scholarly journals Developing a water strategy for sustainable irrigated agriculture in Mediterranean island communities – Insights from Malta

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lamprini Papadimitriou ◽  
Daniela D’Agostino ◽  
Malcolm Borg ◽  
Stephen Hallett ◽  
Ruben Sakrabani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Impact Response ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Drivers Of Change ◽  
Island Communities ◽  
Mediterranean Island ◽  
Water Strategy ◽  
Water Resources Sustainability

The future sustainability of irrigated agriculture in Mediterranean island communities faces a raft of economic, environmental and socio-economic challenges. Many of these are inextricably linked to the extreme levels of water scarcity that exist in the region. With a focus on Malta, we developed a water strategy to identify the priorities for action to support decision makers, practitioners and the agrifood industry in achieving agricultural and water resources sustainability. The methodology involved a combination of evidence synthesis, to inform the development of a Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response framework. These priorities were then used to define a set of key actions under three thematic pillars of sustainability (environment, economy and society). Our analysis confirmed that irrigated agriculture in Malta is not only impacted by environmental factors such as the challenging climate and geography of the region but also strongly influenced by a range of economic (tourism development, European Union accession) and societal (population growth, environmental regulation) drivers of change. The developed strategy is underpinned by priority actions relating to improved water and soil management. The reduction of water and energy footprints in crop production, the establishment of demonstration farms and the support of policies that promote ‘value adding’ activities are examples of key priority actions for the environmental, economic and societal pillar, respectively. Regarding the scale of intervention, the analysis distinguishes research as being important for supporting many of the economy-focused actions.

scholarly journals NUTRIENT CONTENT IN SUNFLOWERS IRRIGATED WITH OIL EXPLORATION WATER

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
ADERVAN FERNANDES SOUSA ◽  
LINDBERGUE ARAÚJO CRISOSTOMO ◽  
OLMAR BALLER WEBER ◽  
MARIA EUGENIA ORTIZ ESCOBAR ◽  
TEÓGENES SENNA DE OLIVEIRA
Keyword(s):  
Reverse Osmosis ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Produced Water ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture

ABSTRACT: Irrigation using produced water, which is generated during crude oil and gas recovery and treated by the exploration industry, could be an option for irrigated agriculture in semiarid regions. To determine the viability of this option, the effects of this treated water on the nutritional status of plants should be assessed. For this purpose, we examined the nutritional changes in sunflowers after they were irrigated with oil-produced water and the effects of this water on plant biomass and seed production. The sunflower cultivar BRS 321 was grown for three crop cycles in areas irrigated with filtered produced water (FPW), reverse osmosis-treated produced water (OPW), or ground water (GW). At the end of each cycle, roots, shoots, and seeds were collected to examine their nutrient concentrations. Produced water irrigation affected nutrient accumulation in the sunflower plants. OPW irrigation promoted the accumulation of Ca, Na, N, P, and Mg. FPW irrigation favored the accumulation of Na in both roots and shoots, and biomass and seed production were negatively affected. The Na in the shoots of plants irrigated with FPW increased throughout the three crop cycles. Under controlled conditions, it is possible to reuse reverse osmosis-treated produced water in agriculture. However, more long-term research is needed to understand its cumulative effects on the chemical and biological properties of the soil and crop production.

scholarly journals Land Use Scenarios and Their Effect on Potential Crop Production: The Case of Gambella Region, Ethiopia

Agriculture ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azeb W. Degife ◽  
Florian Zabel ◽  
Wolfram Mauser
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Intensification ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
High Input ◽  
Low Input ◽  
Land Use Scenarios ◽  
Food Shortages ◽  
Increase Food Production ◽  
Caloric Requirements

Agricultural intensification and cropland expansion are the key policies to increase food production in Ethiopia. Gambella is one of the regions in Ethiopia which is highly suitable for agriculture; however, the local people still face food shortages. We therefore investigated the potential for intensification and cropland expansion. In this study, we developed land use scenarios of agricultural intensification and expansion and analysed their effect on potential crop production in the region and estimated the population that could be nourished as a result. We distinguished between different degrees of intensification, ranging from low input rainfed to high input irrigated agriculture and different degrees of expansion, considering the best 30% or 50% of land to be utilized for expansion. While the results reveal that irrigation had almost no effect on potential yields, they also show that the potential calorie production in all scenarios far exceeds the current and possible future caloric requirements of Gambella’s population. For example, for the top 50% expansion scenario, calorie production increased by +428% for the low input and by +1092% for the high input scenarios. Thus, Gambella could nourish up to 21 million people and serve as a bread basket for the entire country, which could improve national food security.

scholarly journals Study on the irrigation water distribution system developed by Barind Multipurpose Development Authority

