Conservation agriculture in India: History, progress and way forward

A.R. SHARMA

doi:10.59797/ija.v66i1.2824

Authors

A.R. SHARMA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v66i1.2824

Keywords:

Conservation agriculture, Conventional tillage, Crop residues, Crop rotations, Happy seeder, Weed control, Zero tillage

Abstract

Research work on conservation agriculture (CA)-based approaches involving zero tillage (ZT) is going on in India since 1990s. Despite highly encouraging results in the research trials, there has been no greater adoption of these technologies, except in wheat in some areas of Indo-Gangetic plains and central India, maize and sorghum in rice fallows of coastal Andhra Pradesh, rapeseed-mustard in rice fallows of NEH region, and also different crops in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. Analysis of the research papers published in three leading national journals revealed that CA-based topics are being increasingly investigated by the resource management scientists in the recent times. Unlike the conventional tillage (CT) systems, the CA-based technologies are knowledge-driven re quiring skill for successful adoption. This article presents the historical aspects, progress made, and practical ap proaches based on 20 years of experience of the author in varied ecologies for adoption of CA technologies for im proving crop productivity. CA has been the fastest adopted technology globally over the past decade, and all out efforts need to be made to outscale it by following a roadmap in India

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