Conservation Agriculture: Approach And Application

Description

'Indian Agriculture is on cross road, the glory of green revolution is being mantled with smoke of pollution, depletion and erosion. It is undeniable that the green revolution of India has saved the nation from famines and disgrace, yet, the impact of green revolution has not been unmixed with a grand dividend only. The soil and water are increasingly contaminated with chemical and toxic materials detrimental to health and ecology, making investments of small and poor farmers non-remunerative, and, consequently, rural livelihoods are migrating from farm to non-farm economies at an exponential pace. Conservation agriculture across the globe is gaining much grounds and gravity due to its eco-friendly approaches. Minimum disruption of soil, permanent soil cover and crop diversification are the basics of conservation agriculture to make it adaptable and inevitable approaches to save our ecosystem from further degradation and coercion. It is neither zero-chemical nor eco-coercive; rather it focuses on gradual restoration and propelling of ecological resilience through a slow but steady growth in agriculture to attain a status of natural farming. Albeit India joined the global CA community as a late starter, it has started showing its decisive and discernible impact in making ecology and economy a symphony of new age agriculture, a journey towards achieving ever green revolution. The book, Conservation agriculture: Approach and Application is going to a worth reading pedagogical exercise to understand the spectrum and impact of conservation agriculture in two agro-ecological expanse of India.' Read more

Table of Contents

Preface v The Authors ix Part-I: Managing, Monitoring and Analyzing Agro-ecological Services: Conservation and Stewardship Approaches of the Farmers 1. Introduction 3 Rationale of the study Objectives of the Study Limitations of the Study 2. Theoretical Orientation 6 2.1. Conceptual Framework 2.2. A Framework for Understanding Change: Conservation and Stewardship 2.3. The 10 Elements of Agroecology 2.4. Ecological Resilience and Conservation Agriculture 2.5. Ecosystem Services and Conservation Agriculture 2.6. The Relationship Between Resilience and the Provision of Ecosystem Services 2.7. Soil conservation and Conservation Agriculture 2.8. Water Conservation and Conservation Agriculture 2.9. Biodiversity Conservation and Conservation Agriculture 2.10. Barriers to Conservation Agriculture - 2.11. Challenges in Conservation Agriculture 2.12. Stewardship, Ecology and Conservation Agriculture 2.13. Long Term Prediction in Ecology Study 2.14. Awareness, Knowledge and Action for the Restoration of Ecosystems 3. Review and Citations 43 3.1 Ecological Resilience and Conservation Agriculture 3.2 Ecosystem Services and Conservation Agriculture 3.3 Stewardship, Ecology and Conservation Agriculture 3.4 Erosion of Natural Resources and Issues of Ecological Resilience 3.5 Pollution & Erosion due to Modernization of Agriculture 3.6 Water Conservation and Conservation Agriculture 3.7. Soil Conservation and Conservation Agriculture 3.8 Biodiversity and Conservation Agriculture 3.9 Long Term Prediction in Ecological Study 3.10 Entrepreneurship and Conservation Agriculture 3.11 Barrier to Conservation Agriculture 3.12 Extraction of Groundwater and its Impact on Ecological Resilience 3.13 Soil Erosion and its Impact on Ecological viii | Conservation Agriculture: Approach and Application Resilience 3.14 Biodiversity and its Impact on Ecological Resilience 3.15 Awareness, Knowledge and Action for the Restoration of Ecosystems Methods and Approaches of Study 4.1 Locale of Research 4.2 Pilot Study 4.3 Sampling Design 4.5 Empirical Measurement of the Variables 4.6 Preparation of Interview Schedule 4.7 Pre Testing of Interview Schedule 4.8 Techniques of Field Data Collection 4.9 Statistical Tools used for Analysis of Data 4. Case Study and Hard Evidences 88 5. Summary and Conclusion 167 Bibliography 172 Part- II: Entrepreneurial Growth and Communication Behavior in Conservation Agriculture: The Role and Response of Farmer 7. Introduction 185 8. Theory & Concepts 191 8.1 Conceptual Framework 8.2 Sustainability Concerns and Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Agriculture 9. Review and Citations 196 10. Methods and Approaches of Study 204 10.1 Locale of Research 10.2 Sampling Design 10.3 Pilot Study 10.4 Preparation of Interview Schedule 10.5 Pre-testing of Schedule 10.6 The Technique of Field Data Collection 10.7 Attributes and their Measurement 10.8 Statistical Analysis and Interpretation of Data 11. Case Study and Hard Evidences 218 12. Summary and Conclusion 261 13. Future Scope of the Study 263 Bibliography 265 Index 274 Read more