1970 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Mosiur Rahman ◽  
A.H.M. Kamal ◽  
Abdullah Al Mamun ◽  
Md. Shafi Uddin Miah
Keyword(s):  
Water Loss ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Water Distribution System ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Buried Pipe

Irrigated agriculture has been playing a vital role for the growth in crop production in Bangladesh. Minor irrigation comprising of shallow tubewells (STWs), deep tubewells (DTWs), hand tubewells (HTWs) and low-lift pumps (LLPs) is a major irrigation system in the country. Poor performance of irrigation is an issue for the expansion of irrigated area. The present study was carried out to examine the conveyance efficiency and rate of irrigation water loss in DTW schemes in Bogra, Thakurgaon and Godagari zones of Barind Management Development Authority. There were various types of water distribution identified in these schemes with including Poly Venyl Chloride (PVC) buried pipe, cement concrete (CC) rectangular, Ferro trapezoidal, Ferro semicircular and rectangular earth drain. The average conveyance efficiency of PVC buried pipe for Bogra, Thakurgaon and Godagari zones ranged from 94.46% to 95.37% and rate of water loss ranged from 5.45% to 9.55% in three study zones. Average conveyance efficiency of CC rectangular for Bogra and Godagari zone ranged from 91.20% and rate of water loss from 6.58% to 9.93%. Average conveyance efficiency of Ferro trapezoid for Bogra and Godagari zone ranged from 87.80% to 90.06% and rate of water loss ranged from 9.94% to 12.21%. Average conveyance efficiency of Ferro semicircle for Bogra and Godagari zone ranged between 88.13% and 86.82% and rate of water loss between 11.59% and 11.68%. Average conveyance efficiency and rate of water loss of rectangular earth drain Godagari zone was 58.66% and 42.29% respectively. About 80% farmers recommended buried pipe irrigation system and about 20% semi-circular channel. The study suggests that the improved water distribution system as developed by BMDA is sustainable to increase productivity of irrigation systems in Bangladesh. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbayr.v1i2.10032

scholarly journals Cereal Production Trends under Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in Southern Africa

Agriculture ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luxon Nhamo ◽  
Greenwell Mathcaya ◽  
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi ◽  
Sibusiso Nhlengethwa ◽  
Charles Nhemachena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
International Aid ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Cereal Production ◽  
The Impact

The increasing frequency and intensity of droughts and floods, coupled with increasing temperatures and declining rainfall totals, are exacerbating existing vulnerabilities in southern Africa. Agriculture is the most affected sector as 95% of cultivated area is rainfed. This review addressed trends in moisture stress and the impacts on crop production, highlighting adaptation possible strategies to ensure food security in southern Africa. Notable changes in rainfall patterns and deficiencies in soil moisture are estimated and discussed, as well as the impact of rainfall variability on crop production and proposed adaptation strategies in agriculture. Climate moisture index (CMI) was used to assess aridity levels. Southern Africa is described as a climate hotspot due to increasing aridity, low adaptive capacity, underdevelopment and marginalisation. Although crop yields have been increasing due to increases in irrigated area and use of improved seed varieties, they have not been able to meet the food requirements of a growing population, compromising regional food security targets. Most countries in the region depend on international aid to supplement yield deficits. The recurrence of droughts caused by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) continue devastating the region, affecting livelihoods, economies and the environment. An example is the 2015/16 ENSO drought that caused the region to call for international aid to feed about 40 million people. In spite of the water scarcity challenges, cereal production continues to increase steadily due to increased investment in irrigated agriculture and improved crop varieties. Given the current and future vulnerability of the agriculture sector in southern Africa, proactive adaptation interventions are important to help farming communities develop resilient systems to adapt to the changes and variability in climate and other stressors.

An Integrated Model for Simulating and Evaluating Water Resources Sustainability at Laoshan Region

2014 ◽  
Vol 675-677 ◽  
pp. 880-885
Author(s):  
Jie Jun Yang ◽  
Jun Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Integrated Model ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Relative Standard ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Relative Errors ◽  
Water Quality And Quantity ◽  
Water Resources Utilization ◽  
Water Resources Sustainability

An integrated model was developed for evaluating water resources sustainability. In the model, a new index was developed based on nineteen indicators related socio-economic, eco-environment and water resources. The interrelationships between indicators were quantified based on mathematical models. The integrated model was applied to simulate the water resources sustainability in Laoshan Region successfully from 2010 to 2030 after validation and calibration using historical data which has low relative errors and relative standard deviation (<10%). The results indicate that the sustainable solution to water resources utilization in Laoshan Region is to supply different types of water resources to different water resources demand sectors based on requirements on water quality and quantity. The integrated model developed in this study is useful for decision-makers to simulate and evaluate the water resources sustainability.

