Conservation Agriculture Research Updates - April 2026

This review from Zimbabwe reviews the Pfumvudza/Intwasa initiative that has been promoting conservation agriculture (CA) practices among smallholder farmers in this country. In terms of policy this project provides guidelines for implementation, resource allocation, and support systems. The review examines the role of government policies and institutional frameworks in sustaining CA practices in Zimbabwe using a literature review analyzing peer-reviewed articles, policy documents, and government reports published between 2000 and 2024. Results both strengths and limitations. The authors mention that policies promote conservation agriculture, inclusive participation, and resource distribution, but challenges such as inadequate institutional coordination, limited extension services, and funding constraints limit the success of this program. The report recommends "policy harmonization, targeted investments in extension services, and the promotion of equitable resource distribution. Additionally, leveraging technology for monitoring, enhancing market access for smallholders, and fostering public-private partnerships will support the scalability and sustainability of this project"

This paper from India starts by saying India with 121 million small and marginal holdings, faces challenges from a growing population, limited land, and restricted resources.Their review identifies potential innovative technologies suitable for resource poor farmers and what effective ways are needed like public-private partnerships, cooperative farming, and custom hiring centers to overcome adoption barriers and identified enabling factors such as funding, education, and institutional support. They also suggest that a multi-faceted approach with policy, financial, and educational support is essential for adoption. They conclude that findings are relevant to policymakers and development practitioners focused on enhancing food security and resilience in smallholder farming.

This paper mentions that maize, wheat and rice account for 90% of the total cereal production globally. They suggest that a new approach to cereal production is needed to overcome food insecurity, climate changes and unsustainable land use. They propose that integrated crop management (ICM) is an avenue to explore. This article reviews 108 studies from literature over the last 23 years.The review the data from Asia, China, USA, and Africa. Their data shows that ICM increased yields in rice, wheat and maize but despite this potential, widespread adoption faces technical, climate-related and economic issues.  They suggest that overcoming these issues requires targeted training, improved extension, and supportive policies.

This is an interesting review of how Brazilian farmers moved from a tillage intensive farming system to one that used no-till, permanent soil cover, and rotations or conservation agriculture. In Brazil over 52 years, no-tillage systems (NTS) evolved allowing Brazil to move from a major importer of agricultural products to one of the largest producers and exporters globally. This paper reviews how this came about. It was spontaneous without any specific incentive program or policy. It was also because of the farming sector in Brazil who was responsible for this mobilization and sought alternatives that led to less impacting soil management allowing a more sustainable intensification of agriculture. The farmer sector included farmer organizations and companies responsible for supply of inputs and equipment suitable for seeding in no-till soil with permanent residue soil cover. Academia and research acted in the background at the strat but have now become more active. 

This interesting paper from Science promotes the future use of Drones and the paper says that uses of drones in agriculture has taken off globally in the past 5 years. This rapid change has been largely unnoticed by researchers outside of the specialized technical worlds of aeronautical engineering and precision agriculture. This paper explores the diffusion and implications of drones for agriculture amd implications for sustainability. It also proposes an agenda for future agricultural science and policy.

This paper from Uganda looks at the adoption of sustainable agricultural intensification practices (SAIPs) recommended for smallholder farmers.320 maize farmers were interviewed in 2 Districts. Results showed that improved maize varieties, conservation tillage, legume intercrop, integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), and integrated pest management (IPM) were adopted by 58, 36, 44, 52, and 56% of the farmers. Institutional factors were significant predictors of adoption. Socioeconomic factors only positively influenced adoption intensity for SAIPs. Two policy recommendations were to strengthen agricultural extension and promote the use of village level credit services to enhance adoption.

As the global population rises, ensuring food security through sustainable agriculture practices has become imperative to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). This research review endeavours to add to the discourse surrounding the obstacles and possibilities in shifting towards sustainable agriculture globally, exploring the roles of SDGs and traditional farming practices.Their findings underscore the urgent need for a holistic and integrated approach that aligns with the SDGs, fostering resilience, environmental stewardship, and equitable development within the global agricultural sector.

Despite CA being promoted and a possible solution for food insecurity resulting from climate shocks and soil degradation, adoption in Malawi is still low. This paper looked at social capital as a way of approving adoption. The interviewed 1512 smallholder farmers to find out how different social capital elements influenced farmer decisions to adopt CA. Factors that positively affected adoption were group membership, relations with leadership, land size, extension services, livestock ownership, and available credit. Full adoption of CA was limited compared to partial adoption. They conclude that better policy is needed to promote farmer organizations, community engagement, and training programs to enhance adoption.

This chapter describes the challenges facing this part of the World that includes Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Sudan mostly due to high population growth rates, youth unemployment, increasing food needs, variable income levels and threatened fragile natural resources. The chapter describes the introduction of conservation agriculture and its adoption in this area and how there was a need to dismantle barriers and promote this management system to improve replace traditional systems that result in degradation of the environment and lead to reduced productivity.

