`What Dr Samuel Johnson did for English, Professor Amir Kassam has done for Conservation Agriculture (CA). He is eminently well qualified and has enlisted more than a hundred battle-hardened champions to contribute 26 chapters amounting to over a thousand scholarly pages. The content is formidable. Volume one, Systems and Science, embraces: the need for CA; global developments; soil health and landscape management; the roles of minimum soil disturbance, mulch and cover crops; crops and cropping systems, vegetable systems, perennial systems; integration of cropping and livestock; mechanization; certification; institutional and policy support. Volume two, Practice and Benefits, includes management of crops and cropping systems, soil, weeds, insect pests and disease, nutrients, carbon, and biodiversity; climate change mitigation and adaptation; benefits to farmers and society; ecosystem services; and rehabilitation of degraded farmland…This book can change the future.`review by David Dent in International Journal of Environmental Studies This volume summarises research on key components for successful Conservation Agriculture (CA). Chapters review the latest research on ways of optimising no-till techniques to minimise soil disturbance in relation to seeding, weeding and other operations. Chapters also review ways to improve soil health in CA, including mulch cover, cover crops, rotations and intercropping. The book also includes case studies on optimising CA in particular systems, including rice, root, tuber and horticultural crops as well as integrating livestock in CA systems. The book concludes by looking at certification schemes and institutional support to promote good CA practice.
Audience: Crop scientists researching low-input and organic agriculture, soil scientists, national organisations responsible for improving agricultural practices and sustainability.
Audience: Crop scientists researching low-input and organic agriculture, soil scientists, national organisations responsible for improving agricultural practices and sustainability.
Table of Contents
1. The need for Conservation Agriculture: Amir Kassam, University of Reading, UK; and Laila Kassam, Animal Think Tank, UK;2. Development of Conservation Agriculture systems globally: Amir Kassam, University of Reading, UK; Rolf Derpsch, Consultant, Paraguay; and Theodor Friedrich, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Italy;
3. Conservation Agriculture Systems: soil health and landscape management: Don Reicosky, Soil Scientist Emeritus USDA-ARS and University of Minnesota, USA;
4. The role of no or minimum mechanical soil disturbance in Conservation Agriculture systems: Theodor Friedrich, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Italy;
5. The role and management of soil mulch and cover crops in Conservation Agriculture systems: A. Calegari, Agricultural Research Institute of Paraná State (IAPAR), Brazil; T. Tiecher, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil; E. B. Wutke, Research Agricultural Institute of Campinas (IAC), Brazil; L. B. dos S. Canalli, Agricultural Research Institute of Paraná State (IAPAR), Brazil; R. Bunch, Consultant, Brazil; and D. dos S. Rheinheimer, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil;
6. The role of crop and cropping system management in Conservation Agriculture systems: Peter Hobbs, Cornell University, USA; Christian Thierfelder, International Maize and Wheat Research Center (CIMMYT), Zimbabwe; Patrick Wall, Independent Consultant - Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Mexico; Raj Gupta, Center for Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture, India; and Ademir Calegari, Agricultural Research Institute of Paraná State (IAPAR), Brazil;
7. Management of vegetable Conservation Agriculture systems: Jamil Abdalla Fayad, Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (EPAGRI), Brazil; Jucinei José Comin, Federal University of Santa Catarina State (UFSC), Brazil; Alvaro Mafra, Santa Catarina State University, Brazil; Claudinei Kurtz, Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (EPAGRI), Brazil; Samira Jamil Fayad, Santa Catarina State University, Brazil; Nuno Rodrigues Madeira, EMBRAPA, Brazil; Darlan Marcheze and Leandro do Prado Wildner, Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (EPAGRI), Brazil; Ademir Calegari, Agricultural Research Institute of Paraná State (IAPAR), Brazil; and Arcangelo Loss, Cledimar Rogério Lourenzi, Monique Souza, and Guilherme Wilbert Ferreira, Federal University of Santa Catarina State (UFSC), Brazil;
8. Managing perennial Conservation Agriculture systems: orchards, plantations and agroforestry: Amir Kassam, University of Reading, UK; Emilio J. González- Sánchez, University of Cordoba and Asociación Española de Agricultura de Conservación Suelos Vivos (AEACSV), Spain and European Conservation Agriculture Federation, Belgium; Sim Choon Cheak, Sime Darby Research Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia; Zaharah A. Rahman, formerly Putra University, Malaysia; Julio Roman-Vazquez and Francisco Marquez-Garcia, University of Cordoba, Spain; Rosa Carbonell-Bojollo, Centro IFAPA Alameda del Obispo, Spain; Oscar Veroz-Gonzalez, Asociación Española de Agricultura de Conservación Suelos Vivos (AEACSV), Spain; and Dennis P. Garrity, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Kenya;
9. Integration of crop-livestock in Conservation Agriculture systems: John N. Landers, Independent Consultant, Brazil; Pedro Luiz de Freitas, Embrapa Solos, Brazil; Luiz Carlos Balbino, Embrapa Cerrados, Brazil; Júlio César Salton, Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste, Brazil; and Robélio Leandro Marchão, Embrapa Cerrados, Brazil;
10. Status of mechanization in Conservation Agriculture systems: Augusto Guilherme de Araújo, Agricultural Research Institute of Paraná State (IAPAR), Brazil; Brian Sims, Independent Consultant, UK; Jack Desbiolles, University of South Australia, Australia; Denizart Bolonhezi, Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC), Brazil; Enamul Haque, Murdoch University, Australia; He Jin, China Agricultural University, China; Jamil Abdalla Fayad, Independent Consultant, Brazil; Josef Kienzle, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Italy; Leandro do Prado Wildner, Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Corporation of Santa Catarina State (EPAGRI), Brazil; Li Hongwen, China Agricultural University, China; Marcelo Zanella, Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Corporation of Santa Catarina State (EPAGRI), Brazil; Oussama El Gharras, National Agricultural Research Institute (INRA), Morocco; Richard Bell, Murdoch University, Australia; Roberto Peiretti, Global Farmer Network (GFN), Argentina; Saidi Mkomwa, African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT), Kenya; Sjoerd Willem Duiker, Pennsylvania State University, USA; and Theodor Friedrich, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Italy;
11. Certification schemes for Conservation Agriculture systems: Juliana Albertengo, Iowa State University, USA;
12. Institutional and policy support for Conservation Agriculture uptake: Tom Goddard, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Canada; Gottlieb Basch, University of Evora, Portugal; Rolf Derpsh, Agricultural Consultant, Paraguay; Li Hongwen and He Jin, China Agriculture University, China; Muratbek Karabayev, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico; Amir Kassam, University of Reading, UK; Ken Moriya, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Paraguay; Roberto Peiretti, Agricultural Consultant, Argentina; and Hendrik Smith, Grain SA, South Africa
