Hariyo danda mathi haalo jotne sathi ho ho malee ho ho...' This popular Nepali folk song depicts the lifestyle of the Nepali farmers - getting up before sunrise to plow the field using traditional farm implements.

More than half of the population is involved in agriculture. Yet, Nepal needs to import food to feed its people. One reason for the low production is our conventional way of farming. We are still following those techniques that have been passed down by our ancestors. This also holds true for tillage, which is plowing and preparing the soil for sowing seeds or plant seedlings.

Conventional tillage includes a series of tillage practices to prepare the seedbed and remove plant residue. This can be beneficial for some time that is until this operation starts affecting the soil. It destroys soil cover and its structures, which take millions of years to develop.

The formation of 1 inch of soil is said to take more than 500 years.

Soil is, therefore, a non-renewable source in nature when compared with our life span.

Tillage loosens the top-soil, increasing the risk of soil erosion. Nepal, with its hilly and slopy terrain, faces this issue at a higher rate. With extensive tillage practices, the moisture content in the soil is lost. In the long run, it affects the growth and development of the seed.

One thing that's pushing us behind is the lack of skills essential to improve the farming practices in Nepal. Active and energetic minds are only interested in foreign jobs and a stable life. Brain drain is harming us in all sectors, including agriculture. Study shows that more than four million Nepalis are in foreign employment at present.

A report published in 'Krishi Diary' in 2021 showed that of the 28 per cent cultivable land, only 21 per cent is being used for cultivation. Although Nepal faces serious food scarcity year-round, such large tracts of land continue to remain barren.

Technology change is an urgent call in the context of Nepal. Traditional tools and machinery are being replaced by modern technology, such as powerful tractors and mini tillers, but their increasing use has been impacting the soil negatively. Not only that, the use of such huge machines has serious health backlashes, such as hearing disorders. What we need to do now is to bring changes in the tillage system altogether.

Conservation tillage is getting more popular around the globe. It is a system where around 30 per cent of crop residues from the previous harvest are left on the soil's surface. The overall idea of keeping the crop residues is to minimise soil erosion by water and wind. It works as mulch and aids in minimising temperature fluctuation of the soil. This creates a suitable environment for plant growth. It reduces soil particles from being emitted into the air by disturbing the soil as little as possible.

Many studies and research have proved this system to increase the soil nutrition level, moisture content of the soil and crop productivity as a whole. Research has shown that conservation tillage is being practised on 45 million hectares worldwide. It improves soil structure and stability, resulting in better drainage and water holding capacity of the soil.

With climate change, a burning issue at present, the role of making soil as a source or sink for atmospheric carbon is in our own hands. With this system, the soil's organic matter is enhanced in the soil, which ultimately increases carbon sequestration.

Under this tillage practice, biotic life is enriched inside the soil, thereby improving nutrient recycling, which can help prevent crop diseases. Conservation tillage refines soil condition, plant growth and the environment. Because this system helps save energy, cultivation cost, labour, and increases productivity, more and more farmers around the globe are showing interest in this technique.

With increasing brain drain, we lack an active and energetic human resource capable of working in the field. To make up for this loss, turning towards this method will be beneficial.

It saves time which can be used for other economic activities.

Nepal is a mountainous country with a slopy and fragile landscape, where loss of fertile soil through erosion has been a common phenomenon. Conservation tillage can reduce soil erosion by 90 per cent compared to conventional tillage systems. But we have a deeply ingrained idea that agriculture equals tillage.

Before planting crops, no matter what, we have to turn the soil upside down. Such practice kills beneficial soil organisms and breaks down organic matter. Meanwhile, conservation tillage helps organisms thrive by increasing organic matter in the soil, making the soil more porous, fertile, and building the soil structure.

Farmers also keep facing challenges in farming due to poor irrigation.

Subsurface drip irrigation and conservation tillage can both come in handy for them.

Agriculture and farming have always been an integral part of human civilisation.

It is the basis for our survival. But with limited time to respond to the changing population, environment and climatic conditions, we must bring a change in our ways of doing things.

The government has been providing subsidies on improved seeds, hybrid varieties and modern equipment to the farmers.

All this is commendable work indeed. But very limited research and activities have been carried out in conservation tillage. Farmers should be provided with knowledge and skills and show them the benefits of conservation tillage over conventional tillage, only then will they be convinced to change their way of doing farming.

Nepal holds huge potential in the agriculture sector.

We can be independent in food crops only if we respond wisely to the changing trends. Let's give conservation tillage a chance to prove its effectiveness.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 16, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.