About the Author/Editor

Prof. (Dr.) Sankar Kr Acharya, former Head, Dept. of Agricultural Extension and Director, Extension Education, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, WB, born on 6th October, 1960, started his career as Assistant Professor at BCKV in 1988 and has been in teaching, research and extension over 30 years. An erudite teacher as well as an elegant speaker, Prof. Acharya has also been the topper and awarded the certificate of merit in his M. Sc. (Ag) academic career in Agricultural Extension. He is internationally acclaimed for his unique research domain of Social Entropy and Energy Metabolism, Social Ecology and Environmental Sociology, Enterprise Ecology Framework, Farm Stewardships: The Transition from Conservation, Technology Socialization Process, and The Social Ecology of Livelihood, which have got tremendous policy as well as scholastic importance. Research Publication:221 in National and International Journals. Book Publication:101 books authored / co-authored, covering topics Participatory Extension Planning and Management; Value addition and quality management, Extension Strategy for Natural Resource Management; Horticulture Management with Quality Issues, Technology Socialization Process; Fish bio-diversity; Income andLivelihood; Enterprise Management and Entrepreneurship Building; Womens participation in Panchayat; Gender Issues in Floriculture; Technology gap in Floriculture; Enterprise Synergy in Agriculture; Disaster Management; Social Metabolism, Farm Energy Metabolism, Community Perception on Climate Change , Social Entropy and Chaos, Research areas of Publication: Community Forest Management and Role performance by EDC and FPC; Social forestry and community participation (paper published in Indian Forester); Membership of Distinction: Chancellor Nominee on selection committee for professors positions; Member of Agriculture Commission; Marketing and Extension Sub Committee, Govt. of West Bengal; Expert member WWF projects in BTR (Buxa Tiger Reserve Project); Expert member; DFID project on Primary Education (DPEP); REIA, Visited Italy, France, Germany, China , Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Delivered 18 Key note addresses in International Congress, Chaired 19 Sessions in International conferences, Editors of a score of national and international journals. He has so far been awarded with 13 best paper awards in National and International Conferences Organizing Secretary of two International Conferences, held in the x | Conservation Agriculture: Approach and Application years, 2016 & 2018, Jointly Organized by Department of Agricultural Extension, BCKV, WB and KrishiSanskriti, New Delhi. His Present RG score: 26.19He has also been honoured to be selected as the Convener of Panel (PE-32) entitled The hunger, poverty and silence, of IUAES, University of Manchester, UK, 2013. Co- PI of ICAR and World Bank funded project on Conservation Agriculture. So, far he has successfully guided 16 Ph D scholars from BCKV CU, KU, Vidyasagar University. He is the fellow, ISEE, IARI, New Delhi Ms. Sreemoyee Bera, born on 24th May 1997 in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, obtained her B.Sc. Honours in Agriculture from College of Agriculture, Burdwan, Extended Campus of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, West Bengal in the year of 2019. She had obtained her M.Sc. (Agriculture) in Department of Agricultural Extension from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, West Bengal in the year of 2021. She completed her M.Sc. under the supervision of Prof. S K Acharya and her research area was on Managing, Monitoring and Analyzing of Agro-ecological Services: Conservation and Stewardship Approaches of the Farmers. Ms.. Cornea Saha, born on 25th January 1997 in Alipurduar district of West Bengal, obtained her B.Sc. Honours in Agriculture from Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, West Bengal in the year 2019. Currently She is pursuing her M.Sc. (Agriculture) in department of Agricultural Extension from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, West Bengal under the supervision of Prof S K Acharya. She had worked under Centre of Advanced Agricultural Science and Technology (CAAST) on Conservation Agriculture, ICAR-NAHEP. Dr.Prabhat Kumar, National Coordinator of Centre for Advanced Agricultural Science and Technology (CAAST) and Component 2 at ICAR-National Agricultural Higher Education Project, KAB-II, Pusa, New Delhi was born on 1st July 1973. He obtained his B. Sc. Degree in 1995 from C.S.A.Univ.of Ag. & Tech. Kanpur (U.P.) and M.Sc degree (Floriculture and Landscaping) in 1997 from Punjab Agril. University, Ludhiana, Punjab. He obtained his Ph. D degree in (Floriculture and Landscaping) in the year 2002 from IARI New Delhi. He joined G.B.P.U.A.