Zero-tillage as a pathway for sustainable wheat intensification in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains: does it work in farmers’ fields?
In controlled-condition field trials across South Asia, zero-tillage (ZT) has demonstrated considerable scope for enhancing wheat productivity in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) while using less energy and irrigation water. However, studies that quantify the impact of ZT in farmers’ fields are scarce, especially in the less productive and densely populated Eastern IGP, an area that the Indian government is targeting for investment to address current and future food insecurity. Furthermore, a recent global meta-analysis has questioned the yield benefits of ZT, especially when permanent soil cover with crop residues is not maintained. To assess the realworld performance of ZT wheat in Eastern India, we quantified the productivity impact of current ZT practices in the State of Bihar, based on a random sample of 1000 wheatgrowing households, stratified by ZT adoption status. Cobb- Douglas stochastic production frontiers estimated the effect of ZT on wheat output while controlling for potential selection bias between ZT users and non-users regarding crop management. In contrast to the global meta-analysis,we found that the prevailing ZT practices without full residue retention led to a robust yield gain over conventional-tillage wheat across different agro-ecological zones, amounting to 498 kg ha−1 (19 %), on average. The economic benefit from ZT related yield increase and cost savings in wheat production amounted to 6%of total annual income among sampled households.We conclude that ZT users reap substantial benefits, and that ZT technology could play a major role in making Bihar selfsufficient in wheat. To increase access to the technology among smallholders, an expansion of the network of ZT service providers is essential and can be supported through targeted policies and development interventions.
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Springer Verlag
2015
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Subjects: | AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, Technical Efficiency, Stochastic Frontier Analysis, Bihar, ZERO TILLAGE, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT, STATISTICAL METHODS, |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10883/4463 |
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dig-cimmyt-10883-44632023-10-26T15:17:26Z Zero-tillage as a pathway for sustainable wheat intensification in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains: does it work in farmers’ fields? Keil, A. D'souza, A. McDonald, A. AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Technical Efficiency Stochastic Frontier Analysis Bihar ZERO TILLAGE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT STATISTICAL METHODS In controlled-condition field trials across South Asia, zero-tillage (ZT) has demonstrated considerable scope for enhancing wheat productivity in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) while using less energy and irrigation water. However, studies that quantify the impact of ZT in farmers’ fields are scarce, especially in the less productive and densely populated Eastern IGP, an area that the Indian government is targeting for investment to address current and future food insecurity. Furthermore, a recent global meta-analysis has questioned the yield benefits of ZT, especially when permanent soil cover with crop residues is not maintained. To assess the realworld performance of ZT wheat in Eastern India, we quantified the productivity impact of current ZT practices in the State of Bihar, based on a random sample of 1000 wheatgrowing households, stratified by ZT adoption status. Cobb- Douglas stochastic production frontiers estimated the effect of ZT on wheat output while controlling for potential selection bias between ZT users and non-users regarding crop management. In contrast to the global meta-analysis,we found that the prevailing ZT practices without full residue retention led to a robust yield gain over conventional-tillage wheat across different agro-ecological zones, amounting to 498 kg ha−1 (19 %), on average. The economic benefit from ZT related yield increase and cost savings in wheat production amounted to 6%of total annual income among sampled households.We conclude that ZT users reap substantial benefits, and that ZT technology could play a major role in making Bihar selfsufficient in wheat. To increase access to the technology among smallholders, an expansion of the network of ZT service providers is essential and can be supported through targeted policies and development interventions. 983-1001 2015-09-14T21:20:02Z 2015-09-14T21:20:02Z 2015 Article http://hdl.handle.net/10883/4463 10.1007/s12571-015-0492-3 English CIMMYT manages Intellectual Assets as International Public Goods. The user is free to download, print, store and share this work. In case you want to translate or create any other derivative work and share or distribute such translation/derivative work, please contact CIMMYT-Knowledge-Center@cgiar.org indicating the work you want to use and the kind of use you intend; CIMMYT will contact you with the suitable license for that purpose. Open Access PDF SOUTH ASIA INDIA BIHAR New York Springer Verlag 7 Food Security |
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AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Technical Efficiency Stochastic Frontier Analysis Bihar ZERO TILLAGE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT STATISTICAL METHODS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Technical Efficiency Stochastic Frontier Analysis Bihar ZERO TILLAGE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT STATISTICAL METHODS |
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AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Technical Efficiency Stochastic Frontier Analysis Bihar ZERO TILLAGE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT STATISTICAL METHODS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Technical Efficiency Stochastic Frontier Analysis Bihar ZERO TILLAGE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT STATISTICAL METHODS Keil, A. D'souza, A. McDonald, A. Zero-tillage as a pathway for sustainable wheat intensification in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains: does it work in farmers’ fields? |
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In controlled-condition field trials across South Asia, zero-tillage (ZT) has demonstrated considerable scope for enhancing wheat productivity in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) while using less energy and irrigation water. However, studies that quantify the impact of ZT in farmers’ fields are scarce, especially in the less productive and densely populated Eastern IGP, an area that the Indian government is targeting for investment to address current and future food insecurity. Furthermore, a recent global meta-analysis has questioned the yield benefits of ZT, especially when permanent soil cover with crop residues is not maintained. To assess the realworld performance of ZT wheat in Eastern India, we quantified the productivity impact of current ZT practices in the State of Bihar, based on a random sample of 1000 wheatgrowing households, stratified by ZT adoption status. Cobb- Douglas stochastic production frontiers estimated the effect of ZT on wheat output while controlling for potential selection bias between ZT users and non-users regarding crop management. In contrast to the global meta-analysis,we found that the prevailing ZT practices without full residue retention led to a robust yield gain over conventional-tillage wheat across different agro-ecological zones, amounting to 498 kg ha−1 (19 %), on average. The economic benefit from ZT related yield increase and cost savings in wheat production amounted to 6%of total annual income among sampled households.We conclude that ZT users reap substantial benefits, and that ZT technology could play a major role in making Bihar selfsufficient in wheat. To increase access to the technology among smallholders, an expansion of the network of ZT service providers is essential and can be supported through targeted policies and development interventions. |
format |
Article |
topic_facet |
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Technical Efficiency Stochastic Frontier Analysis Bihar ZERO TILLAGE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT STATISTICAL METHODS |
author |
Keil, A. D'souza, A. McDonald, A. |
author_facet |
Keil, A. D'souza, A. McDonald, A. |
author_sort |
Keil, A. |
title |
Zero-tillage as a pathway for sustainable wheat intensification in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains: does it work in farmers’ fields? |
title_short |
Zero-tillage as a pathway for sustainable wheat intensification in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains: does it work in farmers’ fields? |
title_full |
Zero-tillage as a pathway for sustainable wheat intensification in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains: does it work in farmers’ fields? |
title_fullStr |
Zero-tillage as a pathway for sustainable wheat intensification in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains: does it work in farmers’ fields? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Zero-tillage as a pathway for sustainable wheat intensification in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains: does it work in farmers’ fields? |
title_sort |
zero-tillage as a pathway for sustainable wheat intensification in the eastern indo-gangetic plains: does it work in farmers’ fields? |
publisher |
Springer Verlag |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10883/4463 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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