An index to rate the quality of An index to rate the quality of no-till systems:no-till systems:

a conceptual frameworka conceptual framework

Glaucio RoloffGlaucio RoloffFederal University of Latin-American Integration (UNILA)Federal University of Latin-American Integration (UNILA)

Ramiro A. T. LutzRamiro A. T. LutzVetagro Crop ConsultantsVetagro Crop Consultants

Ivo MelloIvo MelloBrazilian No-Till Federation (FEBRAPDP)Brazilian No-Till Federation (FEBRAPDP)

55thth WCCA & 3 WCCA & 3rdrd FSD FSD Brisbane 2011 Brisbane 2011

Cooperation FEBRAPDP – ITAIPU BinacionalCooperation FEBRAPDP – ITAIPU Binacional

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No-Till System (NTS): in Brazil Prevailing system for grains by far, especially within last 15 years

~30 million ha, ~50% of total cropland Early adopters: an effective soil conservation technique Current reality:

relatively stable yields and timely seeding saves fuel and time more crops over a time period, e.g. ...

soybean/corn/oats (cover) → regular rainfall winters soybean/corn+Bracchiaria (cover and pasture) → dry winters

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NTS: sustainability

Conservation agriculture – simultaneously and balanced: Permanent soil cover Absence of field-wide tillage Crop rotation

prevalent view

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Eastern Parana State Western Parana State Northwestern Rio Grande do Sul State

NTS: sustainability??

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Central Parana State(Joaquim Costa, COAMO)

NTS: sustainability??

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Western Parana State(Tiago Minozzo)

NTS: sustainability??

Western Parana State(Tiago Minozzo)

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Reasons for the non adherence to key components: Bollinger et al. (2006) Advances in Agronomy, 91, 47-64

– Farmers...» …unable to afford cover crops and appropriate herbicides» …interested only in commercial crops

– Perceived need to till eventually to...» …alleviate compaction» …incorporate lime

In addition– Crop consulting dissociated from sustainability issues– Agricultural policies dissociated from environmental policies– Environmental policies ignore positive externalities from NTS– Erosion and runoff no more seen as a problem

» complacency

NTS: current shortcomings in Brazil

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NTS in Brazil

Adherence to key components needs to be improved… and hence improve NTS environmental services

How to gauge adherence? Through a NTS quality index

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NTS in Brazil

CA key components cover all environmental externalities?

• Kassam et al. (2009) International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 7, 292–320.

» Ideal CA soil should approach forest floor condition...hence minimal water runoff (among others)

• Usual NTS conditions far from ideal» Inappropriate crop rotations → poor soil cover at times» Compaction

• Rainfall intensities often > stable infiltration rates » up to yearly run-off events

Run-off management should be an explicit component of any NTS quality assessment

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NTS Quality

NTS Quality...capacity of a given no-till field to maintain or increase crop and livestock productivity while maintaining or enhancing soil, water and air quality and other environmental services.

NTS Quality Index (NTSQI) premises and development• based on a regional benchmark set of best practices• constructed from recognisable indicators → self-evaluation• sampling-free and non seasonal• specific to NTS• address directly or indirectly the four key system components• allow for the recognition of critically low key indicators• indicators defined by expert opinion and farmers input

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NTS Quality Index

NTSQI development• Crop rotation and soil cover (partially)

» Rotation intensity (RI)» Rotation diversity (RD) » Crop residue persistence (RP)

• Soil cover (partially) and tillage absence» Tillage frequency (TF)

• Run-off volume management» Terrace adequacy (TA)» Conservation evaluation (CE)

• Soil cover (partially) and Run-off quality (P) management» Balanced nutrition (BN)

• Composited effects» NTS adoption time (AT)

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NTSQI formulae

Ii= EiBi

NTS Quality Index

Ii = ith indicatorEi = current or future parameter valueBi = benchmark value

NTSQI=∑ ( Ii∗ fi ) fi = subjective weighing factor

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NTS Quality Index

NTSQI test• 24 voluntary farmers over 6

small river basins• Questionnaire (assisted

evaluation)

