What is/are the advantage/advantages of zero tillage in agriculture? 1) Sowing of wheat is possible without burning the residue of previous crop. 2) Without the need for nursery of rice saplings, direct planting of paddy seeds in the wet soil is possible. 3) Carbon sequestration in the soil is possible. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

All three statements are correct, so the answer is D. Zero tillage means sowing seed into unploughed soil, with no ploughing or puddling. Its benefits are lower fuel and labour cost, better moisture retention, less erosion and less loss of soil organic matter.

• Statement 1 is correct. Zero-till drills and the Happy Seeder can sow wheat directly into rice stubble, so farmers need not burn the residue to clear the field. This is why these machines are central to stubble management in Punjab and Haryana.
• Statement 2 is correct. Direct seeded rice skips the nursery and transplanting step, saving labour and water. It is a closely related conservation practice that the question treats as an advantage of zero tillage.
• Statement 3 is correct. Keeping the soil undisturbed and leaving residue on it slows organic matter decomposition, so carbon builds up in the soil over time. This links to climate-smart agriculture and soil health under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.

Trap: Aspirants often assume zero tillage always raises yield immediately, or they reject Statement 1 because burning is still common. Carbon gain also builds slowly, not in one season.