Does conservation agriculture promote sustainable intensification in the rice–wheat system of the Indo-Gangetic Plains in India? Empirical evidences from on-farm studies

Abstract

The sustainability of rice–wheat (RW) production system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) of India is being threa-tened by climate change, and land and water degradation. Conservation agriculture practices provide a nature-based solution by addressing these challenges without affecting food security. In this study, a meta-analysis framework was employed to assess the on-farm economic and environmental impacts of CA in the RW system of the Indian IGP. Results show a higher on-farm yield response of CA in wheat (+5.6%) and a slight reduction in rice yield (–0.4%) compared to conventional tillage (CT). Nevertheless, the Eastern IGP witnessed a positive rice yield (+4.3%) under CA. Carbon sequestration po-tential of the RW system was found to be significantly higher (+22.70%) in CA. Implementation of CA practices resulted in a substantial reduction of carbon dioxide (–18.80%) and global warming potential (–23.26%). A significant amount of water was saved following CA practices on farms (+19.78%). From an economic point of view, CA practices were found to be more cost-effec-tive with higher net returns compared to conventional tillage in the study region. Outscaling CA represents a win-win strategy for mitigating climate change without affecting food and livelihood security in the region. Pro-viding payment for ecosystem services and developing cost-effective technologies are critical for the outscaling of CA in the IGP.