With reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of Conservation Agriculture a

Question

With reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of Conservation Agriculture assumes significance. Which of the following fall under the Conservation Agriculture?Avoiding the monoculture practicesAdopting minimum tillageAvoiding the cultivation of plantation cropsUsing crop residues to cover soil surfaceAdopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop rotationsSelect the correct answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

Conservation Agriculture is a set of soil management practices that minimize the disruption of the soil's structure, composition, and natural biodiversity. Despite high variability in the types of crops grown and specific management regimes, all forms of conservation agriculture share three core principles. These include:Maintenance of permanent or semi-permanent soil cover (using either a previous crop residue or specifically growing a cover crop for this purpose)Minimum soil disturbance through tillage (just enough to get the seed into the ground)Regular crop rotations to help combat the various biotic constraintsCA also uses or promotes where possible or needed various management practices listed below:Utilization of green manures/cover crops (GMCC's) to produce the residue coverNo burning of crop residuesIntegrated disease and pest managementControlled/limited human and mechanical traffic over agricultural soilsWhen these CA practices are used by farmers, one of the major environmental benefits is reduction in fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But they also reduce the power/energy needs of farmers who use manual or animal powered systems.