What is conservation agriculture?

What is Conservation Agriculture?

Conservation agriculture is a farming system that can prevent the loss of arable land while restoring degraded land. It promotes maintaining a permanent soil cover, minimizing soil disturbance, and diversifying plant species. It also enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the soil surface, contributing to more efficient use of water and nutrients, and improving crop productivity and sustainability.The principles of conservation agriculture are globally applicable across all agricultural regions and land uses, with practices adapted to local conditions. Soil interventions—such as mechanical disturbance—are reduced to the absolute minimum or avoided altogether. External inputs, such as agrochemicals and plant nutrients of mineral or organic origin, are applied optimally and in ways and quantities that do not interfere with or disrupt biological processes. Conservation agriculture facilitates good agricultural engineering—such as timely operations—and improves overall land husbandry for both rainfed and irrigated production.When combined with other well-established good practices—including the use of high-quality seed, integrated pest, nutrient, weed, and water management—conservation agriculture forms the foundation for sustainable agricultural production intensification. It also expands opportunities to integrate production sectors, such as integrating crops and livestock, and integrating trees and pastures within farming systems.

Principles of Conservation Agriculture

Conservation agriculture is based on three core principles, adapted to reflect local conditions and needs:

1) Minimum mechanical soil disturbance

Minimum soil disturbance refers to reduced tillage, zero tillage, and direct seeding. The width of the disturbed zone should be less than 15 cm or less than 25% of the cropped area (whichever is smaller). There should be no periodic tillage that disturbs an area greater than the limits stated above. Strip tillage is permitted if the disturbed area remains below the defined threshold.

2) Permanent organic soil cover

Three categories are distinguished: 30–60%, 60–90%, and >90% ground cover, measured directly after the direct seeding operation. Land with less than 30% cover is not considered conservation agriculture.

3) Species diversification

Crop rotation and/or associations should include at least three different crop species.

Why do we do it?

Nearly one third of the world’s soils are degraded. In many countries, intensive crop production has depleted soils to the extent that future production in these areas is at risk. Healthy soils are essential for developing sustainable crop production systems that can withstand the impacts of climate change. Healthy soils contain diverse organisms that help control plant diseases, insects, and weeds; recycle soil nutrients; and improve soil structure—positively affecting water-holding capacity, nutrient retention and availability, and soil organic carbon levels.Conservation agriculture is 20–50% less labor-intensive and therefore contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through lower energy inputs and improved nutrient-use efficiency. At the same time, it stabilizes soils and protects them from degradation and from releasing carbon into the atmosphere.Conservation agriculture offers a range of benefits at global, regional, local, and farm levels:

• Sustainability: It provides a truly sustainable production system—one that not only conserves natural resources but also enhances them, increasing the diversity of soil organisms, fauna, and flora (including wildlife) in agricultural production systems without sacrificing productivity at high production levels.
• Enhanced biodiversity: Because it relies on biological processes, it increases biodiversity in agricultural production systems at both micro and macro levels.
• Carbon sequestration: No-till fields can act as sinks for carbon dioxide, and conservation agriculture implemented at a global scale could make a significant contribution to controlling air pollution in general and global warming in particular. Farmers who apply this practice may eventually be rewarded through carbon credits.
• Labor savings: Tillage is among the most energy-consuming farming operations and, in mechanized agriculture, a major source of air pollution. By avoiding tillage, farmers can save 30–40% of time and labor—and, in mechanized systems, fossil fuel—compared to conventional agriculture.
• Healthier soils: No-till soils have very high water infiltration capacity, reducing runoff and therefore significantly reducing soil erosion. This improves surface water quality, limits pollution caused by erosion, and enhances groundwater resources. In many areas, after several years of conservation agriculture, natural springs that had dried up for many years have been observed to flow again. The potential impact of widespread adoption on overall water balances is not yet fully understood.
• Higher yields: Conservation agriculture is not a low-yield system. It can achieve yields comparable to modern intensive agriculture, but in a sustainable way. Yields tend to increase over time while yield variability decreases.
• Lower costs: For farmers, conservation agriculture reduces costs by lowering production expenses and reducing time and labor—especially during peak demand periods such as land preparation and planting. In mechanized systems, it also reduces long-term machinery investment and maintenance costs.

What work do we do?

FAO promotes the adoption of conservation agriculture principles—minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation—which are universally applicable across all agro-ecological zones and cropping systems.FAO support to Member Countries includes:

• Designing, formulating, and planning national strategies and policies that provide incentives for farmers to adopt conservation agriculture practices and invest in sustainable agricultural mechanization. This enables farmers—especially smallholders—to move away from inefficient farm management practices and manual labor toward appropriate mechanization levels that deliver higher returns.
• Training farmers, service providers, and extension agents on conservation agriculture practices and sustainable mechanization, and developing and disseminating training materials and guides to raise awareness and integrate them into agricultural university curricula and government programs.
• Increasing agricultural production through the implementation of conservation agriculture practices in support of national priorities related to food and nutrition security.

Article Source:

Conservation Agriculture | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations