Assessing the contributions of conservation agriculture to building resilience to drought, Conservation Agriculture Literature ReviewKMazvimaviauthorThis literature review summarises theory and evidence of
the contribution of conservation agriculture (CA) to resilience in the event of drought. A resilient agricultural system is able to continue to function and provide essential
ecosystem services, such as food provisioning, following
an external shock. If drought occurs, a more resilient system should offer higher productivity and food security.
The review asks whether CA improves productivity and
food security when rainfall is poor, and what aspects
of CA contribute most to these benefits. The review will
guide the design of a field study on the impacts of CA after the 2015/16 El Nino drought in southern Africa.
Conservation agriculture combines three basic sets of
technologies or practices: i) minimum or reduced tillage,
ii) maintenance of soil surface cover using crop residues,
and iii) crop diversification using rotations. CA has been
identified as a climate smart agricultural practice because
it improves crop productivity, improves resilience of
cropping systems to climate change, and mitigates
greenhouse gases. In Southern Africa two forms of CA
have recently been promoted: a manual version based
on digging planting basins, and a mechanised practice
based on the use of soil rippers and direct seeders or jab
planters. Due, in part, to inaccessibility of CA equipment,
most smallholder farmers in the region are practising
manual CA techniques...Climate Resilient TechnologiesDroughtAfrican AgricultureSub-Saharan Africa2016-09Vuna Research ReportMonograph