Document Type : Review
Authors
1 Dryland Agricultural Research Institute (DARI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Maragheh, Iran
2 Senior Soil and Water Research Scientist, Conservation Agriculture, Golestan, Iran
3 Senior Supervisor of the National Project for Production Leap in Drylands, Former Researcher at Dryland Agricultural Research Institute, Maragheh, Iran
Abstract
Dryland farming face severe threats from climate change, including recurrent droughts and intense soil erosion, jeopardizing production sustainability. The future of Iran's dryland farming depends on adopting a wise management approach in which soil health, as the foundation of sustainable production, must be placed at the core of all decision-making processes. Conservation agriculture (CA) is recognized as an effective sustainable management system to address these challenges, built on three core pillars: minimum soil mechanical disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation. This article reviews findings from four decades of field research by scientific centers, analyzing the environmental impacts and productivity outcomes of conservation agriculture systems across different Iranian climates. The evidence clearly demonstrates that conservation systems enhance soil organic matter and microbial activity, improve moisture retention and nutrient availability, and reduce soil erosion. Integrating leguminous crops (pulses and forages) into cereal-based rotations in drylands reduces the nutritional demand of cereal crops and contributes to production stability. No-till systems enhance sustainability by lowering direct energy input, improving water use efficiency, and managing crop residues. Although the primary goal of conservation agriculture is not yield maximization but rather yield stability and resource conservation, research confirms a significant climatic effect on the stability of rainfed crop production under such systems. Yield stabilization occurs more rapidly in temperate and semi-warm climates compared to cold regions under conservation practices. While initial yield reduction may occur during early years of no-till adoption particularly in cold climates appropriate crop rotation (e.g., chickpea–wheat) and effective management of residue cover and weeds can compensate for these losses in the medium term. Consequently, adopting climate-adapted conservation agriculture systems (tailored tillage and rotation practices) represents an effective strategy for achieving climate-resilient sustainable agriculture. However, scaling up these systems faces multiple barriers, including cereal-dominated cropping systems, shortage of specialized planting equipment, weed management challenges in rotational crops, livelihood dependence on crop residues, and lack of effective supportive policies. This paper emphasizes the need for an integrated national strategy encompassing development of local mechanization, strengthening extension–education systems, designing economic incentives, and reforming cropping patterns to facilitate the transition toward conservation-based sustainable agriculture on Iran’s drylands.
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