Conservation agriculture (CA) is an innovative approach to managing agricultural ecosystems aimed at achieving sustainable productivity, enhanced profitability, and food security, while conserving resources and protecting the environment. This chapter explores the core principles of CA, focusing on minimum soil disturbance, permanent land cover, and crop rotation, which together significantly improve soil health by enhancing its physical, chemical, and biological properties. Through global and Indian research, CA practices have been shown to improve soil structure, boost natural resource availability, and enhance nutrient cycling and biodiversity. In addition to its environmental benefits, CA plays a key role in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The chapter discusses the broader economic, environmental, and social benefits of CA, including its contribution to sustainability and resilience. Practical applications, such as site-specific strategies, appropriate equipment, and farmer training programs, demonstrate CA’s potential. However, challenges remain, particularly lower yields for staple crops and higher labor demands. Looking ahead, CA presents significant opportunities for innovation and development. The chapter concludes by underscoring CA’s crucial role in promoting soil health, enhancing climate resilience, and establishing sustainable food systems, while emphasizing the need for continuous organizational support and strategic alignment for successful implementation.

A field trial was conducted to investigate the ‘Phytotoxicity of pendimethalin on the emergence of seedlings in direct seeded rice (DSR) across different concentrations’ during the Kharif season of 2022 at the experimental farm of the School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab. The experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with five treatments using different doses of pendimethalin (1600, 1800, 2000, and 2200 gram active ingredient per hectare (g ai per ha), and control (untreated)). Application of pendimethalin at 1600 g ai per ha resulted in a significantly higher number of seedlings than other treatment groups. The lowest number of seedlings was observed in the 2200 g ai per ha treatment group. The number of microbes present was optimal during the treatment with 1600 g ai per ha pendimethalin. With an increase in the dosage of pendimethalin, a decrease in the count of soil microbes was observed, with the lowest microbial count observed with the highest dose of pendimethalin, i.e., 2200 g ai per ha. No phytotoxic effect was observed in the DSR treated with pendimethalin at 1600 g ai per ha. Therefore the present study has to be obtain the appropriate use of dosage to inhibit the toxicity of herbicide as well as maintain the soil fertility and microbial growth.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important staple food of the Indian population. The huge infestation of both paddy and non-paddy weeds in direct-seeded rice and poor knowledge of weed management results in low yields in DSR. This was the major drawback resulting in farmers' poor adoption of this technology, as uncontrolled weeds lead to more than 95 % crop yield losses. Considering the facts as mentioned above, The present study was conducted at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab (India). The field trials were designed in the Split Plot Design during 2022 and 2023. Different nitrogen levels viz., 0 kg/ ha, 120 kg/ha, 150 kg/ha and 175 kg/ ha were included in the main plots and four weed management treatments in the subplots viz., pendimethalin followed by bispyribac, brown manuring with pre-emergence. The experiment included the application of pendimethalin followed by bispyribac, brown manuring followed by bispyribac and unweeded (control)". Among the nitrogen levels, maximum paddy yield was observed at 175 kg N/ha, which was found to be at par with 150 kg N/ha. Both these treatments were superior to 125 kg N/ha and 0 kg N/ha. Among weed management treatments, pre-emergence application of pendimethalin followed by post-em. bispyribac recorded significantly higher yield than all other weed management treatments. The higher yield in pre-emergence pendimethalin followed by post-emergence bispyribac treatment may be due to better control of paddy and non-paddy weeds. Also, application of preemergence pendimethalin followed by bispyribac in the brown manuring treatment significantly increased paddy yield compared to its no application of pendimethalin.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the major significant staple food of Indian population. Compared to puddled transplanting, direct seeded rice (DSR) is environmentally friendly but faces severe weed infestation and iron deficiency, resulting in low yields and poor farmer adoption. To examine these problems, a field study was conducted using a Split-Plot Design at Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India during 2022 and 2023. Different planting patterns were kept in main plots were flat sowing, two rows per bed, three rows per bed and two rows per bed and one in furrow and sub plots treatments were “pendimethalin fb. bispyribac, pendimethalin fb. metsulfuron, weed free up to harvest and unweeded (control)”. Among the planting patterns, three rows per bed produced significantly higher paddy yield than flat sowing. This treatment was followed by two rows on bed and one in furrow. Also weed density was lower in all bed planting treatments as compared to flat sowing technique due to deep burial of weed seeds. Among weed control treatments, unweeded (control) resulted in more than 95 % yield loss compared with herbicidal treated plots. Pre-emergence application of pendimethalin fb. post-emergence application of bispyribac showed better performance on typical non-paddy and paddy weeds i.e., grasses, sedges and broad leafed weeds in DSR and resulted in higher yields over other weed control treatments but weed free upto harvest treatment was found at par to this treatment during both years.