Comparative analysis of conventional and conservation agriculture

The goal of this paper is to analyse the comparative study of both agricultural farming: conventional and conservation agriculture as well as determine which of these technologies encourages sustainable resource management. Unsustainable use of land resources and improper agricultural management lead to the land degradation. Consequently, it negatively affect yields, for this reason, there is need to use an approach, which maximizes the production in an environmental friendly manner at the same time without increasing the production cost. The paper presents qualitative and quantitative comparisons between conventional and conservation agriculture, including statistical and economic data. Based on the comparative analysis conservation agriculture is considered as a proper management system, which meet today’s agricultural challenges by demonstrating potential to secure sustained productivity and livelihoods improvements for millions of climate-dependent farmers. This technology is win-win situation, as it encourages sustainable agricultural development including itself environmental, economic and social values.


Conventional agriculture
Conventional agriculture (farming or tillage) is a set of farming practices, which commonly focus on monoculture and consist of intensive ploughing, heavy irrigation as well as using chemical inputs.Ploughing is the main operation in the conventional agriculture.It reduces weeds problem and facilitates to sow seeds.In the long term, this operation leads to land degradation such as the soil compaction, the reduction of soil organic matter and in the end to the soil erosion.Nowadays, as an alternative technology to the conventional agriculture is used the conservation agriculture, which is integrating environmental, economic and social benefits.

Conservation agriculture
Conservation agriculture (CA) is an approach to managing agro-ecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, increased profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource base and the environment (FAO, 2015).There is inequality between agricultural productivity and world population growth.For this reason, there is need to use an approach, which maximizes the production in an environmental friendly manner at the same time without increasing the production cost.Conservation agriculture, which is more integrated approach, is seen as being able to reduce land degradation and increased food security in a more sustainable way.
The Dust Bowl (Dirty Thirties) destroys the agriculture and environment of the USA and Canada prairies during 1930s (Buonanduci, 2009).It gives impulse to bring up the idea of implementing CA.American authors Edward Faulkner and Louise Bromfield firstly mentioned about CA in their works.Based on FAO explanation CA has main three principles: http://dx.doi.org/10.15414/isd2016.s2.07 minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotation.It is a way to combine profitable agricultural production with environmental concerns and sustainability and it has been proven to work in a variety of agro-ecological zones and farming systems (FAO, 2015).
While implementing CA technology, there are other significant factors, which need keeping under a careful control such as residue, pest and weed managements.CA technology is winwin situation, as it encourages sustainable agricultural development including itself environmental, economic and social values.

Environmental benefits
Firstly, the main reasons that cause the loss of soil moisture are evaporation and runoff.Technically, 60%-70% rainfall is evaporated, 10%-20% loses as runoff and only 10%-20% water that filters into the soil is useful for agriculture (Li Hongwen & Li Wenying, 2012).With maintaining residue on the surface of the land, CA reduces soil erosion as well as provide higher infiltration.Secondly, CA is regarded as carbon sequestration, it has been calculated that the total potential for soil carbon sequestration by agriculture could offset about 40% of the estimated annual increase in CO2 emissions (Robbins, 2004).Therefore, the implementation of this technology to the practice can lead to the reduction of carbon emission and slow down the process of climate change.

Economic benefits
The main economic advantages of CA are time saving and the reduction of cost (labour, fuel, machinery operating and maintenance).It is also main drive for farmers, who depend on family labour.However, the benefits of CA technology from the point of farmers' view are skeptical.Moreover, they are used to cultivate the field under the conventional agriculture and change their mindset requires special measures.To overcome such difficulties the government support, the consultation of NGOs and extension service agencies for explaining CA technology advantages are essential.Some Asian countries, namely China, India and Kazakhstan keep encouraging farmers to implement CA technology including as one of priorities in agrarian national programs.CA in African countries is initiated by both the states and the donor projects.

Social benefit
For long-term CA increases not only yield but also soil organic matter (SOM) and soil biological health.Furthermore, CA represents seventh and eighth goals of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, which is connected with ensuring environmental sustainable as well as building a global partnership for development.Promoting CA globally along with FAO, the European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF), which was established in 1999 as a non-profit making international association, held the first World Congress on Conservation Agriculture in 2001 in Madrid, initiating a series of such congresses: 2003 Brazil, 2005 Kenya, 2009 India, 2011 Australia, 2014 Canada (Friedrich, et al. 2014).World Bank (WB) is also among the proponents of implementing CA.In order to popularize the CA throughout the world, there is need more international, regional and national supports as well as projects and grants for scientists, scholars, extension workers and farmers to study the various aspects of the technology.

