Harnessing Conservation Agriculture for Climate Resilience
摘要
Climate change have grown worldwide due to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, which are mostly caused by burning fossil fuels, burning organic matter, and unsustainable land practices. CO2 emissions have increased due to the industrial revolution, which has caused concentrations to rise and changes to CO2 sequestration in agricultural soils. Changes in land use, such as deforestation, burning of biomass, modifications to agricultural operations, drainage of natural wetlands, and improper soil management techniques, have increased these emissions even more. Small landholder farms’ food insecurity may get worse due to the anticipated climate change brought on by emissions from the use of fossil fuels and changes in land usage. Agronomic output is low due to low soil organic carbon (SOC) pools, low plant nutrient reserves, low plant-available water capacity, and degraded soils on 500 million small landholder farms. These farms are also very vulnerable to unpredictable and shifting weather patterns. According to projections, the production of maize could decrease by 10% and the yield of rice will decrease by 10% for every degree Celsius increase in temperature by 2050. Therefore, a crucial element of the sustainable intensification of small-scale farming may include climatic resistance. Conservation agriculture (CA) may be a significant choice in this situation. CA provides many advantages, including erosion management, water saving, sequestering SOC, and raising agricultural income and profitability when adjusted for site-specific conditions. Countries like Brazil, Kenya, including India doing excellent in conservation agriculture and contributing in reducing changing climate. Soil carbon sequestration can be used as a comprehensive and successful strategy to mitigate present climate changes by replenishing depleted soils, increasing biomass production, cleaning surface and groundwater, and balancing CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. Conservation agriculture may be a possible solution by adopting innovative strategies, which are vital in handling the challenges presented by recent environmental changes.