Conservation Agriculture in North-eastern Hill Region of India: Potential and Opportunities for Sustainable Development Anup Das12*, Ghosh P.K.3, Yadav G.S.15, Jayanta Layek2, Babu Subhash25, Singh R.46, Ansari M.A.7 1ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill (NEH) Region, Tripura Centre, Lembucherra, Tripura, India 2ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya, India 3ICAR National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chattishgarh, 4ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Sikkim, India 5ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 6ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 7ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming System Research, Modipuram, Uttar Praesh, India *Corresponding author, Email: anup.das2@icar.gov.in
Online published on 22 March, 2022. Abstract Land degradation due to heavy erosion in steep slopes, soil acidity, faulty cultivation practices and poor nutrient management practices are the major challenges in the North Eastern Hill Region (NEHR) of India. Thus, there is an urgent need to adopt conservation effective farming practices to achieve food and nutritional security in one hand and sustain natural resources base on another. The conservation agriculture (CA) approach is one such practice, which has the potential to meet challenges of hill farming while simultaneously achieving food and environmental security, reduce cost of cultivation, enhance cropping intensity, crop diversification and improve soil properties. The NEHR comprises of about 26.3 million hectares (M-ha) geographical area with diverse agro-climatic conditions, ranging from subtropical humid and warm to temperate to alpine climate. The region receives very high rainfall (> 2000 mm annually) and conventional tillage based intensive system is detrimental to upkeep soil and natural resources base in the region. Slash and burn agriculture is still practiced in about 0.76 M-ha area in the region, which further degrades natural resources and contributes to unsustainability. Residue burning/removal, repeated soil tilling, monocropping, low to very low use of organic manure and fertilizers further contribute to soil loss, poor soil properties, low productivity and income. The NEHR requires distinctive approach to obtain solutions of unique and uncommon problems existing in the region. Long-term research data indicated potential of the CA in addressing the concerns of food and environmental security in the NEHR. The major emphasis is on the minimal/no-till cultivation, residue retention and rational crop diversification/rotation. Cover crops, hedgerow/alley crops (leguminous shrubs), intercropping of legumes/cover crops with cereals (rice, maize), mulching, terrace farming, green leaf manuring, integrated application of fertilizer and organic manure, etc., are found to be suitable components of the CA in diverse locations. Significant improvement in soil properties especially water holding capacity, soil organic carbon content and stocks, biological properties, available nutrient content, productivity and income due to adoption of the CA have been observed from different agro-ecoregions of NEHR. In-spite of its multiple advantages, the CA practices has not been widely adopted by the farmers in the region mainly due to lack of adequate machinery especially lightweight small machines (for example no-till machine), location-specific technologies (especially for weed management), poor understanding and skills. Large scale research, demonstration and capacity building programme along with adequate policy support is required to promote CA in the region with an ultimate objective of achieving sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of zero hunger, conserve natural resources, biodiversity and climate resilient agriculture. Top Keywords Hill agriculture, land degradation, resource conservation, environmental security. Top |