Data and Methods
In order to distinguish CA from conventional agriculture, there is given the comparison (Table 1) of both technologies.Obviously, conservation agriculture has more advantages with the exception of weeds issues.However, weed and pest problems are obstacle especially at the beginning of the CA adoption, with time the following problems are solved due to herbicide and pesticide applications.Moreover, the crop rotation as the one of the main principles of CA is preventing crops from spreading different plant pests, which commonly appear in monoculture.

Source: Author
In global scale, CA in both Europe and Africa represent small portions accounting for 1% of world arable area (Diagram 1).With 3% of arable area under CA (more than 4 Mha) in Asia is reaching to Russia and Ukraine (both countries together about 5 Mha).The top three continents, which is intensively use this technology, are South America (44%), North America (32%) and Australia including New Zealand (14%).Analysing the percentage of CA area out of country's arable land, where CA widely practises, it is increasing rapidly (Table 2).Despite extending the area under CA technology in several countries, globally it spreads around the world quite slowly.Europe, Asia and Africa are still considered as the developing continents of implementing this technology.There is the main challenge: changing farmers' mind set from the conventional tillage to CA.To overcome this issue, the government support and policy for CA are essential to conduct.Some Asian countries, namely China, India and Kazakhstan keep encouraging farmers to implement CA technology including as one of priorities in agrarian national programmes.CA in African countries are initiated by both the states and the donor projects.As the one of economic advantages of CA is time saving, which attracts the most of farmers.
Comparing CA with conventional tillage for mechanized operations (Table 3), it can be seen that for 1 ha there is need 6.17 hours under conventional tillage and 3.78 hours in CA.It shows that farmers can save 39% of their mechanized operations by implementing CA.Land preparation activities is also time-consuming, they can involve to the process agricultural machinery, animal traction or manual work.Actually, manual work is typical for small garden.There are commonly used tractors or animal tractions in big farms.Comparing the time requirements for land preparation activities under conventional tillage with CA (Table 4), in conventional tillage for 1 ha farmers spend 2.9 hours by tractor and 33 hours with animal traction, as far CA there are need only 1.2 hours by tractor and 4.5 hours with animal traction.Such as big difference in time appears due to the practices of ploughing, harrowing and furrowing under conventional tillage, which is not implemented in CA technology.Crop yields in CA can be the same or higher compared to conventional tillage system (Table 5).However, there is possibility that it can be lower at the beginning of CA implementation.
With the appropriate management of residues, pests and weeds, CA gives its positive results for the long term.It should also be noted that during water deficiency period or uncomfortable climate conditions there are more crop yields in CA compared with conventional tillage because of residue on the surface, which keeps fields more moisture.

Results and Discussion
CA technology is getting more popular in South America, North America and Australia.Europe, Asia and Africa are considered as the developing continents of implementing this technology.The one of economic advantages of CA is time saving, which attracts the most of farmers.By implementing this technology farmers save 39% of working hours for mechanized operations and 59% working hours for land preparation activities with tractors.Crop yields in CA can be the same or higher compared to conventional tillage system for the long term and it can be lower at the beginning of CA implementation phase.The benefits of CA technology from the point of farmers' view are skeptical.In order to change their mindset, the support and policy by the government as well as specialized trainings by extension service agencies and NGOs are required.During implementing CA technology, there are need to pay careful attention on residue, pest and weed managements and follow the main principles of CA, and then expected results can be achieved.

Conclusion
CA technology is a climate resilient technology and management system that has demonstrated potential to secure sustained productivity and livelihoods improvements for millions of climate-dependent farmers.This technology is win-win situation, as it encourages sustainable agricultural development including itself environmental, economic and social values.Comparing CA with conventional agriculture, CA technology has more advantages.Despite the rapid development of CA in Americas, the overall adoption levels of CA in the world remain low.In order to popularize the CA technology, there is need international, regional and national support.Government policy, the trainings of extension service agencies http://dx.doi.org/10.15414/isd2016.s2.07 and NGOs play an important role for adopting and disseminating this technology, as there is prospective future for developing CA in Europe, Asia and Africa continents.

Figure 1 :
Figure 1: Area under CA by continent ). Overview of the global spread of conservation agriculture