Conservation Agriculture in Southeast Asia

Publication date: 07/02/2022
Extent: 44 pages

Contributions by: Yuji Niino, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Thailand; Victor B. Ella, University of The Philippines Los Baños, The Philippines; Florent Tivet, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Agroécologie et Intensification Durable des Cultures Annuelles (AIDA), University of Montpellier, France and General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA), Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management (DALRM), Cambodia; Vira Leng, General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA), Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management (DALRM), Cambodia; Hoa Tran Quoc, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), University of Montpellier, France, and Department of Agricultural Land Management (DALaM), Laos; Pascal Lienhard, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Agroécologie et Intensification Durable des Cultures Annuelles (AIDA), University of Montpellier, France and Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI), Vietnam; Pham thi Sen, Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI), Vietnam; Thatheva Saphangthong, Department of Agricultural Land Management (DALaM), Laos; Vang Seng, General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA), Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management (DALRM), Cambodia; Lyda Hok, Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia; Manuel Reyes, Kansas State University, USA; Stéphane Boulakia, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Agroécologie et Intensification Durable des Cultures Annuelles (AIDA), University of Montpellier, France; and Sim Choon Cheak, Sime Darby Plantation Research Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia

Chapter synopsis: Agriculture in the Southeast Asia region has been changing from traditional subsistence farming to modern commercial farming practices at various rates and this has led to specialized commercialized farming with mechanization, intensive tillage, and increased agrochemical use. The use of high inputs and labor-saving technologies has resulted in serious land degradation and vulnerable to more frequent and severe climate impacts, particularly drought and flood. Conservation Agriculture has been introduced in the region for the last two decades to conserve, improve, and make more effective use of natural resources through the integrated management of available soil, water, and biological resources, combined with purchased external inputs. Significant benefits of CA have been observed and technically proved, but the adoption is still in very limited areas and mostly in research and demonstration plots. For wider adoption, understanding the constraints that hinder adoption and addressing for specific situations including intellectual, social, financial, biophysical, technical, and infrastructure constraints, or policy related support.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2021.0088.13