Conservation agriculture as a tool to enhance resilience in changing environmental conditions

Tashkent 19th May 2008

Alim PulatovTashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration

WUR and TIIM EcoGIS Center

Alim PulatovTashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration

WUR and TIIM EcoGIS Center

Content

Outline

• Introduction

• Carbon sequestration

• Soil moisture management

• Salinity management

• Application of conservation agriculture in

Uzbekistan

• Conclusions

Conservation Agriculture

The FAO or Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations have determined that CA has three key principles:

Minimal soil disturbance Surface crop residue retention Crop rotation

Reduced greenhouse gases emissions Saving in water use Salinity management improved Reduced erosion Improved soil quality characteristics Reduced fuel consumption in field works Less cost of crop production Reduced labor work and time in for

production Improved crop turn-around times Increased land-use efficiency

Advantages of Conservation Agriculture

World wide No-tillage adoption

47.0%

North America 37.0%

13.0%

2.6%

Latin America = 32 Mill. ha

Australia

Rest of theWorld

(R. Derpsch, 2002)

Atmospheric concentrations of the major greenhouse, their rise, residence time and contribution to the global

warming Type

ТипResidence

time(years)

Annual Rise (%)

1985 concentration

Radiative

absorption

potential

Contribution to greenhouse warming (%)

CO2 100 0.5 345 ppm 1 50

CO 0.2 0.6-1.0 90 ppb n.a. n.a.

CH4 8-12 1 300 ppm 32 19

N2O 100-200 0.25 300 ppb 150 4

O3 0.1-0.3 2.0 n.a. 2,000 8

CFCs 65-110 3.0 0.18-028 ppb >10,000 15

Bouwman, 1990

Terrestrial carbon

cycle

SOILS AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Soils are the largest carbon reservoir of the terrestrial carbon cycle. The quantity of C stored in soils is highly significant; soils contain about three times more C than vegetation and twice as much as that which is present in the

atmosphere (Batjes and Sombroek, 1997). Soils contain much more C (1 500 Pg of C to 1 m depth and 2 500 Pg of C to 2 m; 1 Pg = 1 gigatonne) than is contained in vegetation (650 Pg of C) and twice as much C as the atmosphere (750

Pg of C)

No. 1 Environmental Enemy in Production Agriculture

Don Reicosky, 2002

Kern and Johnson, 1993

Impact of tillage systems on fate of carbon by 2020

Carbon sequestration

Changes in cropping practices, such as from conventional to conservation tillage, have been shown to sequester about 0.1 – 0.3 metric tons of carbon per acre per year (Lal et al. 1999; West and Post 2002).

However, a more comprehensive picture of the climate effects of these practices needs to also consider possible nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions.

Lal’s (2004) estimates of the potential of soil C sequestration in the Central Asian countries indicate a range of 10 to 23 Tg C yr-1 over 50 years.

Results and discussions

Soil CO2 flux from different soil tillage methods

Почвенный CO2 поток из разных методов вспашки почв.

Cumulative CO2 flux from different soil tillage methods

Совокупный CO2 поток от разных методов вспашки

00,05

0,10,15

0,20,25

0,3

0,350,4

CO

2 f

lux (

g C

O 2 m

-2 h

-1)

0 1 2 3 4 5

Time after tillage (hours)

MP CT NT

0

0,05

0,1

0,15

0,2

0,25

0,3

0,35

0,4

0,45

0,5

Cum

. CO

2flu

x (g

CO

2 m

-2)

Technology

MP CT

NT

Treatments Treatments MaximumMaximum MinimumMinimum

СОСО22 fluxflux, , g COg CO22 m-2 h-1 m-2 h-1

Moldboard PlowMoldboard Plow 0.3540.354 0.0040.004

Minimum tillage (Chisel Minimum tillage (Chisel Plow)Plow)

0.3480.348 0.0020.002

Zero tillageZero tillage 0.0770.077 0.00060.0006

Results and discussions

Effect of tillage and residue management on soil organic matter, averaged over the years (2002-2006)

Without crop residue

With crop residue

LSD (0.05)=0.02 %

0,640

0,660

0,680

0,700

0,720

0,740

0,760

0,780

0,800

0,820

CT IT PB ZT

Tillage

0-30

cm s

oil

dep

th,

%

Water use efficiency

CA with residue mulch can increase the available water storage in the root zone by increasing infiltration and decreasing soil temperature, reducing evaporation losses and improving water use efficiency.

