Previous Year 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 practices
Adopting minimum tillage
Avoiding the cultivation of plantation crops
Using crop residues to cover soil surface
Adopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop rotations
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1, 3 and 4 only
2, 3, 4 and 5 only
2, 4 and 5 only
1, 2, 3 and 5 only
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Conservation agriculture has three principal operational foundations:
minimum mechanical disturbance of soil;
permanent organic cover over the soil surface;
crop diversification and appropriate crop rotations.
Statement 1 is not included in the correct option.
General avoidance of monoculture can be beneficial for biodiversity and soil health.
However, the statement presents it as an independent operational practice of conservation agriculture.
The more precise conservation-agriculture principle is crop diversification and spatial or temporal crop rotation, which is separately expressed by Statement 5.
Therefore, according to the structure of the question and the prescribed principles, Statement 1 is not selected.
Statement 2 is correct—minimum tillage.
Under conservation agriculture, tillage is minimized or zero tillage is adopted.
This reduces disturbance of soil structure and the habitat of soil microorganisms.
It reduces soil erosion, loss of moisture, fossil-fuel consumption and cultivation costs associated with repeated tillage.
Minimum tillage does not mean that no mechanical operation can ever be undertaken; it means reducing unnecessary soil disturbance.
Statement 3 is incorrect.
Conservation agriculture does not prohibit the cultivation of plantation crops.
Its principles can also be applied in plantations, orchards and other perennial cropping systems.
For example, organic ground cover, mulch, cover crops and minimum soil disturbance can be useful in plantation agriculture.
Statement 4 is correct—covering soil with crop residues.
Instead of burning or completely removing crop residues after harvesting, they are retained on the field surface.
Residues reduce the direct impact of raindrops and surface runoff, thereby limiting soil erosion.
The cover reduces evaporation, conserves soil moisture, moderates temperature fluctuations and helps increase soil organic matter.
Statement 5 is correct—spatial and temporal crop diversification.
Temporal sequencing means following crop rotations across different seasons or years.
Spatial sequencing can include intercropping, mixed cropping or crop associations.
Inclusion of legumes in rotations can assist biological nitrogen fixation, balanced use of nutrients and disruption of pest and disease cycles.
Different root systems obtain water and nutrients from different soil layers.