Agriculture

CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE-WAY TO PROSPERITY

Ali Ahsan Bajwa

Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.38040, Pakistan

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Agriculture is mainstay of a large population across the globe. Global food security and ecosystem integrity demands the sustainability and longevity of productive agricultural systems. Abrupt changes in weather situations, unpredictable and unpredicted rather under-predicted fluctuations in climate imparting enormous pressure on today?s farmer. Global warming, abiotic stresses, environmental pollution, urbanization, industrialization and population bloom are negatively effecting the crop production. It is turning into a serious conundrum and requires immediate attention. Scientists are working their best to resolve this issue. Modern research has led us to the conclusion that it is matter of time and management. Sustainable crop production under changing climates needs special management practices and technologies. It is evident that vicinity to nature provides more diversity and durability. Conservation agriculture (CA) is a vital approach that offers quality food production through resource conservation approaches being close to natural ecosystems. It aims to produce maximum yield by utilizing minimum inputs and by disturbing the natural environment least. It is such a sustainable form of agriculture that addresses all the bad impacts prevailing at times related to productivity and environment.

CA has come up as a complete technology with multi-benefits. Soil health and productivity have substantial impact on crop growth and production. Minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, judicious crop rotations and integrated weed management are golden principles of CA. As a matter of fact increasing population at alarming rates demands high production of grains, legumes and vegetables. To provide this much amount intensive cultivation of soil, heavy use of synthetic agro-chemicals, monocropping, frequent flooding of fields and elevated use of mechanization is inevitable. All these practices degrade soil, water and air. But CA offers a wise package of techniques based on minimum alterations in natural conditions of soil and other media. It is logical to extract the nutrients and soil power slowly by rotating crops in such a manner so that exhaustive crops followed by restorative ones. Moreover, a fallow period is fixed in cropping schemes which allows soil to retain its moisture, to improve its fertility, to avoid erosion and to control weeds. Improvement of soil physical, chemical and biological attributes through conservation tillage practices (CTP) certainly enhance productivity. Soil productivity ensures better crop growth and production. CA is a perfect approach aggrandizes the soil and crop properties. Through its pragmatic role in agriculture food security and food safety can be ensured simultaneously.

Adoption of CA is increasing in modern world. Developed nations have adopted it at larger scale. The reason behind its wide scale adoption in relatively developed countries is that they have large productive land. People use to grow crops in a specific manner keeping appropriate crop-free restoration periods. Monocropping is discouraged to maintain the biodiversity in terms of soil micro flora and micro fauna as well as crops. It facilitates the nutrient cycling, acquisition, uptake and transformations from soil regimes. It helps to acquire maximum (NUE). The regulation of water status is also improved. Better structural development of soil layers improve water relations and thus water use efficiency (WUE). Plant canopies are well developed in case of soil tilled in conservation manners. Improved aerial and soil conditions produce excellent bases for crop growth resulting in maximum conservation and yields.

Yield under CA, is a debatable issue as many of staunch critics provide relatively lesser yields as proof of its failure. CA follows natural conditions due to which weed flora is more diverse in initial years but once it has been properly managed, can easily be controlled. High weed infestation may cause severe competition with crops to reduce yields. Researchers are trying to sort out this problem through herbicide resistant crops, intercropping, rotations and manual weed management tools. It will help to maximize the yield levels avoiding weed problems. But one thing is must for sure, that we will be saving a lot of energy, environment and money. The profitability is always more in case of CA as compared to traditional tillage (TT) or intensive farming (IF). In my opinion as agrarian, it is wise to produce a little less saving environment rather than achieving maximum by deteriorating resources of our future generation.

In crux, CA is a suitable, feasible, profitable and off course doable technology. It is sustained way to use our depleting resources protecting the degrading surroundings. For time being it may be hard to move from conventional agriculture towards CA. But ultimately we have to go for this pragmatic approach to affirm the foundations of our agro-ecosystems. A paradigm shift is required to change the fate of our coming generations; to provide them healthy soils, good air, lush green fields and fresh waters. It is only possible when we consider our soils and plant communities as living entities. A brave initiative in this regard is need of the hour especially from people in rule and progressive farming community. Sound strategic planning, long-term policy making and fair implementation can lead us to a luminous future of agriculture. We will be able to conserve huge resources to fill many mouths which are empty at the moment and many more which are still to come. Choice was and still is ours but will not be any more if criminal negligence will prevail.

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Agriculture