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NTS Quality Index

Regionalised NTSQI parameters

Indicator Ei fi Bi Critical

RI Crops past 3 yrs 1.5 9 0.56

RD Crop species past 3 yrs 1.5 4 0.50

RP Grass cover crops past 3 yrs 1.5 6 0.50

TF Whole field tillage operations past 3 yrs 1.5 6 0.50

TA Run-off over-topping events past 5 yrs 1.0 ---- 0.50

CECumulative absence of downhill seeding,

whole field and edge compaction signs, and visible erosion 1.0 4 0.50

BN Cumulative presence of manure addition, soil sampling and nutrient balance 1.0 3 0.33

AT Years of no-till adoption 1.0 22 0.33

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NTS Quality Index

NTSQI IndicatorRI RD RP TF TA CE BN AT

1 Ajuricaba 6,15 0,78 1,00 0,50 0,80 0,00 0,50 0,67 0,362 Ajuricaba 7,81 0,89 0,75 0,83 1,00 0,50 0,75 0,67 0,683 Ajuricaba 6,59 0,78 0,75 0,67 0,80 0,00 0,75 0,67 0,684 Buriti 8,19 0,85 0,75 0,78 1,00 1,00 0,75 0,67 0,645 Buriti 7,44 0,78 0,75 0,67 1,00 0,50 0,75 0,67 0,736 Buriti 6,87 0,95 0,75 0,92 0,80 0,50 0,63 0,67 0,717 Facão Torto 7,29 0,74 0,75 0,61 1,00 0,83 0,58 0,67 0,568 Facão Torto 6,73 0,67 0,50 0,67 0,80 1,00 0,75 0,67 0,369 Facão Torto 7,63 0,89 1,00 0,67 0,80 0,50 0,75 0,67 0,6810 Facão Torto 5,50 1,00 0,25 1,00 0,00 1,00 0,75 0,33 0,0511 Mineira 5,80 0,89 1,00 0,17 1,00 0,00 0,50 0,67 0,0512 Mineira 6,98 0,84 1,00 0,42 1,00 0,50 0,50 0,33 0,6813 Mineira 5,86 0,67 0,75 0,50 0,80 0,00 0,75 0,67 0,3614 Pacuri 7,43 0,67 0,75 0,50 1,00 1,00 0,75 0,67 0,6415 Pacuri 5,92 0,89 0,50 1,00 0,00 0,50 0,25 1,00 0,5916 Pacuri 7,06 0,67 0,75 0,50 0,80 0,50 1,00 0,67 0,8217 Pacuri 7,51 0,89 0,75 0,83 0,80 0,50 0,75 0,67 0,6818 Toledo 7,77 0,73 0,38 0,84 1,00 0,75 0,63 0,67 0,8019 Toledo 9,04 1,00 0,75 1,00 1,00 1,00 0,75 0,67 1,0020 Toledo 7,58 0,67 0,50 0,67 1,00 1,00 0,75 0,67 0,9121 Toledo 7,48 0,78 0,75 0,67 1,00 0,50 0,75 0,67 0,7722 Toledo 8,03 0,78 0,75 0,67 1,00 1,00 0,75 0,67 0,8223 Toledo 7,56 0,85 0,45 0,77 1,00 0,70 0,75 0,67 0,6824 Toledo 7,52 0,67 0,75 0,50 1,00 1,00 0,75 0,67 0,73

0 6 7 2 13 4 2 2

Farmer Basin

Number of critical farms:

NTSQI test

6.9

7.5

7.0

5.8

7.5

8.4

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NTS Quality Index

Conclusions: • NTSQI can be...

» … used to rank farmers and basins to promote awareness.» … be a tool to prioritise actions to improve NTS quality and

hence of its environmental services.

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Thank youThank you

glaucio.roloff@unila.edu.brglaucio.roloff@unila.edu.br

55thth WCCA & 3 WCCA & 3rdrd FSD FSD Brisbane 2011 Brisbane 2011