.:: Lao Knowledge Base on Conservation Agriculture ::.
DMC at a glance
A quick DMC refresher for hurried readers…
In response to current global environmental issues—desertification, biodiversity loss, global warming—humankind must absolutely modify its ‘environment-unfriendly’ practices, especially in agriculture. The negative impacts of conventional agricultural practices are well known (land degradation, soil erosion, decline in biodiversity, pollution, desertification, etc.), in addition to all of their dramatic social implications (famine, poverty, out-migration, etc.). It’s time to change! Global food needs are rising with population growth. Agricultural production has to be increased to fulfill these pressing needs. Agricultural systems capable of meeting this challenge must now be productive, profitable and sustainable—increasing production and the quality of produce, boosting farmers’ income, while preserving natural resources and the environment. Through their many positive impacts in the field and globally, DMCs can effectively meet this substantial challenge in both developing and developed countries.
HOW DO THEY WORK? Featured
These techniques involve sowing crops directly in permanent plant cover (residue from the previous crop that has been left on the ground, in addition to mulched dead or live cover). This cover protects the soil from rainfall stress and nourishes microorganisms that vitalize the soil and enhance its fertility. The use of strong-rooting efficient plants (restructuring fibrous root systems of grasses, powerful taproots of atmospheric nitrogen fixing legumes) in cropping sequences promotes impressive ‘biological tillage’ of the soil in conjunction with the work of earthworms, which are in turn preserved because of the absence of tillage.
WHERE ARE THEY USED? Featured
In 2005, 95 million ha were cropped under direct seeding systems worldwide. DMCs are mainly implemented on a very large scale in Brazil (almost 24 million ha in 2005). Through the initiatives of CIRAD (L. Séguy), they have also been adapted (or adaptation is under way) to small-scale family farming conditions in developing countries (Madagascar, Mali, Laos, Cambodia, etc.). DMCs can be adapted and used under most socioeconomic and agroclimatic conditions in the world, and it is even possible to recover land that has been left idle (considered as wasteland) under conventional farming conditions with tillage.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DMC? Featured
DMCs offer major agricultural, environmental and socioeconomic advantages:From an agroenvironmental standpoint, DMCs halt soil erosion which is responsible for waterlogging and destruction of crops and downstream infrastructures (very costly hydroagricultural structures, roads, ditches). By restoring the plant cover, they control runoff, stimulate biological activity in soils, reduce water needs and sequester carbon in the soils (1-2 t/ha/year of carbon, depending on the ecosystem), thus helping to control climate change. DMCs also reduce disease and pest pressure on most crops under all soil climate conditions.From a socioeconomic standpoint, DMCs markedly reduce weeding and tillage operations, as well as associated labour and equipment costs. Yields are stabilized or even increased under a broad range of climatic conditions and cropping systems. Moreover, DMCs do not require large equipment such as tractors or treatments with massive quantities of fertilizers, which are beyond the means of the poorest f ...
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WHY DO THESE TECHNIQUES INTEREST EVEN THE POOREST FARME... Featured
DMC techniques are very popular amongst farmers due to the possibility of increasing their income, reducing laborious work and labour time, enhancing biodiversity (production diversification), thus boosting their food and economic security. The personal benefits, and primarily the increased yields and financial savings, are highly attractive features for farmers. They may also be attracted by the overall benefits for society and the environment, but these aspects are chiefly of interest for governments and the international community (Kyoto Protocol, land management, etc.).DMCs are compatible with all types of mechanization, from simple hand tools to precise agricultural machines, so farmers of all socioeconomic categories are thus concerned. Special equipment has been developed for a range of farming systems. Many plants have already been identified as efficient cover species, and may be adapted to different soil-climate conditions worldwide.
TOWARDS A NEW PARADIGM? Featured
When farmers adopt DMC, major changes are necessary in their crop management patterns (fields) and in the organization and management of farms and the agrarian region. DMCs are relatively complex from a technical and intellectual standpoint—these new agricultural paradigms require relatively long development and adaptation periods, a substantial stakeholder network and major changes in peoples’ strategies and priorities, which may take a few years or as long as one or two generations. DMC is not simply a technical package that can be disseminated, it is a set of practices, methods, systems, etc., and the changes cannot be made from one day to the next! The change process may also be hampered by cultural and social barriers due to tight attachments to conventional farming practices (with tillage, ‘clean’ fields, etc.). This represents a major change in mindset for farmers, as well as for other associative, political and institutional stakeholders.
HOW ARE DMCS DISSEMINATED? Featured
Since DMC is not a technical package but rather an important change affecting the farm and even the entire community, farmers must be efficiently trained to ensure successful dissemination of this innovation. The challenge is thus now to provide farmers and agricultural technicians with ready access to training on DMC techniques. This means organizing the social changes required for large-scale DMC dissemination. Farmers require constant supervision from the outset to facilitate their adoption of these techniques. The public sector and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) should promote this access to information, specific training and farming practices. Betweenfarmer exchanges via associations and networks are highly efficient and beneficial in this respect. Farmers’ organizations indeed play a very important role with respect to adoption, training, information exchange and innovation. Networks are also important to facilitate exchanges between different countries or regions where farmers may be experi ...
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WHAT FACTORS HAMPER DMC ADOPTION BY FARMERS? Featured
Farmers may lack financial resources during the transition phase and for buying special equipment. They may also have to cope with a temporary drop in income. In this setting, regulations and governmental programmes should offer financial incentives to support farmers’ initiatives, while also actively backing farmers’ organizations and networks. The fear of having to deal with problems arising during the initial transition to DMC is actually the main factor hampering dissemination of this innovation. DMC adoption can also be delayed by an adverse political environment (e.g. import subsidies) and also by social factors such as traditional common grazing rights (e.g. in Africa), and age-old habits concerning tillage, etc. Access to equipment and inputs is also a key constraint to DMC adoption. The private sector thus has a major role to play, especially by providing ready access to equipment required to implement DMC.
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