This paper looks at farmer strategies for future climate variability and climate change in Tanzania. They used a cross-sectional research design in a survey of a random sample of 330 small-scale farmers. The results show that farmers use a number of strategies, but 4 key adaptation strategies - drought resistant varieties, earlier maturing varieties, resistant livestock breeds and conservation agriculture (CA) - emerged. Farmers also used more then one strategy with choice determined by multiple factors. The paper categorizes the factor into 4 groups that in summary include individual farmer/household; farm characteristics; institutional factors and; local knowledge. They suggest these factors should be available for policy development.

This article reviews the question "Can farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) increase yields and make food more available without using mineral fertilizer?" Supporters that say yes suggest that the principles of agroecology that rely on recycling, better efficiency and practices such as use of legumes and manure will mean more chemical fertilizer is not needed to raise yields. But this paper after extensive literature review suggests that more mineral fertilizer is needed in SSA. They put forward 5 reasons for this conclusion and can be found in this paper. They conclude there is a critical need for more mineral fertilizer in combination with the use of agroecological practices backed up by adequate policy support.

This study used an Analytical Hierarchy Process to identify what farmers and experts assign as soil health indicators that they identify as useful in CA systems. Results showed that farmers give priority to soil nitrogen, SOC, and soil water content. Experts assigned soil organic carbon, soil water content, soil respiration, and soil microbial biomass. Both farmers and experts prefer no-till and reduced tillage to enhance soil health. They conclude that their results were useful to inform policy makers to support no-tillage crop management and would also be useful for crafting a soil health policy for transitions to sustainable and healthy ecosystems.

This issue includes the Declaration of the 8th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture (8WCCA) and its inaugural speech. Ten articles by leading international experts cover the four themes: Improving soil health by restoring agricultural lands with CA; Reducing pollution from chemicals and dust and dust with CA; Mitigating and adapting to climate change with CA; and Policy and institutional support for environmental land management with CA. They mention in the summary that it is hoped this special issue will be of interest and value not only to TAA International members but also to a much wider readership in the UK and beyond; to farmers, researchers, academics, students, extensionists, private and public sector institutions, and policy makers, as well as to concerned people worldwide.

This paper from China compares the Agricultural Eco-Efficiency (AEE) between conventional tillage (CT) and conservation tillage (CA = no-till plus residue mulch) 2000-2020 using various models. Their results overall show that the AEE under conservation tillage is greater than under CT with both systems exhibiting an initial decline followed by an increase over time. However, there was differences between provinces because of contrasting tillage systems an d trends over time. They conclude "The long-term evolution of AEE in individual provinces is shaped by a combination of geospatial patterns, initial conditions, and other influencing factors. These findings provide valuable insights for policy formulation, the dissemination of conservation tillage, and the advancement of sustainable agricultural."

Nepal agriculture is challenged by environmental degradation, labor shortages, and increasing feminization of farming as a result of male outmigration. CA offers a solution but adoption needs to increase. This paper examines issues related to adoption CA as more women become empowered in agriculture. The surveyed 383 farmers across 3 Districts and found that 73% of respondents were willing to adopt CA because of climate concerns, economic incentives and market access. They believe that CA enhances sustainability, resilience, and income are also more likely to engage, while market dissatisfaction presents a challenge. Getting subsidies is associated with adoption of CA. Barriers for women include household responsibilities, lack of education and training, and limited financial access. They conclude that targeted policies, institutional support, and market-based incentives are essential for increasing adoption by women farmers. 

This paper indicates that CA adoption in India is mostly in the irrigated IndoGangetic Plains and typically uses agrochemicals. This study explores the adoption of CA in a rainfed area of Central India  where farms are organic and look at the factors that led to adoption. Results showed that the variables that were important were farmers’ age, household size (a proxy for labour), extension frequency, farmer’s initiative-taking ability, farming experience, and market accessibility. The majority (90%) of the adopters indicated improvements in soil health, reduction in water use, and increases in yields and quality. They also indicated (80%) that CA led to lower costs, and higher incomes. However, biomass was an issue since farmers use the residues for cattle feed. The conclude that "To scale CA and produce food sustainably in rainfed areas, it is necessary to initiate supporting policy and institutional interventions that would improve extension, biomass production, and availability within the farming system.

This review article looks at the relationship between agroecology and water management in order to identify strategies for sustainable agriculture in North African countries. The paper looks at agroecological approaches to water management, including agroforestry, conservation agriculture, water-efficient irrigation, and landscape design. It looks at integrating biodiversity for water regulation, leveraging ecosystem services for purification, and adopting advanced technologies, such as precision agriculture and remote sensing, and policies needed for efficient water management. They conclude that there is a need for interdisciplinary collaboration among agronomists, hydrologists, ecologists, policymakers, and local communities to develop holistic approaches that seamlessly integrate agroecology and modern water management, ensuring sustainable agricultural systems in the region. 

