Welcome students to my lecture number 53,
in fact after discussing with you about the
implements at various aspects of testing etcetera.
I have come for what to give you some idea
about Conservation Agriculture.
Now, this conservation agriculture is very
important so far as machines are concerned,
because what we are interested in we would
like that the, with minimum cost we should
be in a position to produce maximum that is
the aim.
So, in this conservation agriculture, what
do you mean what we want to conserve this
is what is important.
So, let us go through the few slides which
I have got for you and the considerations
which we do when we are talking of conservation
agriculture.
So, agriculture production and sustainability
concerns, what are the agricultural production
and sustainability concerns, this is very
important.
We would like to maintain the soil health,
because if the soil health is not good definitely
nothing will come out of that.
What are the water resources that we have
we must conserve our water resources, we must
see that the water resources are full with
water when we require.
Then agro climatic environment, what is the
environment at some point or the time the
environment has an effect.
And today with all sorts of global warming
and lot of noxious gases being produced, because
of the vehicles etcetera, the whole environment
is very much affected.
So, this also affects our agro production
and the farm size.
Now, I have put farm size particularly here
with respect to agriculture production and
sustainability concerns.
Well, farm size does not come so much but
I have particular reported here, because this
also plays a role.
If you have a small farm, then what sort of
considerations you would need.
And if you have a large farm, then what are
the considerations you need and that is why
I felt relevant that this must also be put
in the sustainability concerns.
What are the threat to the natural resources,
what may happen, see land degradation has
taken place over the period of time.
We I need not elaborate much, but I can just
show you that see 5 billion tonnes of soil
and 6 million tonnes of nutrient loss is reported
every year.
Now, see what happens, because of the various
degradation methods, various methods which
people are using for various aspects of infrastructure
creation or for roads various kinds various
things has happened.
We would like to get this soil move from one
location to another location.
And maybe application of the chemicals over
the period, so much of the several billion
tonnes and of material has been spoilt.
Protection of the crop top soil especially
in rain fed area is most crucial yes.
We want to protect, because the crop is going
to grow within the top soil.
And we must see that that crop that the top
portions, top soil is congenial for growth
which is important.
So, this while we consider the land gradation
degradation what is our concern with respect
to the soil health is the top soil, especially
in rain fed areas, where when there is rain
there is water if there is no rain, there
is no water.
So, though there where there is no source
of irrigation, and we have to be careful about
this.
Conventional practices what we are doing as
I said we are degrading the land, what we
are doing excessive soil tillage we have been
doing so far we have been doing excessive
soil tillage.
And this is what is shown here that the tillage
is excessive so far we have been doing.
And then runoff with these runoff losses soil,
erosion and nutrient leaching this is going
to happen.
Then straw burning this is a big concern in
our country here, where loss of microorganisms
the environment is totally polluted.
And this is very very big concern in our country,
you might have read in papers and then several
aspects.
The whole government machinery is behind this
in the particularly in the Delhi and NCR and
Haryana and all the areas lot of this is going
on.
Not only that area, but that is very high
in those areas, because of which the whole
environment is getting affected, and lot of
people are getting affected.
So, the adverse consequences of on farm burying
of this crop are in fact, here emission of
methane, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide oxides
of nitrogen and sulphur.
Now, these are all there and these are very
harmful to human being, human beings and all
sorts of living creature.
So, it is very important that we need to have
a check on this land degradation, which we
are doing over the period for our different
activities, what have we have done.
So, what exactly we mean by conservation agriculture
I have given a small definition of this over
here.
I would like to just read for you.
Conservation agriculture is a system of integrated
management of what the soil water and biological
resources combined with external inputs with
a view to conserve natural resources.
So, what exactly we are doing the soil water
and biological resources need to be maintained.
And then only you are talking of the conservation
agriculture.
Whatever you are doing you must produce at
the same time maintain these in good health
so that you have sustainability of production
over a period of time that is the main concern.
It is satured be is crop production that is
strives to achieve acceptable profits together
with high and sustained production that is
the important part as I said, yes this is
what we want that while we take care of these.
