Managing weeds in conservation agriculture systems in the non-IGPs of India

A.R. Sharma

ICAR-Directorate of Weed Research

Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh

Conservation agriculture –A new paradigm in resource management

• Zero-till cultivation of crops, with residue management and diversified crop rotations

• Widely adopted in USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Australia on > 157 M ha.

• In Asia, the adoption is slow but progressing.

• Work started in India about 2 decades ago, zero-till wheat sowing reached nearly 3 M ha in the IGPs but now stagnant or declining.

• No major initiative in the non-IGPs covering central, south, west and NE India.

Successful adoption of CA-based technologies in non-IGPs of India

Region Institutions involved

Mahakaushalregion

ICAR-DWR and BISA, Jabalpur

Coastal A.P. IIMR, Hyderabad

Konkan Region Shaguna Bag, Mumbai

NEH region CAU, Imphal; DRMR, Bharatpur

• Rice is predominantly grown in eastern and coastal areas of India, following which lands remain mostly fallow

• Relay / sequence cropping with short duration pulses / oilseeds is practiced in limited areas but yields are low due to poor crop stand and weed growth

• Blackgram was popular in coastal AP but affected by mosaic and Cuscuta

• There is immense potential for productive utilization of these lands through CA technology

Productive utilization of rice fallows in coastal

Andhra Pradesh through CA technology

Zero-till maize / sorghum cultivation in coastal Andhra Pradesh, India

• Zero-till maize (in assured irrigated areas) and sorghum (less irrigated areas) are gaining popularity among farmers in rice fallows

• Sowing is done manually in wet soil in holes after harvest of preceding rice crop during mid-December, and fertilizers are applied after about one month, and 2-3 irrigations may be applied thereafter

• Weeds are controlled by tank-mix application of atrazine + paraquat (0.75 kg + 0.50 kg/ha) just after sowing but before crop emergence

Double wheel hole maker

Tractor-drawn hole maker

Seeding technology for maize / sorghum in rice fallows

under zero-till conditionSingle point hole maker

Agronomic management of zero-till maize / sorghum

Atrazine (0.75 kg/ha) + paraquat

(0.50 kg/ha) used as pre-emSevere infestation of weeds

Fertilizer placement after one month of sowing Harvesting after 100-115 days

Zero-till maize in coastal A.P.

25 days of growth 55 days of growth

Zero-till sorghum at 30

days of growth

Harvested crop of

zero-till sorghum

Success story of ZT- sorghum / maize revolution in rice fallows of coastal AP

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Gra

in y

ield

(t/

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Sorghum Maize Blackgram

SAGUNA RICE TECHNIQUE (SRT)Zero till, broad-bed conservation agriculture method

C. H. Bhadsavle

Awardee:

ICAR Jagjivan Ram Puraskar

ICID Watsave Farmer Award (2016)

Earth Care Award (2016)

• Shaguna Rice Technique (SRT) is a basically broad-bed

zero-till technology. It is primarily meant for rice but can also

be extended to other crops like groundnut, lablab bean,

greengram and vegetable crops grown in succession.

• This technology involves preparing broad-beds (about 1 m

wide) either manually with spade or with tractor-drawn bed

maker, markings on the beds with a specially-designed

implement, placing the seeds and fertilizer manually, and

using herbicides for weed control but without any crop

residues as mulch cover.

• The technology has found wide acceptance among the

farmers as it saved time, cost, improved soil fertility, crop

yields and profitability compared with conventional

transplanting of rice following puddling.

Shaguna Rice Technology

• Considering the erratic rainfall pattern of the region, it is

advisable to advance the sowing of rice to last week of May

or early June so that seeds germinate with the early

monsoon showers by mid-June and attain enough growth

before heavy rains start from June-end.

• Farmers having irrigation facility can go for irrigation

immediately after sowing. Fertilizer should be basally

placed to provide a initial boost to the growth of plants.

• It is essential to use herbicides before sowing, after sowing

and also during crop growth period for weed control. A light

manual weeding can also be done to avoid seed set from

the left over weed plants and minimize the problem in the

next season.

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• Crabs are a serious problem in early stages, which must

be controlled using the appropriate insecticides like thimet

/ furadon. Similarly, wild boars, birds, rats, termites and

other insects should be controlled with available

technologies.

• SRT appeared to be more suitable to small farmers and

those having family labour as a team of 4-5 persons is

required for sowing an area of one acre in a day.