This paper utilized bibliometric analyses to map the conceptual and intellectual structure of soil health research from 1996-2021. They reviewed 984 peer reviewed papers that they divided into 3 major research clusters. The analysis revealed critical gaps, including limited integration of pedological modeling to quantify ecosystem services and insufficient long-term studies on conservation agriculture. They recommend that interdisciplinary collaboration among agronomists, microbiologists, policymakers, and climate scientists to align soil health metrics with global targets providing a roadmap to integrate soil health into climate-smart land-use policies.

This paper on Africa highlights and discusses the current problems which include soil erosion, desertification, nutrient imbalances, acidity, salinization, deforestation, and soil compaction. The second part looks at the problems of soil and agricultural productivity and  human health, which resulted in loss of fertile land and biodiversity, increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nutrient depletion, loss of ecosystem services, malnutrition, and other human health issues. The third part proffers potential solutions to tackle soil degradation in Africa. They conclude that iintegrated approaches that promote sustainable soil management, such as conservation agriculture, crop rotation, agroforestry, afforestation, organic farming, and community engagement, would have a significant impact in resolving the menace of soil degradation.

The authors of this paper are looking at traditional grains like sorghum, pearl and finger millet to combat climate change and drought in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as alternatives to maize the staple food in this area. The main objective of this review paper is to identify suitable equipment for smallholders to mechanize growing these traditional grains. They reviewed six databases to find suitable equipment used globally. They found that the mechanisation of traditional grain production operations is lagging behind that of other cereals and so there is a need to work on development of suitable equipment  for smallholder farmers. They suggest use of two-wheel tractors and service providers as a way to move forward. Policy decisions and recommendations for improvement were made.

This paper looks at ways to address the negative soil, environmental, and productivity issues of the major rice-wheat systems of the IndoGangetic Plains of South Asia that are grown on 13.5 mha and are crucial to food security. They evaluated 8 years of research that looked at farmer practices compared to 6 based on CA principles. They look at yield, economic returns, soil quality factors including chemical, physical and biological components and GHG emissions. They conclude that "CA practices and diversified crop rotations can address issues like falling crop productivity, reduced economic returns, soil degradation, and increasing environmental impacts in northwestern India’s traditional rice-wheat system. However, widespread adoption requires government policies, including C credit payments and guaranteed markets with supportive pricing."

This paper explored farmer perspectives on adoption of CA in Nepal using a survey with key informant interviews and onsite observations. The paper highlights the economic, environmental, and social pillars of CA’s sustainability. They mention the importance of economic viability for farmers but also positive factors such as increased agriculture-related income, favorable prices, and sustainable productivity that shape farmers’ perceptions. Farmers view environmental sustainability by prioritizing and enhancing the local and global environment, viewing their farming methods as climate-smart and actively working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They conclude that strategic communication is needed to effectively convey the benefits of CA to rural communities.

There has been a rise in the number of market-oriented farmers, known as `emergent farmers,' who acquire and utilize tractors and associated implements for agricultural production to Zambian agriculture. This study examined the behavioral intentions of Zambian emergent farmers concerning Mechanized Conservation Agriculture (MCA) using the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior constructs: attitudes, perceived behavior control, subjective norms, and farmers' background factors by surveying 119 emergent farmers. Factors such as media influence, social influence, technical training, and extension services had positive but insignificant effects on farmers' intention to adopt MCA. Background factors, including overall farm size, farmer's age, area under CA, and years of CA use, showed a positive and significant correlation with farmers' intention to adopt MCA.

This book chapter is one of two parts that discusses "Mulches and cover crops". This part looks at different types of organic and inorganic (plastics for example) mulches and cover crops. The second part looks at their role in soil health and climate resilient agriculture. Mulching use in CA is seen as a replacement for burning. Cover crops can protect soils from erosion and help in increase soil fertility. The chapter also looks at the limitations in terms of disposal of non-biodegradable plastics, competing demand for residues, and lack of machinery and knowledge of farmers for field operations. The suggest that policy decisions can overcome these decisions. In the second part,  they conclude that policy decisions are needed to overcome limitations in adopting conservation agriculture, mulching and cover cropping so as to provide technical and financial support to farmers.

This viewpoint from well known scientists opens with "The dust storm tragedy on I-55 in central Illinois on May 1, 2023, is a reminder of the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s, and necessitates urgent policy intervention to replace plow tillage with Conservation Agriculture (CA) involving no-tillage with crop biomass mulch, cover cropping, and complex rotations." It continues by explaining the other co-benefits of adopting CA. It mentions that he current farm bill already contains a Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Growing Climate Solutions Act that can all be complemented and more effective with a healthy soil. They recommend that the next farm bill should have provision to reward farmers for ecosystem services through a proposed “Soil Health Act” to further CA as a solution to climate change and other environmental issues. They argue that restoring soil health through CA is a win-win option and I agree it is vital for future food security.