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Improving the productivity and sustainability of rice-wheat systems: issues and impacts
Book reviews / Agricultural Systems 81 (2004) 177–184
179
Improving the productivity and sustainability of rice-wheat systems: issues and impacts J.K. Ladha, J.E. Hill, R.J. Buresh, J.M. Duxbury and R.K. Gupta (Eds). ASA Special Publication Number 65, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 2003, 231 pp. Price: $36.00 (softcover). ISBN 0-89118-150-4 Rice–wheat system is an important cropping system grown in 13.5 million ha in the Indo–Gangetic plains of South Asia and 9.0–13.5 million ha in China. To a large extent, this cropping system has been responsible for the green revolution in South Asia, which ensured livelihood security for millions. During the last two decades, however, the performance of this system has gradually come under review due to increasing reports of declining yields of the system, and its adverse impact on soil health, water balance and pest scenario. Considerable research has been done in the region, to identify the magnitude of yield changes, principal causes of change, and in developing strategies for improving the productivity of the system. CIMMYT, IRRI and ICRISAT together with the regional NARES established a Rice–Wheat Consortium to bring greater focus on sustaining the productivity of this important cropping system in the Indo–Gangetic Plains, one of the most populous as well as productive regions of the world. This ASA special publication is the proceeding of a symposium held in 2001 at the American Society of Agronomy. The focus of the 10 chapters in the book is on identifying the challenges in the system, reviewing emerging technologies, and in quantifying the knowledge gaps and future research priorities. The first chapter discusses the various tillage and crop establishment options for growing rice and wheat in sequence. The second chapter discusses the sources of greenhouse gases emitted by the R–W system and their mitigation options, in addition to the impacts of global warming on the productivity of the system. The third chapter characterizes the past yield trends in rice– wheat system in Asia and discusses the possible associations of these with the biophysical factors. The sustainability dimension of the system through farm level surveys and total productivity analysis carried out in PakistanÕs, Punjab is described in chapter 4. Chapter 5 reviews the effects of puddling on soil physical properties and their influence on rice and wheat productivity. Different soil management strategies are discussed in this chapter to suggest options for cultivating rice–wheat in different soil types. Chapter 6 describes selected technologies and strategies for land preparation and leveling, improved planting equipment, crop establishment, weed control, and site-specific nutrient management. Chapter 7 explains various resource conserving technologies that can be utilized to address the problems of late planting in wheat, poor plant stands, cost of production, and improving the efficiency of natural resources utilisation. The technologies described in this chapter are surface seeding, reduced tillage, zero tillage and bed planting for wheat. A large number of studies conducted on residue management are reviewed in chapter 8. It also suggests strategies for residue management in different agro-ecosystems. Chapter 9 evaluates the prospects for permanent beds in rice–wheat system as a means for improving production, resource conservation, resource use efficiency, and profitability. The last chapter discusses the implication of adopting a research approach that focuses on people and livelihoods.
180
Book reviews / Agricultural Systems 81 (2004) 177–184
The book considers very comprehensively zero tillage and other resource conservation technologies, but other important issues such as crop diversification, improved water management practices, and pest management get relatively less attention. Repeated description of the region in different chapters could have been avoided. A concluding chapter synthesizing the information presented in the book and indicating future directions for research and development would have been very useful. Nevertheless, the publication brings together our current understanding of the rice–wheat systems, and the possible soil and crop management options to address the important issues of resource utilization and conservation. This will be of great interest to researchers, extension workers and policy makers concerned with the sustainability dimensions of the Indo–Gangetic plains. Pramod K. Aggarwal Division of Environmental Sciencer Indian Agricultural Research Institute, NRL building New Delhi 110012 India E-mail address: [email protected] doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2003.10.004
Innovation in natural resource management: the role of property rights and collective action in developing countries Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Anna Knox, Frank Place, and Brent Swallow (Eds.). International Food Policy Research Institute. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002, 317 pp. Price: $29.95 (paperback), $60.00 (hardcover). ISBN 0-8018-7143-3 This volume makes a useful contribution to the technology adoption literature with a thorough and stimulating discussion of how property rights and collective action influence the adoption of agricultural technologies and natural resource practices. While the combination of property rights and collective action might at first seem arbitrary, the editors argue that these two factors are particularly important for the adoption of natural resource management practices. Secure property rights are often considered a necessary condition for the adoption of natural resource management technologies that require relatively long time horizons. Collective action is often needed to manage common areas or to resolve externality problems that arise in landscape management. The volume avoids the trap of limiting the property rights discussion to individual ownership versus common property by adopting a very nuanced and realistic definition that acknowledges the complexity of property rights issues. Likewise, collective action is defined broadly enough to accommodate many forms of cooperative behavior and local institutions. A recurring theme is that property rights and collective action are dynamic institutions that continue to evolve and adapt to changing conditions. After the introduction, Chapters 2 and 3 describe the conceptual framework and
