Weed management in conservation agriculture in India

Abstract

Conservation agriculture (CA) involves minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover through crop residues or cover crops, and crop rotations for achieving higher productivity. Even though the adoption of CA in India is still in an early stage, it has been successfully used in the irrigated rice-wheat cropping systems of the Indo Gangetic Plains (IGP) and recently been demonstrated in parts of central India. Increased weed problems during the ‘transition period ’tends to be the most common hurdle in adoption of CA by farmers. Research has shown that cover crops could play an important role in weed management in CA systems; however, their level of adoption at present is fairly low. Changes in patterns of tillage, planting systems, and other management strategies can alter the soil environment and lead to a major change in weed flora. Herbicide use has been an extremely important component of weed management in CA systems but greater effort is needed to integrate non-chemical weed control tactics with herbicides. Farmer-participatory model of research has proved highly effective in developing CA in rice-wheat system in the IGP. Efforts are required to increase the rate of adoption of direct seeded rice and zero-till wheat throughout the IGP. At present, residue retention on farmer fields tends to be low. Greater awareness of the benefits of residue retention for improved soil health is worthy of an extension campaign in particular and in India in general. Research effort needs to be enhanced to develop CA and promote its adoption in non-rice-wheat cropping systems in India.