• Large farmers owing >10 acres of land can use a tractor-

drawn zero-till seed-cum-fertilizer drill which will further

reduce the cost / time and also ensure optimum crop

stand. The benefits will multiply if a part of the crop

residues is retained on the soil surface.

14/48

Zero-till cultivation of rapeseed-mustard in NEH region

• Rice fallows: monocropping due to water scarcity,

short time lag after rice harvest, incidence of pests

and diseases in late-sown crops

• Zero-till rapeseed mustard – promoted by CAU,

Imphal and DRMR, Bharatpur

• Rapeseed (yellow sarson, Ragini) and mustard

(NRCHB 110) yielded >10 q/ha under ZT rainfed

conditions (no rainfall, no irrigation)

• More than 2000 farmers across villages in 10 districts

of Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh adopted

this technology on >1000 ha during Rabi 2012-13,

which has covered more acreage since then.

Zero-till cultivation of rapeseed-mustard

• ZT helped in timely sowing

(October), conserved soil

moisture, saved time and

tillage cost, protected soil

against erosion and increased

SOM.

• Benefits: increased

productivity, reduced cost of

cultivation, higher income,

increased crop intensity

• Success indicates that

rapeseed –mustard is a climate

resilient crop, can be grown

without water in residual soil

moisture condition.

Yie

ld (

t/h

a)

No. of

farm

ers

/ A

rea (

ha)

Apiculture was integrated with toria (4 bee hives/ha) which provided Rs.

2000/ha as additional income. Presently >2000 ha is cultivated under no-

till rapeseed in Imphal valley, Manipur).

0.64

0.730.79

0.880.92

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150

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250

2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

No of farmers Area (ha) Yield (t/ha)

Success story of transplanted mustard cultivation in Umeria

district of M.P.

Nursery raising and transplanting for mustard cultivation

Bumper crop of mustard

Mustard crop at maturity

Growth and yield attributes of mustard

• Plant height at maturity : 135-140 cm

• Siliqua per plant : 4000 - 4500

• Seeds per siliqua : 14 - 19

• 1000 seed weight : 5.4 - 5-6 g

• Seed yield : 4.04 - 5.73 t/ha

• Net income : Rs. 1,17,000/-, with B : C ratio of 3.95

Results of on-farm trials on mustard

Farmer Village Area

(ha)

Produce

(kg/

25 m2)

Seed yield

(t/ha)

Dilip Singh Ghanghati 0.24 10.10 4.04

Bhama Naik Ghanghati 0.08 11.03 4.41

G. Singh Damna 0.20 10.64 4.25

Satyanarayan Damna 0.10 12.48 4.99

Gopal Singh Damna 0.10 13.85 5.54

Swamideen Rakhi 0.10 10.80 4.32

Jagdish Rakhi 0.32 10.64 4.25

Kalawati Vijhria 0.10 14.32 5.72

Mean 4.69

Flagship Programme

Weed management in conservation agriculture systems

• A major programme on weed management in conservation agriculture systems was taken up at HQ as well as AICRP centres in diversified cropping systems.

• Entire research farm of the Directorate (150 acres) was covered under CA in a period of 2 years by 2014-15.

• Presently, we have achieved 300% cropping intensity over the entire farm area following the principles of CA.

• We are the first Institute of the NARES to fully adopt this technology at the research farm.

Flagship research programme on conservation agriculture

Experiments on weed management in conservation agriculture systems

Initiated long-term experiments from 2012:

1. Rice – wheat - greengram cropping system

2. Rice – mustard – greengram system

3. Rice - winter maize system

4. Rice - chickpea / peas – greengram system

From 2013:

1. Soybean – wheat - greengram cropping system

2. Maize – wheat – greengram system

3. Maize – chickpea – greengram system

4. Cotton – wheat system

From 2014:

1. Sugarcane – based cropping system

Long-term impact of herbicides in rice-wheat-greengram sequence under conservation agriculture

Tr. Kharif season (Rice) Rabi season (Wheat) Summer greengram

1 DSR* – CT + S CT ZT

2 DSR – CT + R + S CT + R ZT + R

3 DSR – ZT + S ZT ZT

4 DSR - ZT + R + S ZT + R ZT + R

5 Transplanted rice CT -

Sub-plot treatments (Rice):

1 Weedy check

2 Continuous use of bispyribac sodium 25 g/ha (+ including pre-sowing application of non-selective herbicides only in ZT)

3 Rotational use of herbicides (Rice)

Sub-Sub Treatment (Wheat)