&T. Pantnagar College of Agriculture, as Assistant Professor on 28th April 2003. He was selected to the post of Associate Professor on 31st March, 2012 at HNBGU, Srinagar, Garhwal (A Central University School of Agriculture). He was selected to the post of Senior Scientist at IARI, New Delhi on 23rd July, 2013. Dr.Prabhat Kumar is actively engaged in teaching of PG and Ph.D students The Authors |xi and guiding PG students and Ph. D students at GBPUA&T, Pantnagar and IARI, New Delhi. To date, Dr.Prabhat Kumar has guided 10 M.Sc. and 01 Ph.D. students as Major Advisor in the discipline of Floriculture and Landscaping and presently guiding 02 Ph. D students. He has more than 18 years of experience in teaching, research and extension. He has handled more than 04 externally funded and 6 institute research projects and published 70 research papers in various national and international journals, 35 popular articles, 14book chapters, 11 technical bulletins and 06 books. He is associated in the development of 4 varieties namely; Pusa Deep, PusaBahar(Marigold)&PusaSinduri and Pusa Shanti(Gladiolus). Dr Kumar has been honoured with four fellowships from prestigious scientific societies and awards in his carrier. Established Model Floriculture Centre (MFC) under Horticulture Technology Mission. Mr Monirul Haque, born on 9th December 1995 in Alipurduar district of West Bengal, obtained his B.Sc. Honours in Agriculture from Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, West Bengal in the year of 2017. He had obtained his M.Sc. (Agriculture) in Department of Agricultural Extension from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, West Bengal in the year of 2019. He has qualified the National Eligibility Test for Assistant Professor conducted by UGC in his very first attempt in the year 2019. Currently, he is pursuing his Ph.D. in the Department of Agricultural Extension of the same University under the supervision of Prof S K Acharya. So far he has authored and co-authored 14 research articles in different national and international journals and co-authored 2 books. He has been awarded Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students for pursuing his research work. Ms. Riti Chatterjee, born on 18th November in 1994, in Hooghly district of West Bengal, obtained her B.Sc. in Agricultural Sciences from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, West Bengal in 2016. She had obtained her M.Sc. (Ag.) in department of agricultural extension from the same university in 2018 as the First Class First in the university with OGPA 9.15, being the Gold-medallist. Her pursuits of hard work and diligence are reflected in her PG thesis, Occupational hazards and operating agro-ecosystem: the health and ecological dynamics of farm women, a unique empirical work under the exclusive supervision of Prof. S.K. Acharya and awarded best masters thesis award jointly by BHU and RASSA. So far she has attended 19 National and International Conferences, workshops and given oral and poster presentations with 5 best paper awards, and published 17 research papers on various national and international journals. She has already co-authored 7 books and 5 book chapters. She has qualified the National Eligibility Test for Assistant Professor conducted by UGC in her maiden attempt in May, 2017 xii | Conservation Agriculture: Approach and Application and also the National Eligibility Test with ARS-Preliminary examination conducted by Agricultural Scientist Recruitment Board (ASRB) in May, 2018. Currently she is pursuing PhD in department of Agricultural Extension and working as Senior Research Fellow under Centre for Advanced Agricultural Science and Technology (CAAST) on Conservation Agriculture project under ICAR-NAHEP-BCKV. In the months of January to June 2020 she worked as short-term Visiting Scholar at The Ohio State University, Ohio, USA and there studied on Social-ecology of Conservation Agriculture at stakeholder level. Ms. Anwesha Mandal was born on 25th October, 1993 at Kalyani, West Bengal. She did her graduation in Agriculture from Palli Siksha Bhavana, Visva Bharati. In 2016, she joined in the Department of Agricultural Communication at G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, in Uttarakhand for completing her Post Graduation with ICAR Junior Research Fellowship (NTS). Presently, she has submitted her Ph.D. thesis at Bidhan Chandra KrishiViswavidyalaya (BCKV), Mohanpur, Nadia, in the Department of Agricultural Extension as an SRF in the CAAST project on Conservation Agriculture under the guidance of Prof. S.K. Acharya. She had cleared both ICARNational Eligibility Test (NET) in Agricultural Extension and UGC- National Eligibility Test (NET) in Adult Education with JRF scholarship in her maiden attempt. She has worked on Soil Health aspect in her M.Sc. Thesis. Besides, she also cleared other national level examinations held by ICAR and other deemed universities of Agriculture. She participated in national and international seminars and also received best paper presentation award from ISEE National Conference, 2018 in Kolkata. She has already been co-authors of three books in the domain of Extension Science. Read more