If you take care of these parameters, the
soil water and biological resources, if we
take care of them properly, and then do cultivation
and minimise inputs and maximize target maximum
production.
So, that the sustainability of the produce
out of that land remains over a long period
of time as far as possible that is the main
aim and that is what is known as conservation
agriculture.
So, if we put this in this particular farm
that we have put here conservation agriculture
of the centre means the continuous cover residues
or cover of the crop, then plant diversity
or crop rotation we need to look into this
the minimum soil disturbance.
So, you do take care the soil health over
here.
It take the plant diversity, so that the crop,
but use the proper crop rotation, then cut
the residues crop residue is what you have
should be properly taken care of so that they
conserve the moisture.
So, you reduce on the water requirement.
And then use the moisture which is available
after the one of the crops is harvested.
Benefits of conservation agriculture, where
as I said in fact, if you add all these are
all benefits, if you are going to talk about
the soil, if you are going to talk about the
crop rotation that you should take, and the
moisture which you want to conserve through
the crop residue which you have got; all these
are going to give you benefits in terms of
erosion of the soil erosion will be controlled.
Then weeds will be minimum, then the moisture
will be remain for a longer period of time,
then crop we will definitely increase we find
that about 46 percent crop increases.
Environment as such the total environment,
where along with the crop you are also going
to stay we are all going to stay in the environment
so that environment is also protected.
And crop diversity opportunities we should
think of crop diversification opportunities,
where we should think of multi cropping we
should think of different crop rotations,
we should think of inter cropping and in such
a way that the soil health is maintained.
For example, if you take leguminous crop,
then nitrogen fixation takes place and that
is very essential for the next crop, if you
take, so you can save form the nitrogen when
you apply next time so that is very important.
Therefore, these are extreme benefits of conservation
agriculture if you talk of the maintaining
of, the all these parameters over a period
of time.
Conservation tillage well I told earlier that
we are doing lot of tillage.
So, conservation tillage is important that
means I would say that you should do minimum
tillage you should do no tillage.
In fact, you should try to see the amount
of tillage which is just required for that.
So, these the concept which says when to that
the 30 percent soil cover by residue planting,
now we need to know that how much is the actual
amount required for the tillage and that should
be done.
If you if you just go on tilling the land
just like that each time, then you are increasing
your tillage energy at the same time you are
also damaging the soil.
So, the important thing is ploughing and soil
turnover from conventional tillage are major
concern for CO2 emissions, now is very important.
Soil turnover and conventional tillage are
major reasons for CO2 emissions.
Now, we have to check on these aspects.
Conservation can be achieved by then what
we do, how do we achieve soil conservation
or the conservation agriculture what exactly
means is soil conservation till no more than
necessary as I said.
Till the only when soil moisture is in a favourable
limit, and then vary the depth of tillage
to overcome compaction.
So, it should not very highly compacted how
create problem for germination of the crop.
So, this is very important, when you are talking
of conservation agriculture the conservation
tillage first aspect.
Mechanization strategy in conservation agriculture;
well here I just like to tell you that I have
been biased towards mechanization as such,
because when we are talking of maintaining
of the soil health, and also talking of not
disturbing the environment.
We what is that which is disturbing the environment
what is that which is disturbing the soil
health.
It is the equipment which will it is the operations
which we do.
Once the crop has come we are going to weed
the crop and then harvest the crop and crop
and keep it here, but what is that which happens
before that it is the tilling of the land,
what sort of tilling you should do, what sort
of equipment is reduced, what should be the
design of that equipment so that is why it
is becomes very imperative that mechanization
strategy must be very clear and concrete in
conservation agriculture.
We must have an idea about which machine to
use and when.
So, this is what is given as I said that we
would like to say paddy is harvested.
Then immediately after that there is proper
enough moisture in the soil and at that time
if you simply open a slit and put the seeds
of wheat, it will simply grow so that is what
is say that we should have a machine.
Now, here is a machine which does this job
zero seed comfort it has a drill here.
It is the one which is very effective and
very widely used.