1 Weedy check

2 Continuous use of clodinafop 60 g/ha + sulfosulfuron 25 g/ha

3 Rotational use of herbicides (Wheat)

On-Farm Research Trials during 2012-2014

• Panagar (Bharda, Mahagawa, Brahamnoda)

• Bankhedi (Dhanwahi)

• Majholi (Pola)

• Kundam (Kalyanpur, Padariya, Ranipur)

• Gosalpur (Bhadam, Khajri, Simariya)

• Shahpura (Magarmuha, Tipra, Noni)

Areas covered during 2012-14)

Year District / locality

Villages

2012-13 Jabalpur (Panagar)

Brahmnoda, Mahgawa, Simariya, Bharda

2013-14 Jabalpur (Panagar)

Bharda, Mahgawa, Nipaniya

2014-15 Jabalpur (Panagar)

Bharda, Beher, Bijora, Junwani, Baroda, Kohna,Mohlajhir, Footatal

Damoh Through KVK

Katni Through KVK)

Narisngpur Gotegaon (Through KVK)

District Villages Team Day of visit

Seoni Ghogari Nagam, NaganDeori, Dongargaon, Ghogari Nagan

Sushil Kumar, YogitaGharde, VC Tyagi

Monday

Mandla Lalipur, Bhawal, Bijegaon, Goojarsani

PK SinghBhumesh KumarShobha Sondhia

Tuesday

Narsinghpur Khamariya, Atariya, Simariya, Simarikheda, Bagali

DK PandeyPJ KhankhaneSC Singhariya

Wednesday

Katni Chitwara, Banda, Bichiya, Ghughra, Lakhapateri

RP DubeyPP ChoudhuryMeenal rathore

Friday

Jabalpur Bharda, Beher RS Upadhyay -

Adoption under ‘Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav’

(Since 2015)

Zero-till wheat sowing after rice harvest using

Happy Seeder (2012-13)

Zero-till sown winter season crops after rice harvest

Conventional tillage Zero-tillage

Zero-till sown rabi crops of maize, mustard and chickpea

On-farm research trials on zero-till wheat

(2012-13)

On-Farm trials at Mandla (2015-16)

On-Farm trials at Mandla (2015-16)

Field condition at sowing (infested

with Saccharum)

Wheat crop during February, 2016

Wheat crop in Goojarsani village, Mabdla (February, 2016)

Excellent crop stand and

growth of wheat under CA

at Narsinghpur (January,

2016)

Zero-till wheat suffering from

nutrient and water stress at

Narsinghpur (January, 2016)

On-Farm trials at Narsinghpur (2015-16)

Management of weedy rice through conservation

agriculture (Summer, 2015)

Zero-till soybean under CA at DWR Farm in

4th crop cycle (August, 2016)

Zero-till rice under conservation agriculture in

4th cropping cycle at DWR Farm (August, 2016)

Farmer–scientist interactions on conservation agriculture technology

On-farm demonstrations in greengram (2013)

Farmers from village Simaria, Khinni, Bhadam-Khajuri in Kisan Gosthi

Farmers Farmers from village Bijora in Kisan Gosthi organized by DWR

Farmers from village Bijora in Kisan Gosthi organized by DWR

Zero-till mustard after rice

Zero-till transplanted mustard

Salient observations

• Equal crop yields were recorded under zero-till (with

or without residue) and conventional till conditions in

the first two cropping cycles

• Beneficial effects of residue retention under zero-till

condition were apparent in the 3rd cropping cycle

• Control of most weed species including weedy rice

was successfully achieved following integrated

approach

• There was no major shift of weed species towards

perennial weeds

Salient observations • Sowing of most crops was possible with happy seeder

under crop residue up to 6 t/ha

• Systems approach involving suitable adjustment of

sowing date, seed rate, basal fertilization, early first

irrigation, uniform residue spreading, pest

management etc. was required

• Physico-chemical and biological properties of soil

showed visible improvement in the 3rd cycle

• CA appears to be the most promising technology for

vertisols / black cotton soils and can revolutionize

wheat cultivation in central India

Tips for successful crop production under

conservation agriculture

• Ensure prefect leveling of the field through laser aided

equipments

• Kill all previously growing green vegetation (weeds)

through non-selective herbicides before sowing

• Optimum soil moisture at sowing – nether too dry nor too

wet

• Uniform and adequate amount of crop residues or any

other biomass as surface mulch

• A perfect well calibrated seeding machine for the given

crop, preferably happy seeder

• Proper placement of seed and fertilizer at the desired soil

depth

• Use 20% more seed and N fertilizer than normal

• Apply at least 50% N along with full P and K at sowing.

