Abstract
Abstract The increasing demand for food from limited available land, in light of declining soil fertility and future threats of climate variability and change have increased the need for more sustainable crop management systems. Conservation agriculture (CA) is based on the three principles of minimum soil disturbance, surface crop residue retention and crop rotations, and is one of the available options. In Southern Africa, CA has been intensively promoted for more than a decade to combat declining soil fertility and to stabilize crop yields. The objective of this review is to summarize recent advances in knowledge about the benefits of CA and highlight constraints to its widespread adoption within Southern Africa. Research results from Southern Africa showed that CA generally increased water infiltration, reduced soil erosion and run-off, thereby increasing available soil moisture and deeper drainage. Physical, chemical and biological soil parameters were also improved under CA in the medium to long term. CA increased crop productivity and also reduced on-farm labor, especially when direct seeding techniques and herbicides were used. As with other cropping systems, CA has constraints at both the field and farm level. Challenges to adoption in Southern Africa include the retention of sufficient crop residues, crop rotations, weed control, pest and diseases, farmer perception and economic limitations, including poorly developed markets. It was concluded that CA is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution and often needs significant adaptation and flexibility when implementing it across farming systems. However, CA may potentially reduce future soil fertility decline, the effects of seasonal dry-spells and may have a large impact on food security and farmers’ livelihoods if the challenges can be overcome.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Conservation agriculture generally increased water infiltration.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“CA generally increased water infiltration”
Claim · model-written summary
Conservation agriculture reduced soil erosion and runoff.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“reduced soil erosion and run-off”
Claim · model-written summary
Conservation agriculture increased available soil moisture and deeper drainage.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“thereby increasing available soil moisture and deeper drainage”
Claim · model-written summary
Conservation agriculture improved physical, chemical and biological soil parameters in the medium to long term.
- Treatment
- CAe0
- Outcome
- Physical, chemical and biological soil parameterse0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Qualifier
- medium to long terme0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Physical, chemical and biological soil parameters were also improved under CA in the medium to long term”
Claim · model-written summary
Conservation agriculture increased crop productivity.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“CA increased crop productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
Conservation agriculture reduced on-farm labor, especially with direct seeding and herbicides.
- Treatment
- CAe0
- Outcome
- on-farm labore0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- especially when direct seeding techniques and herbicides were usede0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“CA increased crop productivity and also reduced on-farm labor, especially when direct seeding techniques and herbicides were used”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend adapting conservation agriculture flexibly across farming systems.
- Outcome
- significant adaptation and flexibility when implementing it across farming systemse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“CA is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution and often needs significant adaptation and flexibility when implementing it across farming systems”
Claim · model-written summary
Conservation agriculture may reduce future soil fertility decline and seasonal dry-spell effects if adoption challenges are overcome.
- Outcome
- reduce future soil fertility decline, the effects of seasonal dry-spellse0
- Qualifier
- if the challenges can be overcomee0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“CA may potentially reduce future soil fertility decline, the effects of seasonal dry-spells and may have a large impact on food security and farmers’ livelihoods if the challenges can be overcome”