Sustainable agriculture and the international rice-wheat system

Abstract

With contributions from 65 international authors, this book describes the rice-wheat farming system which is key to food security in South Asia. It is a compendium of information on no-till farming in South Asia in particular and the world in general, with case studies from India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The book is divided into seven sections. Section I is an overview section on food security and natural resources, including a chapter on prospects for world agriculture in the 21st century, one on soil and water resources in South Asia, and a third on food security and environmental sustainability. Section II, with four chapters, has the theme of no-till farming, including historical development, problems and challenges, and opportunities and constraints for future development. Section III, with six chapters, features case studies of the no-till rice-wheat system in different South Asian countries. In Section IV, the discussion of no-till farming extends to other soil-specific situations, including case studies from the USA, Brazil, Australia and Latin America. Seven chapters on social and economic issues are presented in Section V, including chapters on temperate environments, soil and water sustainability in Australia, prospects for conservation tillage in India, and policy challenges for the rice-wheat system on the Indo-Gangetic Plains. Section VI includes two chapters on networking and international cooperation, while the final section includes just one chapter (by the four editors) outlining research and development priorities. (CAB Abstract)