Changing rainfall patterns and farmers’ adaptation through soil water management practices in semi-arid eastern Kenya

Abstract Water management on forest watersheds can have off-site impacts on the environment as well as on-site impacts on soil water conditions for plant growth. This study was conducted to evaluate the hydrologic impacts and soil water implications for plant growth of alternative water management practices. The forest watershed system modeled was a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. The site is characterized by flat, poorly drained soils (thermic typic umbraquults) which are drained with open ditches 100 m apart. No drainage, free (conventional) drainage, alternative forms of controlled drainage and stocking control were modeled to determine effects on water table position and drainage outflow. Silvicultural systems, including an unthinned and a commercially thinned regime, were modeled. The water management systems were evaluated by criteria quantifying both off-site implications and on-site plant-water relationships. Controlled drainage systems were found to be successful in reducing drainage outflow rates and volumes and improving soil water conditions for tree growth. In addition, hydrologic components were examined over the life of the unthinned and thinned forest stands, from planting to harvest. Stand development and silviculture were shown to have significant effects on the hydrology of the forest. South. J. Appl. For. 16(1):48-56.

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Soil water management practices (terraces) helped to mitigate the 2015 drought in Ethiopia

Agricultural Water Management ◽

10.1016/j.agwat.2018.02.025 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 204 ◽

pp. 11-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Frédéric Kosmowski

Keyword(s):

Water Management ◽

Soil Water ◽

Management Practices

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Comparative short-term performance of soil water management options for increased productivity of maize-cowpea intercropping in semi-arid Zimbabwe

Journal of Agriculture and Food Research ◽

10.1016/j.jafr.2021.100189 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 100189

Author(s):

Vengai Mbanyele ◽

Florence Mtambanengwe ◽

Hatirarami Nezomba ◽

Jeroen C.J. Groot ◽

Paul Mapfumo

Keyword(s):

Water Management ◽

Soil Water ◽

Short Term ◽

Management Options ◽

Term Performance ◽

Semi Arid

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Assessing Irrigation Water Use with Remote Sensing-Based Soil Water Balance at an Irrigation Scheme Level in a Semi-Arid Region of Morocco

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13061133 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1133

Author(s):

Mohamed Hakim Kharrou ◽

Vincent Simonneaux ◽

Salah Er-Raki ◽

Michel Le Page ◽

Saïd Khabba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Water Balance ◽

Soil Water ◽

Irrigation Water ◽

Management Practices ◽

Irrigation District ◽

Soil Water Balance ◽

Balance Model ◽

Irrigation Water Use ◽

Semi Arid

This study aims to evaluate a remote sensing-based approach to allow estimation of the temporal and spatial distribution of crop evapotranspiration (ET) and irrigation water requirements over irrigated areas in semi-arid regions. The method is based on the daily step FAO-56 Soil Water Balance model combined with a time series of basal crop coefficients and the fractional vegetation cover derived from high-resolution satellite Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) imagery. The model was first calibrated and validated at plot scale using ET measured by eddy-covariance systems over wheat fields and olive orchards representing the main crops grown in the study area of the Haouz plain (central Morocco). The results showed that the model provided good estimates of ET for wheat and olive trees with a root mean square error (RMSE) of about 0.56 and 0.54 mm/day respectively. The model was then used to compare remotely sensed estimates of irrigation requirements (RS-IWR) and irrigation water supplied (WS) at plot scale over an irrigation district in the Haouz plain through three growing seasons. The comparison indicated a large spatio-temporal variability in irrigation water demands and supplies; the median values of WS and RS-IWR were 130 (175), 117 (175) and 118 (112) mm respectively in the 2002–2003, 2005–2006 and 2008–2009 seasons. This could be attributed to inadequate irrigation supply and/or to farmers’ socio-economic considerations and management practices. The findings demonstrate the potential for irrigation managers to use remote sensing-based models to monitor irrigation water usage for efficient and sustainable use of water resources.

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Improving soil and water conservation and ecosystem services by sustainable soil management practices: From a global to an Italian soil partnership

Italian Journal of Agronomy ◽

10.4081/ija.2020.1765 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 293-298

Author(s):

Filiberto Altobelli ◽

Ronald Vargas ◽

Giuseppe Corti ◽

Carmelo Dazzi ◽

Luca Montanarella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Management ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Soil Water ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Management Practices ◽

Soil Management ◽

Soil And Water Conservation ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Sustainable Soil Management ◽

Soil And Water

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identify the need to restore degraded soils in order to improve productivity and the provision of ecosystem services. The aim is to support food production, store and supply clean water, conserve biodiversity, sequester carbon, and improve soil resilience in a context of climate change. Within this framework, in order to achieve the SDGs and to correct land management in the long-term, soil management is considered mandatory. The reduction of land degradation should be based on various sustainable soil management practices that improve and maintain soil organic matter levels, increase water infiltration, and improve soil water management. This technical review - a policy paper - summarizes the sustainable and territorial impact of soil degradation, including soil water erosion, from the global level to the European and National levels. Furthermore, with the aim of sharing ongoing soil and water management actions, instruments, and initiatives, we provide information on soil and water conservation activities and prospects in Italy.

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