Conservation Agriculture – An ideal Resource Management Strategy for Sustainable Oilseed Production in India

Abstract

Low productivity of oilseed crops in India is due to their majority cultivation under rainfed condition in low soil fertility and prone to erosion. Conservation agricultural practices viz., reduced tillage, crop residue cover, crop rotation play an important role in initiating changes in physical, chemical and biological properties which in turn enrich carbon pools and improve the crop yields sustainably. Resource Conservation Technologies in Rice-wheat based cropping systems in Indo-Gangetic plains are huge success and gaining popularity. Conservation agriculture can be seen as a new way forward for conserving resources and enhancing oilseed productivity to achieve goals of sustainable agriculture and nutritional security in India. However, it demands development of location specific CA technologies and combination of institutional and policy support.