Soil moisture content before tillage

Soil moisture content after tillage

0

50

100

1кв

2кв

3кв

4кв

Восток

Запад

Север

0

5

10

15

CT MP NT CT NT MP CT NT MP

Experimental plots

mo

istu

re, %

Point1 Point2 Point3

0

24

6

8

1012

14

CT MP NT CT NT MP CT NT MP

Experimental plots

So

il m

ois

ture

, %

Point1 Point2 Point3

CA experimental data with soil

moisture

Soil moisture measuring on cotton field at TANO (12 cm

depth)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

09,05,05 17,05,05 29,05,05 13,06,05 25,06,05 08,07,05 14,07,05 23,07,05 12,08,05 21,08,05 13,09,05

Mo

istu

re,

%

Control No-tillage

Soil moisture measuring on corn field at TANO (12 cm

depth)

05

101520253035404550

09,05

,05

17,05

,05

29,05

,05

13,06

,05

25,06

,05

08,07

,05

14,07

,05

23,07

,05

12,08

,05

21,08

,05

13,09

,05

Mo

istu

re,

%

Control No-tillage

Soil salinization is a naturally occurring process in drought-prone regions of the country, affecting a huge area in the midstream and downstream Amudarya and Syr-Darya basins. More then 58% of land reserve suitable for irrigation is subjected to natural salinization

Comparative analysis shows that the trend of soil salinization over a 10 year period has a stable nature: the area of saline lands has increased by 0.574 million hectares, more than 45% of which are soils of moderate and high degree of salinization

Secondary salinization takes place in conditions of high groundwater levels and poor drainage. Over-irrigation and high water loss from canals and irrigated fields produces a fast rise of the groundwater table and salt accumulation in the root zone. At present areas of secondary salinization are more than 2,279,000 hectares, i.e. 53% of irrigated lands of which 47% (1.08 million hectares) falls at moderate and high salinization

Salinized lands require substantial water for leaching, which makes up 20% of all water used in the fields

Land degradation is a serious economic, social, and environmental problem in Uzbekistan and the rest of Central Asia. It directly affects the livelihood of the rural population by reducing land productivity, and by causing agricultural production losses estimated at $2 billion a year for the region.

Salinity issues in Uzbekistan

Conservation agriculture technology

Effect of tillage and residue management on soil salinity, averaged over the years (2002-2006)

Without crop residue

With crop residue

LSD (0.05)=0.045 %

0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

CT IT PB ZT

0-30

cm s

oil d

epth

(%)

LSD (0.05)=0.02 %

0

0,05

0,1

0,15

0,2

0,25

0,3

0,35

0,4

0,45

0,5

CT IT PB ZT

30-5

0cm

soi

l dep

th (%

)

Adoption steps of CA in irrigated fields UzbekistanAdoption steps of CA in irrigated fields Uzbekistan

1989-1998 CA experiments with TAMU and ISU in TIIM research farm. Rotation cycles of cotton with maize and alfalfa and 8 years no tillage!

CA experiences with Massey University (New Zealand) in Tashkent region, 3 years of wheat – wheat system 2000-2003

2002 of FAO CA workshop in Tashkent

2002 UNESCO-ZEF project started region 2002 UNESCO-ZEF project started region Ecological Landscape Restoration Ecological Landscape Restoration in Khorezm in Khorezm regionregion 5 years 5 years

2003 Case New Holland 2003 Case New Holland ((CNHCNH) ) started adopt CA on their model farmstarted adopt CA on their model farm

2004-2006 FAO2004-2006 FAO//TCPTCP//UZBUZB-2902 -2902 project in Karakalpakstanproject in Karakalpakstan

2005-2007 FAO2005-2007 FAO//TCPTCP//UZBUZB/3001 /3001 project in Tashkent region project in Tashkent region

2005 ADB Grain productivity improvement project2005 ADB Grain productivity improvement project

2008 ADB Land Improvement Project loan2008 ADB Land Improvement Project loan

2010 GEF grant to support LIP 2010 GEF grant to support LIP

Filed preparation for permanent bed cropping system

black oat, pea and triticale

Application of Roundup on cover crop

Knife roller helping to lay down black oath, pea and

triticale

Planting cotton under the permanent beds cropping system

Local machinery developed for conservation

agriculture

2003 (I версия) 2004 (II версия) 2004 (III версия) 2005 (IV

версия)

Emergence of cotton seedlings after no tillage

planting

Cotton plant development under CA

Maize plant development on 8th of July,

2005

Effect of tillage and residue management on crop yield

Without crop residue With crop residue

Cotton yield 2004

0500

1000150020002500300035004000

CT IT PB ZT

Tillage

kg/h

a

Cotton yield 2006

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

CT IT PB ZT

kg/h

a

without crop residue

with crop residue

Wheat grain yield 2005

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

CT IT PB ZT

kg/h

a

Conservation agriculture can enhance resilience of system in changing environmental conditions

CA can help with soil carbon sequestration

Significant effect on soil moisture maintenance and storage

CA improve of soil salinity management on irrgated areas

Conclusion

Thanks for your attentionThanks for your attention