179
Improving the productivity and sustainability of rice-wheat systems: issues and impacts J.K. Ladha, J.E. Hill, R.J. Buresh, J.M. Duxbury and R.K. Gupta (Eds). ASA Special Publication Number 65, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 2003, 231 pp. Price: $36.00 (softcover). ISBN 0-89118-150-4 Rice–wheat system is an important cropping system grown in 13.5 million ha in the Indo–Gangetic plains of South Asia and 9.0–13.5 million ha in China. To a large extent, this cropping system has been responsible for the green revolution in South Asia, which ensured livelihood security for millions. During the last two decades, however, the performance of this system has gradually come under review due to increasing reports of declining yields of the system, and its adverse impact on soil health, water balance and pest scenario. Considerable research has been done in the region, to identify the magnitude of yield changes, principal causes of change, and in developing strategies for improving the productivity of the system. CIMMYT, IRRI and ICRISAT together with the regional NARES established a Rice–Wheat Consortium to bring greater focus on sustaining the productivity of this important cropping system in the Indo–Gangetic Plains, one of the most populous as well as productive regions of the world. This ASA special publication is the proceeding of a symposium held in 2001 at the American Society of Agronomy. The focus of the 10 chapters in the book is on identifying the challenges in the system, reviewing emerging technologies, and in quantifying the knowledge gaps and future research priorities. The first chapter discusses the various tillage and crop establishment options for growing rice and wheat in sequence. The second chapter discusses the sources of greenhouse gases emitted by the R–W system and their mitigation options, in addition to the impacts of global warming on the productivity of the system. The third chapter characterizes the past yield trends in rice– wheat system in Asia and discusses the possible associations of these with the biophysical factors. The sustainability dimension of the system through farm level surveys and total productivity analysis carried out in PakistanÕs, Punjab is described in chapter 4. Chapter 5 reviews the effects of puddling on soil physical properties and their influence on rice and wheat productivity. Different soil management strategies are discussed in this chapter to suggest options for cultivating rice–wheat in different soil types. Chapter 6 describes selected technologies and strategies for land preparation and leveling, improved planting equipment, crop establishment, weed control, and site-specific nutrient management. Chapter 7 explains various resource conserving technologies that can be utilized to address the problems of late planting in wheat, poor plant stands, cost of production, and improving the efficiency of natural resources utilisation. The technologies described in this chapter are surface seeding, reduced tillage, zero tillage and bed planting for wheat. A large number of studies conducted on residue management are reviewed in chapter 8. It also suggests strategies for residue management in different agro-ecosystems. Chapter 9 evaluates the prospects for permanent beds in rice–wheat system as a means for improving production, resource conservation, resource use efficiency, and profitability. The last chapter discusses the implication of adopting a research approach that focuses on people and livelihoods.
180
Book reviews / Agricultural Systems 81 (2004) 177–184
The book considers very comprehensively zero tillage and other resource conservation technologies, but other important issues such as crop diversification, improved water management practices, and pest management get relatively less attention. Repeated description of the region in different chapters could have been avoided. A concluding chapter synthesizing the information presented in the book and indicating future directions for research and development would have been very useful. Nevertheless, the publication brings together our current understanding of the rice–wheat systems, and the possible soil and crop management options to address the important issues of resource utilization and conservation. This will be of great interest to researchers, extension workers and policy makers concerned with the sustainability dimensions of the Indo–Gangetic plains. Pramod K. Aggarwal Division of Environmental Sciencer Indian Agricultural Research Institute, NRL building New Delhi 110012 India E-mail address: [email protected] doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2003.10.004
Innovation in natural resource management: the role of property rights and collective action in developing countries Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Anna Knox, Frank Place, and Brent Swallow (Eds.). International Food Policy Research Institute. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002, 317 pp. Price: $29.95 (paperback), $60.00 (hardcover). ISBN 0-8018-7143-3 This volume makes a useful contribution to the technology adoption literature with a thorough and stimulating discussion of how property rights and collective action influence the adoption of agricultural technologies and natural resource practices. While the combination of property rights and collective action might at first seem arbitrary, the editors argue that these two factors are particularly important for the adoption of natural resource management practices. Secure property rights are often considered a necessary condition for the adoption of natural resource management technologies that require relatively long time horizons. Collective action is often needed to manage common areas or to resolve externality problems that arise in landscape management. The volume avoids the trap of limiting the property rights discussion to individual ownership versus common property by adopting a very nuanced and realistic definition that acknowledges the complexity of property rights issues. Likewise, collective action is defined broadly enough to accommodate many forms of cooperative behavior and local institutions. A recurring theme is that property rights and collective action are dynamic institutions that continue to evolve and adapt to changing conditions. After the introduction, Chapters 2 and 3 describe the conceptual framework and