Advances in Conservation Agriculture Volume 1

“This edifying book is a compendium of much of what we have learnt across the world about CA. Its authors have all been deeply and enthusiastically involved in one way or another in the remarkable evolution and spread of Conservation Agriculture in recent decades. It will serve as an immensely valuable source of reference – and inspiration - for all those who are committed to putting the world’s food systems on a truly sustainable footing. It is with great pleasure, therefore, that I commend this book to you.” from the Foreword to the volume by Qu Dongyu, Director General, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) This volume summarises research on key components for successful Conservation Agriculture (CA), including no-till techniques, soil cover and cropping systems as well as the role of livestock and agroforestry in CA. Chapters review the latest research on ways of optimising no-till techniques to minimise soil disturbance in relation to seeding, weeding and other operations. Chapters also review ways to improve soil health in CA, including mulch cover, cover crops, rotations and intercropping. The book also includes case studies on optimising CA in particular systems, including rice, root, tuber and horticultural crops as well as integrating livestock in CA systems. The book concludes by looking at certification schemes and institutional support to promote good CA practice. With its distinguished editor and team of expert contributors, this will be a standard reference on improving Conservation Agriculture practice. The book is accompanied by a companion volume on optimising individual CA practices such as crop nutrition, irrigation and pest management. Professor Amir Kassam is Visiting Professor at the University of Reading (UK) and Moderator of the FAO-hosted Global Platform for Conservation Agriculture Community of Practice (Global CA-CoP). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (UK) and has received an OBE from the British Government for services to tropical agriculture and to rural development. Prof. Kassam is Chair of the International Conservation Agriculture Advisory Panel for Africa (ICAAP-Africa), Member of the European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF) and Vice-Chair of the Conservation Agriculture Association for the UK (CA-UK). He is former Chair of the Aga Khan Foundation (UK), the FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance Europe Foundation and the Tropical Agriculture Association (TAA). He has held senior positions at international organisations such as the FAO and CGIAR and has worked with many national and international programmes on sustainable agricultural development. He has published widely on Conservation Agriculture.