journal article
Conservation agriculture improves adaptive capacity of cropping systems to climate stress in Malawi
agricultural systems | 2021
Open Access | CC BY-4.0
Citation
Komarek, Adam M.; Thierfelder, Christian; and Steward, Peter R. 2021. Conservation agriculture improves adaptive capacity of cropping systems to climate stress in Malawi. Agricultural Systems 190(May 2021): 103117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103117
Adaptation to climate stress is an unprecedented challenge facing cropping systems. Most adaptation assessments focus on how adaptation options affect yields of a single crop under different weather or climate conditions. Yet, cropping systems often comprise more than one crop, and holistic assessments should consider all crops grown in a cropping system. One adaptation option is Conservation Agriculture that is commonly defined around a set of three principles: minimum mechanical soil disturbance, permanent soil organic cover, and crop species diversification.