Resource Conserving Techniques in Crop Production

Contents: Preface. I. Concept and approaches: 1. Resource conserving techniques for improving input use efficiency and crop productivity/A.R. Sharma and U.K. Behera. 2. Conservation agriculture: problems and prospects in Indian context/Suraj Bhan. 3. Resource conserving technologies in hill farming systems/C.L. Acharya. 4. Biodiversity for soil health and efficient resource utilization/Ashok K. Patra. 5. Quality seed for agricultural prosperity/B.B. Pattanaik. II. Cropping systems and diversification: Resource conserving technologies for sustainability of rice wheat system/R.K. Sharma. 7. Resource management in maize based cropping system/Sain Dass, L. Jat and K.P. Singh. 8. Resource conserving techniques in sugarcane based cropping system/R.L. Yadav and S.K. Shukla. 9. Resource conservation and management for sustainable oilseed production/D.M. Hegde and S.N. Sudhakara Babu. 10. Sustainability of small farm diversification with reference to Eastern India/I.C. Mahapatra. 11. Resource conserving techniques in fruit crops/R.R. Sharma. 12. Diversification through vegetable cultivation/A.S. Sidhu. III. Soil use and management: 13. Carbon sequestration and agricultural production in India/R.K. Rattan and S.P. Datta. 14. Crop residue management for improving soil and crop productivity/Yadvinder Singh. 15. Resource conserving technologies and soil physical environment/R.K. Tomar, R.N. Sahoo, R.N. Garg, V.K. Gupta, D. Chakraborty and Naveen Kalra. IV. Improving nutrient use efficiency: 16. Options for improving nitrogen use efficiency/H. Pathak and J.K. Ladha. 17. Strategies for efficient NPK management/Rajendra Prasad. 18. Site specific nutrient management for sustained higher productivity/S.K. Sharma. 19. Resource conserving techniques for improving nutrient use efficiency/Y.S. Shivay. 20. Nutrient management for sustaining crop production in salt affected soils/Anand Swarup. 21. Deficiency and management of micronutrients for sustainable crop production/S.P. Datta and R.K. Rattan. V. Water saving technologies: 22. Rainwater harvesting in hill farming/P.K. Ghosh. 23. Irrigation scheduling to crops under adequate and limited water supplies/Subedar Singh. 24. System of rice intensification for enhancing rice yield and water economy/Dinesh Kumar. 25. Sustainable use of Saline and Alkali waters for irrigation/P.S. Minhas. 26. Pressurized irrigation systems for efficient water use/T.B.S. Rajput. 27. Sub surface drainage system for improving agricultural productivity in coastal areas/Man Singh. 28. Surface irrigation automation for enhancing water use efficiency/Manoj Khanna. VI. Wee dynamics and herbicide use: 29. Resource conserving techniques and weed control efficiency/T.K. Das. 30. Problem of herbicide resistance in weeds and its management/N.T. Yaduraju. VII. Energy conservation and farm machinery: 31. Energy use in production agriculture/P.K. Sahoo and U.K. Behera. 32. Energy efficient machinery for conservation agriculture/A.P. Srivastava. 33. Farming for energy security/D.S. Rana. VIII. Modern tools and techniques: 34. Precision farming: concept, limitations and opportunities in Indian agriculture/R.N. Sahoo. 35. Use of modern tools and techniques in agricultural water management/A. Sarangi. IX. Farming system research for sustainable development of small and marginal farmers/U.K. Behera and A.R. Sharma. 37. On farm development and evaluation of resource conserving technologies/M.L. Jat, Y.S. Saharawat, Mahesh Gathala and K.P. Singh. 38. On farm water management practices for higher crop productivity/S.K. Dubey. 39. Mode of operation and performance of contract farming : a case study of cotton in Haryana/Shiv Kumar.

Recent researches on resource conserving techniques have provided exciting opportunities for improving input use efficiency, productivity and sustainability. These techniques include: zero tillage, minimum tillage, rotary tillage, bed planting, surface seeding, laser land leveling, pressurized irrigation systems, system of rice intensification, aerobic rice, soil solarization, residue management, site specific nutrient management, crop diversification, precision farming employing use of modern tools and procedures etc. Adoption of these techniques is the need of the hour as a method of low input agriculture to reduce costs and achieve sustainability in Indian agriculture.

This book provides the most updated and comprehensive information on resource conserving techniques for improving crop productivity. The text is divided into nine sections. In each section, there are chapters on specific topics, contributed by eminent scientists, who made notable research contributions in their field of specialization. The chapters have been thoroughly edited and presented in an easily understandable manner.