Conservation Agriculture: An Option to Enhance Pollinators and Sustainability

Pollinators provide an essential ecosystem service that contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity and ensures the survival of pt species including crop pts. Furthermore, the reproductive success in pts is often pollinator limited. Most of the vegetable crops are cross-pollinated i.e. the flowers of these crops need conspecific foreign pollen for pollination and seed set. Insect pollinators set a greater proportion of early flowers of the crop and increase quality and quantity of the seed yield. Heat, soil moisture/ water availability to the pts during drought periods are some major factors that decide the number of pollinators in the crop. Conservation agriculture is a technology for maintaining soil quality, retaining soil moisture for longer period, reduces irrigation need of the fields optimises pesticide & fertilizer use and moreover helps in creating the natural habitats for the pollinators and natural enemies.” Conservation technologies collectively helps in reducing the use of pesticides and fertilisers, better crop growth and most important good population of pollinators and natural enemies in the fields.