Conservation Agriculture is a farming system that promotes minimum soil disturbance (i.e. no tillage), maintenance of a permanent soil cover, and diversification of plant species. It enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface, which contribute to increased water and nutrient use efficiency and to improved and sustained crop production.
(FAO, 2017 http://www.fao.org/conservation-agriculture/en/)
Three principles of Conservation Agriculture:
1. Minimum mechanical soil disturbance
(i.e. no tillage) through direct seed and/or fertilizer placement.
2. Permanent soil organic cover
(at least 30 percent) with crop residues and/or cover crops.
3. Species diversification
through varied crop sequences and associations involving at least three different crops.
Further resources
Further reading
Conservation Agriculture – a sustainable system
Author: Thierfelder, C.; Wall, P.C.
Cereal and legume intercropping in smallholder Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems
Author: Mupangwa, W.; Thierfelder, C.
The importance of crop rotations
Authors: Thierfelder, C.; Wall, P.C.
Implementing Conservation Agriculture (CA) on farmers’ fields
Authors: Mupangwa, W.; Thierfelder, C.
Implementing Conservation Agriculture (CA) on farmers’ fields
Authors: Mupangwa, W.; Thierfelder, C.
Weed control in smallholder Conservation Agriculture
Author: Thierfelder, C.; Wall, P.C.
Cereal and legume intercropping in smallholder Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems
Authors: Mupangwa, W.; Thierfelder, C.
Practical Guide to Conservation Agriculture in West Asia and North Africa
Authors: Rachid Mrabet; Wall Patrick C.
The Basics of Soil Fertility
Authors: Alfred Berner (FiBL), Herwart Böhm (vTI), Robert Brandhuber (LfL Bayern), Josef Braun (organic farmer, Bioland), Uwe Brede (organic farmer), Jean-Louis Colling-von Roesgen (organic farmer), Markus Demmel (LfL Bayern), Hansueli Dierauer (FiBL), Georg Doppler (organic farmer), Bernd Ewald (IBLA), Thomas Fisel (Bioland), Andreas Fließbach (FiBL), Jacques Fuchs (FiBL), Richard Gantlett (organic farmer), Andreas Gattinger (FiBL), Hansueli Häberli (organic farmer), Jürgen Heß (University of Kassel-Witzenhausen), Kurt-Jürgen Hülsbergen (TU München), Martin Köchli (organic farmer, Bioforum), Hartmut Kolbe (LfL Bayern), Martin Koller (FiBL), Paul Mäder (FiBL), Adrian Müller (FiBL), Peter Neessen (organic farmer), Nikola Patzel (FiBL), Lukas Pfiffner (FiBL), Harald Schmidt (SÖL), Stefan Weller (Bioland), Iain Tolhurst (organic farmer), Melanie Wild (LfL Bayern)
The Practical Implementation of Conservation Agriculture in the Middle East
Authors: Stephen Loss, Atef Haddad, Jack Desbiolles, Harun Cicek