Knowra Conservation agriculture Conservation agriculture Conservation agriculture is a farming system based on minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop diversification. These principles aim to sustain soil function while producing crops.
No-till farming : A crop-production system that plants seeds without plowing or otherwise tilling the soil. It is the clearest example of conservation agriculture’s minimal-soil-disturbance principle.
Soil structure : The arrangement of soil particles and pore spaces into aggregates. Less disturbance can preserve aggregates and the pores that support roots and water movement.
Precision seeding : The placement of seeds at controlled depths and spacing using specialized planting equipment. Specialized seeders help establish crops through residue without conventional plowing.
Conventional tillage : A farming approach that regularly disturbs soil through plowing or other tillage operations. It contrasts with the minimal-soil-disturbance principle at the system’s core.
Soil carbon sequestration : The capture and storage of atmospheric carbon in soil organic matter and other soil carbon pools. Conservation agriculture can change soil carbon storage, though outcomes vary by depth and location.
Cover crop : A crop grown chiefly to protect and improve soil rather than to be harvested for sale. Cover crops keep soil covered between or alongside harvest crops.
Crop residue : Plant material left in a field after harvest, including stalks, leaves, and roots. Residue cover shields soil and gradually decomposes into organic inputs.
Integrated weed management : A strategy that combines cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical methods to manage weeds. Residue and reduced tillage change weed pressures, requiring coordinated control methods.
Organic farming : A farming system that follows standards restricting synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Organic farming defines production by input rules, while conservation agriculture defines field-management principles.
Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture : Emissions of gases such as methane and nitrous oxide produced by agricultural activities. Reduced tillage and residue management can alter emissions, with effects depending on conditions.
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