and iii) developing opportunities to reduce GHG emissions from agriculture compared with past trends. Since then, these three objectives (in short food security, adaptation and mitigation) are designated as the three “pillars” (or criteria) of CSA within the agricultural science and development communities. Climate Smart (Sustainable Management of Agricultural Resources and Techniques) Agriculture is an approach of crop production, which deals with the management of available agricultural resources with latest management practices and farm machinery, under a particular set of edaphic and environmental conditions. It works to enhance the achievement of national food security and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). CSA is location specific and tailored to fit the agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions of a location. CSA may be defined as “agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes greenhouse gases (mitigation), and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals.” Therefore, if CSA implemented at right time with required resources, techniques and knowledge in a particular typological domain, will lead towards food security while improving adaptive capacity and mitigating potential for sustainable agriculture production

Carbon sustainability and productivity of maize based cropping system under conservation agriculture practices in Indo-Gangetic plains

Tillage practices contribute greatly to the labour cost in modern intensive agriculture in any crop production system resulting in lower economic returns, especially in developing countries where there is most concern for sustainable production without degradation of the natural resource base (Jat et al., 2008). The traditional practice of growing these crops has limitations such as inconvenient input management when sown by broadcasting: improper plant geometry; uneven plant population resulting in inefficient utilization of space; and plant competition leading to low productivity and input efficiency. Shortage of water, labour and energy resources, together with inappropriate crop management practices and the adverse effects of conventional tillage on the carbon based sustainability index, as well as declining profit margins, are forcing farmers of Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) to switch over to conservation agriculture practices. Conservation agriculture with diversified maize-based cropping systems by inclusion of legume crops in sequence helps to overcome the major challenges viz. declining factor productivity and deterioration of the resource base, and also plays a vital role in sustainable agricultural production. Adoption of no-till practice helps in timely seeding of either of the crops, and hence leads to increase in productivity of different maize-based cropping systems. In the present study four cropping system were evaluated under three different tillage and crop establishment practices to assess the system productivity, carbon inputs and outputs and carbon based sustainability index. The study aims to develop conservation agriculture practices to increase the sustainability of the maize-based cropping systems in the IGP

Conservation agriculture in cereal systems of South Asia: effect on crop productivity and carbon-based sustainability index

Maize, wheat and rice, the major cereals grown as monoculture or in sequence, contribute the bulk of food and incomes in rural regions of South Asia. The large increases in food production are one of the greatest achievements of the second half of the 20th century, but sustaining these gains is a major challenge. Inappropriate management practices and intensive cropping in the past have led to the twin challenges of resource depletion and decelerating productivity growth of cereal crops. The efficiency and sustainability of a production system depends on system-based management optimization of crop yields, economic benefits, and environmental impacts. The long term sustainability of a cropping system depends on its carbon inputs, outputs and carbon use efficiency which indicate long-term sustainability in terms of yield, environment and ecology. Similarly, efficient utilization of carbon-based resources mitigates the increasing level of CO2 in the environment. Most of the indices used by researchers in the past to evaluate the sustainability of any cropping systems have been based on economic yield or yield sustainability, without giving due emphasis to environmental issues. In this study, three major cereal systems (rice-wheat, rice-maize and maize-wheat) were evaluated under conservation agriculture practices and compared with conventional tillage in terms of yield, carbon (C) inputs and outputs, and a carbon based sustainability index