Description of practice
Conservation agriculture aims to achieve sustainable and profitable agriculture through the application of three principles: minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotations.
Examples of how to use conservation agriculture | Further information (see Note below) |
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Conservation agricultureNo tillage and residue management are used to improve soil fertility and increase sustainable crop production. |
»WOCAT technology 1225
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Large-scale conservation agricultureMaize and soy seeds are planted directly into the soil with the previous crop stubble remaining in situ. This reduces soil erosion and saves costs. |
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Conservation agriculture for maize-legume systemsMaize seeds are planted directly into a dense legume (velvet bean) cover crop. The practice addresses challenges of land degradation, low crop yields, low incomes, high production costs and climate change. |
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Conservation agriculture for smallholdersResidues of the previous crop are not removed but left on the soil surface. The new crop is planted directly through the mulch using minimum tillage. |
»WOCAT technology 1329 |
Note: Most of the Further information links are to a full description of the example in the WOCAT database. However sometimes the link may be to similar practices or a research paper. Occasionally the link is to a commercial product in which case it should be understood that this does not imply any endorsement of the product by iSQAPER.