Similarly, another equipment of similar type
which is there which cuts, the any cuts the
front certain portion of the small stubbles
which are there.
And then seeds, so these are some of the very
popular equipment, which are used for conservation
agriculture.
Minimum tillage this is what I think we have
been talking of this time and again, because
minimum tillage tilling of the soil and seeding
planting a performance single operation, when
we are talking of minimum tillage, we are
talking of no tillage, when we are talking
of zero tillage, where we are talking of roto
till drill, when we talking of slit till drill,
now these are all the equipment which are
helping us in doing what zero tillage virtually
so that the tilling of soil and seeding planting
and perform in the single operation in minimum
tillage.
The minimum tillage practices may progress
from reducing the number of tillage passes
to stop tillage virtually.
So, have minimum process as I said that you
have to so the other equipment which are available
you can say roto till drill, if the say rotovator
here in the front which will cut the stubbles
which are there.
And then the for a openers are there through
which you can sow the seed or fertilizer both.
Similarly here you can see that this slit
is there by slit is created by these, and
this one will try to smother the small stubbles
which are there, and then you can sow the
seed through seed and fertilizer.
Hopper is here and you have the same seed
fertilizer system which you can see separately.
So, these are the some of the equipment which
are used for minimum tillage these are all
towards minimum disturbance to the soil and
no degradation of the soil, but maintain the
health of the soil that is important.
Mulch tillage well as I told you that you
would like to do some sort of mulching sometimes
when a stable mulch sometimes with the stubbles
which are cut there we would like to keep
them for some time and conserve the moisture,
so that is what it is written here.
So, mulch tillage is nothing which stubble
mulch tillage involves cutting the roots of
the weeds and other plants and leaving the
crop the crop residue on the surface and mixed
into crop top few centimetres of the soil.
This is the portion which is then you can
say that you can mulching mulch tillage if
you maintain there.
Chief objective of mulching tillage are to
reduce wind and water erosion very important
this to conserve water reducing runoff.
So, this will help the mulch tillage will
help you to conserve on the erosion of the
soil because of the wind or because of the
water etcetera.
And this practice is widely accepted in the
great plains and arid and semi arid regions
this mulch tillage in where particular in
dry areas, areas, dry regions where they are
only dependent on the only dependent on the
aspect of rainwater.
So, these are important.
You can see one photograph which is given
over here it talks of the mulching which is
given in this particular crop and you can
see this once where the mulching is maintained.
So, mulch tillage is also a practice which
is important for conservation agriculture.
Furrow irrigated raised bed farming system,
yes, this is another thing because furrow
irrigation is done and raised bed farming
system when we do this we have the equipment
here and through this equipment in fact, we
are in a position to do.
Now, some the other equipment for residue
management, now this is another equipment
for residue management.
So, a stubble shaver you can you can have
a look at this.
You can see that this is going to maintain
stubble here.
Similarly, this another equipment which is
for rotary slasher.
Now, these stubble shavers, rotary slasher,
these are going to actually for residue management
what reason do are have left.
They will say for example, if you operate
this will cut they into a very carpet sort
of thing and very small size reduction of
the grasses or weeds which will be there.
And they will be left over there, so that
we also you can say conserve the moisture
of the soil which is there.
So, this equipment are also used and known
as residue management equipment which are
there.
Carbon sequestration, now what exactly we
mean by this.
Actually well we are talking of these sink
of carbon from the atmosphere to either plants
or into the soil this is what we are trying
to do.
The sink of carbon from the atmosphere we
want to take and to mix with either plants
or into the soil of from atmosphere to the
soil is called carbon sequestration.
Now, this is what we are looking trying to
do.
Now, what we do by this the largest contribution
to mitigate climate change with the conservation
agriculture could be obtained from carbon
sequestration and storage of atmospheric carbon
in the soil.
Yes, how do we do that?
So, this is an aspect which is very important
and we must try to do this on an average 0.1
to 0.5 tons per hectare per year of organic
carbon can be captured under humid temperature
conditions from the atmosphere.
So, this is one important thing which must
be looked into when you are talking of conservation
agriculture.
