Intro
Foreword
Preface
Contents
About the Editors
1: Conservation Agriculture: Issues, Prospects, and Challenges in Rainfed Regions of India
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Conservation Agriculture
1.3 Conservation Tillage
1.4 Key Principles of CA
1.5 Status of Conservation Agriculture
1.6 Challenges in Adoption of Conservation Agriculture
1.7 Rainfed Agriculture Scenario
1.7.1 Residue Burning
1.7.2 Lack of Appropriate Machinery
1.7.3 Weed Management
1.7.4 Difficulty in Input Use
1.7.5 Farmers ́Perception
1.8 Technological Gaps

1.9 Expected Benefits from Adoption of CA Practices
1.10 Preessential for Adoption of CA
1.11 CA Interventions for Untapped Rainfed Regions
1.12 Conclusions
References
2: Strategic or Occasional Tillage: A Promising Option to Manage Limitations of no-Tillage Farming
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Drivers for Occasional Strategic Tillage
2.2.1 Soil- and Stubble-Borne Pathogens
2.2.2 Insect Pests
2.2.3 Herbicide-Resistant Weeds
2.2.4 Stratification of Nutrients and Carbon
2.2.5 Soil Structural Issues

2.3 Effects of Occasional Strategic Tillage on Soil Properties, the Environment, and Crop Agronomy
2.3.1 Soil Hydraulic Properties and Processes
2.3.2 Soil Chemical Properties and Processes
2.3.2.1 Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen
2.3.2.2 Nutrient Stratification
2.3.3 Soil Fauna and Flora
2.3.4 Crop Productivity and Reliability
2.3.5 Crop Reliability in Variable Seasons
2.3.6 Environmental Effects
2.3.6.1 Erosion and Runoff
2.3.6.2 Greenhouse Gas Fluxes
2.3.6.3 Pollution of Water Courses

2.4 Strategic Tillage within the NT Management System: Where, When, and How?
2.4.1 Timing of Tillage Operations
2.4.2 Soil Water Content
2.4.3 Purpose of Tillage
2.4.4 Tillage Implement and Frequency
2.5 Conclusions
References
3: No-till Farming: Agronomic Intervention through Cover Cropping for Enhancing Crop Productivity
3.1 Introduction
3.2 ``No-till ́́as a Concept
3.3 No-till and Adoption Incentives
3.4 Crop Yields in Relation to no-till
3.5 Agronomic Interventions for Increasing Crop Productivity in no-till
3.5.1 Sowing into Crop Residues

3.5.2 Cover Cropping Practices
3.6 Cover Crop and its Influence on Crop Yield
3.7 Cover Crop Management
3.8 Crop Rotation
3.9 Conclusions
References
4: Inbuilt Mechanisms for Managing Weeds in Conservation Agriculture Systems: A Revisit
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Weed and Weed Seed Ecology Under CA Systems
4.3 CA Components in Weed Management
4.3.1 Principle 1: Tillage Systems
4.3.1.1 No-Till
4.3.1.2 Weed Seed Predation
4.3.1.3 Reduced Tillage
4.3.1.4 Tillage Systems in Cropping Systems
4.3.1.5 Zero Disturbance Systems