CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE PRINCIPLES

inSRI

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Prof. P. K. Roul, Associate Director of Research

Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

A. Introduce the concept of Conservation Agriculture- as one NRM Dimension

B. Share the experience of CAPs with Tribal Farmers of Kendujhar in Odisha

C. Correlate the SRI practices with CA principles

Objectives

What is conservation agriculture?

A production system that: A production system that:

a) Has minimum soil disturbancea) Has minimum soil disturbance

b) Practices suitable crop rotationsb) Practices suitable crop rotations

c) Keeps the soil covered with plant residues/ c) Keeps the soil covered with plant residues/ residue recyclingresidue recycling

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Correlating the SRI practices with

Natural Resource Management

&Conservation Agriculture Principles

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Land

Water

Biodiversity (Flora & Fauna)

Natural Resources

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Soil degradation vrs Soil conservation processes

forSoil productivity

Soil degradation processes

• Soil erosion• Nutrient runoff• Water logging• Desertification• Acidification• Organic matter loss• Compaction • Crusting• Salinization

- +

Soil conservation practices

•Proper tillage•Residue management•Crop rotation•Improved drainage•Water conservation •Terracing•Contour farming•Organic fertilizer

SoilSoilProductivityProductivity

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Proper tillage

XLess Tillage

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Residue management

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Crop rotation

Early HarvestBetter soil structure under saturationIntense microbial (Rhizobium) activityFurther scope of crop residue addition

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Improved drainageLESS METHANE EMISSION:

A large fraction of methane

is produced in rice soils.

More micro/macro-organisms

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Water conservation

Water becoming a scarce and costly input.

Rice alone consumes 70% of the water used in

agriculture.

Conventional rice requires 5000 liters of water

for producing 1 kg of rice (Bhuiyan et al., 1995,

IRRI).

The share of water for agriculture drastically

go down, as demand for domestic and

industrial sector is ever increasing.

Experimental results revealed that on an average 53%

less irrigation water and 28% higher yield was realized

in SRI farms than CRC farms. (Roul and Mishra., 2008,

Bhubaneswar).

Population projection and per capita water availability

2209

1820 1700

13401140

1000

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1991 2001 StressCondition

2025 2050 Scarcitycondition

Year

Pro

ject

ed P

opul

atio

n (M

illio

n)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Per

cai

ta w

ater

ava

ilabi

lity

(m3)

Per capita availability Population (million)

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Organic Nutrition

SRI Focuses on Organics

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Organic Nutrition

SRI Focuses on Organics

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

Biodiversity

Microbial DiversityCrop DiversityGenetic Diversity

Microorganism Conventional SRI

Total bacteria 88 x 106 105 x 106

Azospirillum 8 x 105 31 x 105

Azotobacter 39 x 103 66 x 103

Phosphobacteria

33 x 103 59 x 103

Compiled by: T.M. Thiyagarajan

ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR

CONCLUSIONS

We should not judge a technology only from where it is today

I feel we are at the beginning of a long and exciting journey

The quality of future hinges on the decisions of today

SRI is definitely a sustainable practice, having ability to increase productivity by input optimisation and agro-ecosystem conservation

Thanks…..