So, you must employ the methods and mechanisms
by which you should be in a position to conserve
the carbon or get the carbon of the atmosphere
and get into your soil.
This is very important.
What are the benefits of this in fact, what
are the benefits of this carbon sequestration.
Now, the benefits could be maximum because,
what we want is you are interested in having
the details the carbon more and more inside
the soil.
So, agricultural carbon sequestration maybe
one of the most cost effective way to slow
process of global warming, very important.
Global warming increasing of soil carbon storage
can increase in filtration rate fertility
and nutrients of the soil.
Yes, we will be able to increase the nutrition
quality of the soil then decrease wind and
water erosion this is what we want to.
Minimise the compaction of the soil yes we
would like to minimise the compaction because
harder and harder the soil becomes it will
be difficult to sow the seeds and we will
have to do the tillage.
So, the compaction level must be the extent
that we can control this then decrease the
well.
The minimise compaction enhance water quality,
we should try to see that the quality of water
which is being used is a good quality water.
Decrease the carbon emissions which are there
as much as possible we should be trying do
this then impede pesticide movement and enhance
environmental quality.
Now, these are the things which we need to
do or we do it for the benefits of carbon
for you can see that conservation agriculture.
So, as such if we look into what conservation
agriculture is we can see that we want that
maximum moisture of the soil must maintained.
We must maintain the soil health, we must
maintain the nutrients which are there in
the soil.
These are important because until less you
maintain this properly, you are not going
to get a good crop and for that what should
you do.
So, you should in fact as we have seen that
we are going to disturb the soil.
The degradation of soil has taken place a
lot and this degradation must be care must
be looked into must be taken care of.
And for that what are the equipment so we
have talked of the various equipment that
they are there, and what are the designs and
types which are there, what sort of benefits
they give, and how they should be used.
And, what is mulch mulching because mulching
is another aspect of tillage mulch tillage
which tries to maintain the moisture.
Some areas where irrigation is not possible
the areas which are totally dependent on rain
rainwater there you have to have.
So, dry land agriculture which we call of
dry land agriculture what is the dry land
agriculture we are trying to conserve these.
So, if we will like to have mulching, we will
like to trap the carbon of the atmosphere
into our soil, and see that we are in a position
to do a good quality conservation agriculture
and have these things in common.
Now, I think this way we have tried to give
you some idea about carbon I mean conservation
agriculture as such.
This you may not find in many books this portion,
but then what I can say that it I found it
very essential and an essential input as well
as very just for give you some idea about
conservation agriculture you might say that
this is not coming into which farm machinery.
In fact I would say it does come into formation
because we have talked of the mechanization
with respect to not degradation of the soil.
So, what sort of tillage machines we should
use, what sort of machines we should use for
maintain this condition of the soil and other
aspects the way we have discussed about reclamation
of the land.
When we discussed about reclamation of land,
when we are reclamating land for our crop,
what we should maintain, where our water resources
should be properly maintained, what are the
other biological resources which should be
maintained.
So, all these aspects have to be taken into
consideration that then that is why I wanted
that we must have some lecture on conservation
agriculture as an agriculture engineer, you
must have idea about this.
If you go into various types in various countries
you will find different types of different
equipment depending on the size of the farm.
See, we have not talk of the size of the farm
here, but size of the farm is very important,
because when you talk of the tillage machines
which are to be taken the size of the farm
is important.
In countries where it is very difficult to
have bigger machines or the farmers who have
very very less amount of area or farm size,
they would like to get small machines.
And, in fact in this area the small equipment
and devices are used for total cultivation
of the crop whether you talk of a cereal crop
or you talking of a vegetable crop or you
talking of a fruit crop and so on and so forth.
So, the farm size is another important aspect
which must be considered in conservation agriculture
that is what I have thought of.
And, that is why this lecture I wanted to
share with you my knowledge with respect to
conservation agriculture.
I am sure that at least some idea you have
got you might have certain questions we would
like to consider as and when they come up.
But, then I think we will try to stop here
and we will look forward for your questions.
Thank you.