Do not broadcast basal fertilizer.

• Spray the recommended pre- and / or post-emergence herbicides for weed control. Use broad-spectrum herbicides or mixtures wherever available.

• Top dressing of N should be done after about a month, following post-emergence herbicides and irrigation, if applicable.

• Use appropriate insecticide for control of termites, rodents and other pests. Seed treatment with chloropyriphos for termite control is recommended.

• Ensure a good initial crop stand – apply first irrigation after sowing if the initial soil moisture at sowing is not enough for germination.

• Irrigations can be delayed by 7-10 days under conditions of sufficient mulch cover compared with conventional owing on clean land surface

• A manual weeding may be necessary after about 50-60 days of growth. Don’t allow the perennial weeds to proliferate and nip them in bud.

• Grow up to 3 or more crops annually in a field under irrigated conditions. Follow intercropping system wherever feasible. Do not leave the land uncovered at any time.

• Must include a cover crop like summer greengram, blackgram or green manure crops of sunnhemp, Sesbania, cowpea. Retain the residue on surface – no incorporation.

• It is preferable to follow zero-till sowing in all crops in the sequence to get maximum benefit in the long-run. Start with rabi and summer season crops initially, and then shift to rainy season crops after gaining experience in this method of cultivation.

• Follow raised-bed method for sowing for crops like maize, cotton, pigeonpea, soybean, greengram, and even wheat and mustard.

Impact at DWR research farm• Timely sowing of all crops

o Rainy season crops including rice by June-end;

o Winter seasons crops: mustard and chickpea by

October-end; wheat by 10 November

o Summer season crops: greengram / blackgram by

10 April; and sunnhemp / dhaincha green manuring

by April-end.

• Cropping intensity increased from around

150% in 2012 to 250% by 2014-15; and 300% by

2015-16.

• Efficient water management, reduced

irrigations requirements (1-2 less than normal)

Impact at DWR research farm

• Large savings in diesel cost, repair and

maintenance of tractors and other

machinery; reduced labour requirement

• Apparent improvement in soil health – loose

and friable structure

• Higher crop productivity (>10 t/ha/year)

• Reduced weed infestations (and fertilizer

requirements)

• Model research farm

• Launching of a Mega Project for promotion of

Conservation Agriculture in Madhya Pradesh

• Target: Zero-till cultivation on 50 lakh ha over

the next 5 years

• Partners: DWR, JNKVV, KVKs, BISA and State

Agriculture Department

• Establishment of custom hiring centres for

machinery and other equipments

• Training and awareness programmes on CA

Mega Project on CA in Madhya Pradesh

Constraints

• Mindset: Transition from conventional farming to no-till agriculture is difficult

• CA technologies – knowledge intensive, require situational analysis and location specificity. Knowledge about CA is precursor for change.

• Weed control – knowledge on new herbicide molecules and choices are limited.

• Poor access and costly CA machinery. Poor quality prototypes in market.

• On-station research vs farmer participatory approaches

Constraints

• Farmers training and capacity lagging behind

• Extension system failed in delivery of any knowledge intensive technology

• Potential of ICT being harnessed only cosmetically

• Risk of crop failure under conditions of inefficient management

• Large scale burning of crop residues and open grazing by domestic animals during summer

What needs to be done ?• Adopt resource conserving technologies on-station

fully

• Large scale demonstrations / On-farm research trials

• Trainings and exposure visits to farmers and other stakeholders

• Collaboration with multi-stakeholders

• Subsidy on new farm machinery

• Incentives for not burning crop residues

• Easy availability of custom hiring services

• Good quality and easy availability of herbicides

• Policy support

• It is possible to achieve the same or evenhigher yield with zero-tillage as withconventional tillage.

• Retention of crop residues on soil surface isessential for success of zero-tillage in thelong-run.

• Zero-tillage along with residue hasbeneficial effects on soil moisture,temperature moderation, fertility and weedcontrol.

Conclusions

• Integrated weed management involving

chemical and non-chemical methods (no-till,

residue, cover crop) is essential for success

of CA systems in the long-run.

• Conservation agriculture is a machine-,

herbicide– and management-driven

agriculture for its successful adoption.

• Conservation agriculture has immense

potential to revolutionize crop production in

many regions including eastern India.

Conclusions …