Conservation Agriculture

The philosophy of Conservation Agriculture (CA): Conservation Agriculture is a set of practices aimed at lessening or remedying the ravages of conventional agriculture. Its practices strive for acceptable profits hand-in-hand with sustainable production and, at the same time, conserving the environment.

In recent years, a shift to reduced tillage and Conservation Agriculture has substantially improved the situation. As we know, tillage systems have traditionally been used to prepare for planting, control weeds, remove plant residue, and loosen compacted surface soil. While tillage can be a critical component in a successful and profitable agro-ecological enterprise, minimizing mechanical operations and soil disturbance in a field can lead to benefits such as reduced soil erosion and associated air and water pollution, decreased fuel expenditures, and costs of production; and reduced subsurface soil compaction from tractor passes.

The initial adoption of NT was aimed at minimizing soil erosion. Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a different paradigm, embracing zero tillage, continuous ground cover by crops or crop residues, and crop diversification through rotations that control weeds, pests, and diseases. It works everywhere because it eliminates destructive tillage and the daily attacks of sun, wind, and rain. The purpose of plowing is to kill weeds: desiccant herbicides made zero tillage a viable proposition—offering arrest of soil erosion, drought proofing, more reliable yields, more planting days, less outlay on farm machinery, a simpler operation to manage, and 70% less fuel consumption and labor.

Nowadays, many people consider it a way to sustain the intensification of cropping, both to meet conservation ethics and future agricultural demands (Montgomery 2007). Although NT suggests merely the absence of tillage, NT benefits critical soil properties that contribute to equal or higher crop yields, lesser input costs, and better environmental performance than under conventional tillage. The more coherent and complex concept of CA has evolved from NT: key conservation strategies include the three principles of CA and best management practices for livestock, irrigation systems, and precision agriculture to achieve economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable agricultural production (Jat et al. 2013). Conservation practices can reduce soil erosion rates that may occur under climate extremes—whether greater total rainfall with greater intensity or a change to a drier climate that will potentially bring higher rates of erosion.

Conservation Agriculture is a key erupt in adapting to climate change.

Conservation Agriculture has become a global agricultural movement and recent reviews include concomitant application of minimum soil disturbance, crop residue mulch, and soil–plant diversification with multiple species of cover crops for maximum photosynthesis and carbon capture. The system requires all three principles to operate simultaneously and continuously, supplemented by local complementary agricultural practices. Integration and synchronization of these fundamental principles enhance the development and functionality of crops’ root systems as a consequence of an increased depth and more regular water and nutrient uptake (Reicosky, D. C., 2021).

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is built on the three principles of no-till, continuous, ground cover by crops or crop residues, and diverse crop rotations. At the same time, Conservation Agriculture Systems integrating three principles of soil health

Feeding Soil Biology:

The figure presents an improved soil structure. A non-compacted soil is porous, allowing both water and air to penetrate the surface. That's one of the most valuable outcomes of conservation tillage. When the previous year’s residue is left on the surface, rather than turned over by conventional tillage practices, it creates a mulch that protects the topsoil while allowing natural decomposition processes to “feed the biology” of the soil. This increases the soil’s organic matter composition and improves infiltration rates. This improves water absorption and reduces the likelihood of soil erosion and surface runoff, which keeps the soil and nutrients on the field where they can work for you rather than in local waterways.

Conservation Agriculture offers the opportunity to create a legacy of healthy farms and healthy, living soils that will support food security. Although the action must come primarily from the farming community, it must be underpinned by the scientific, rural, and urban sectors and supported by Society. There must be a strong partnership between these sectors to promote the adoption and success of the CA approaches. We owe it to future generations.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) can be such a system for long-term soil protection and conservation. One of its fundamental tenets is zero tillage, so maintaining a protective mulch of crop residues.

Our vision for conservation agriculture in Michigan

In Michigan, the plow layer became severely compacted over years of intensive cultivation (pulverization of soil), loss of soil organic matter by mineralization, and mechanical destruction of soil aggregates. Beneath the superficial drilled layer, this hard, massive layer remained in place. Continuous conventional tillage (CT) induces changes in the SOC pool that can strongly modify soil's physical, mechanical, and hydrological properties. Indeed, SOC content and soil physical properties are interrelated.

Conventional Tillage (CT) in Michigan provides a short-term benefit by releasing plant nutrients and decomposed soil organic matter. However, this continued process burns off the soil’s energy supply and emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That means CT burns off more energy than it captures, and harvested crops are carried away from the field, depleting soil organic matter.

However, adopting Conservation Tillage, or No-Till (NT), is problematic, where most of the arable layers across Michigan farms are compacted to a dry bulk density of as much as 1.5–1.7 g/cm3. Therefore, we have to test methods of preventive restoration of the arable layer using innovative agricultural systems of green manuring in tandem with deep soil loosening. To do that, we have to build trusted standards, tools, and technologies to help verify Conservation Agriculture towards Regenerative Agriculture and Climate-smart Agriculture by building a leading verification platform for soil-based carbon sequestration.

When published, I will cut and paste a synopsis of my recent research peer-reviewed article submitted to ADS-ASABE which comprehensively discusses the viability of Conservation Agricultural practices and how to elaborate soil health functions, and their advantages and constraints under CT and NT systems, and restoration of the nutrient status of agricultural soils that is a strategic imperative.