An investigation into a resource and environmentally sustainable system: zero-tillage lentil and garlic production in Nepal

作者：Pokhrel Anil; Soni Peeyush^*

来源：Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 2018, 42(9): 982-1002.

DOI：10.1080/21683565.2018.1487359

• Zero tillage (ZT)
• conventional tillage (CT)
• energy input-output
• GHG emissions
• crop yield
• production cost

Lentils and garlic are primarily grown under conventional tillage (CT) practice; however, both crops have been fetching lower profits due to the high cost of both cultivation as well as the required inputs. For securing more benefits and using residual soil-moisture, farmers have started the zero-tillage (ZT) practice in a rice-based cropping system. In general, it is imperative to compare these two systems (ZT and CT) to assess their energy consumption, and their broader environmental and financial performance. In this study, we found that the total energy input was reduced by 38% with ZT as compared to CT (3.96 GJ ha-1) for lentil cultivation; in contrast, for garlic, CT's energy consumption was 11% of that of ZT (113.55 GJ ha-1). Energy output increased by 13% and 4% with ZT, in comparison to CT, for lentil and garlic, respectively. Similarly, ZT reduced CO(2)e (carbon dioxide-equivalent) emissions by 50% and 98%, as compared to CT, for lentil and garlic cultivation, respectively. The maximum financial benefit was seen to be obtained with ZT: the production cost was reduced by 28% and 33%, as compared to CT practices, for lentil and garlic, respectively. The return-cost ratios from ZT and CT were 3.39 and 2.18 for lentil, and 7.64 and 3.52 for garlic, respectively. We can, therefore, conclude that ZT is an energy-efficient, environment-friendly, and cost-effective practice of lentil and garlic production.

• 出版日期2018