Simplifying the selection of evidence synthesis methods to inform environmental decisions: A guide for decision makers and scientists

2017 ◽  
Vol 213 ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carly N. Cook ◽  
Susan J. Nichols ◽  
J. Angus Webb ◽  
Richard A. Fuller ◽  
Rob M. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Synthesis Methods ◽  
Environmental Decisions ◽  
Selection Of

scholarly journals metaCOVID: An R-Shiny application for living meta-analyses of COVID-19 trials

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodoros Evrenoglou ◽  
Isabelle Boutron ◽  
Anna Chaimani
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Source Code ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Preventive Interventions ◽  
Primary Interest ◽  
Link Type ◽  
R Shiny ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Shiny Application

Abstract“Living” evidence synthesis is of primary interest for decision-makers to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-NMA provides open-access living meta-analyses assessing different therapeutic and preventive interventions. Data are posted on a platform (https://covid-nma.com/) and analyses are updated every week. However, guideline developers and other stakeholders also need to investigate the data and perform their own analyses. This requires resources, time, statistical expertise, and software knowledge. To assist them, we created the “metaCOVID” application which, based on automation processes, facilitates the fast exploration of the data and the conduct of analyses tailored to end-users needs. metaCOVID has been created in R and is freely available as an R-Shiny application. The application conducts living meta-analyses for every outcome. Several options are available for subgroup and sensitivity analyses. The results are presented in downloadable forest plots. metaCOVID is freely available from https://covid-nma.com/metacovid/ and the source code from https://github.com/TEvrenoglou/metaCovid.

scholarly journals A Review on Agricultural Problems and Their Management in Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 1189
Author(s):  
Bulti Merga ◽  
Abdulatif Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Acid Soils ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Scheduling Problems ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Human Welfare

Ethiopia’s agricultural production has been challenged by waterlogging, salinity, acidity, parasitic weed, and irrigation scheduling problems which has resulted in lower yields than the potential. Waterlogging is the main drainage problem in the small scale irrigation schemes in the Vertisols dominated highland areas while salinity and salinization is a common phenomenon in the large and medium scale irrigation schemes located in the lowlands of the country’s major river basins with predominantly salt affected soils. Soil acidity and associated low nutrient availability is one of the constraints to crop production on acid soils. Lime requirement for crops grown on acid soils is determined by the quality of liming material, status of soil fertility, crop species and varieties, crop management practices, and economic considerations. A considerable loss in growth and yield of many food and fodder crops is caused by root-parasitic flowering plants. Globally, Striga and Orobanche have a greater impact on human welfare than any other parasitic angiosperms because their hosts are subsistence crops in areas marginal for agriculture. In irrigated agriculture, efficient water management is an important element. Such practices can help bust sustainable production and maintain farm profitability in which there is limited water resource.

scholarly journals Increasing capacity to produce scenarios and models for biodiversity and ecosystem services

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (suppl 1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel M.D. Rosa ◽  
Carolyn J. Lundquist ◽  
Simon Ferrier ◽  
Rob Alkemade ◽  
Paula F. Drummond de Castro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Postgraduate Training ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Drivers Of Change ◽  
Training Schools ◽  
Forestry Products ◽  
The Impact

Abstract: Extensive anthropogenic activities driven by the demand for agriculture and forestry products have led to dramatic reductions in biodiversity worldwide and significant changes in the provisioning of ecosystem services. These trends are expected to continue in the future as the world continues to develop without much consideration of the role that nature plays in sustaining human livelihoods. Scenarios and models can be important tools to help policy- and decision-makers foresee the impact of their decisions; thus, increasing capacity in creating such models and scenarios is of utmost importance. However, postgraduate training schools that focus on this topic are still rare. Here we present and reflect on the experience of the São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Scenarios and Modelling on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services to Support Human Well-Being (SPSAS Scenarios). In addition, we introduce the Special Issue of Biota Neotropica that resulted from the activities taking place during the SPSAS Scenarios. In total, nine case studies emerged from the activities carried out during SPSAS Scenarios. These focused on a variety of ecosystems, their current drivers of change and expected trends, as well as on the development of alternative positive scenarios applying the recently developed Nature Futures Framework. We emphasize the need to increase capacity in scenario and modelling skills in order to address some of the existing gaps in producing policy-relevant scenarios and models for biodiversity and ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Peak grain forecasts for the US High Plains amid withering waters

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (42) ◽  
pp. 26145-26150
Author(s):  
Assaad Mrad ◽  
Gabriel G. Katul ◽  
Delphis F. Levia ◽  
Andrew J. Guswa ◽  
Elizabeth W. Boyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
State Level ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Groundwater Pumping ◽  
The Us ◽  
Recharge Rates

Irrigated agriculture contributes 40% of total global food production. In the US High Plains, which produces more than 50 million tons per year of grain, as much as 90% of irrigation originates from groundwater resources, including the Ogallala aquifer. In parts of the High Plains, groundwater resources are being depleted so rapidly that they are considered nonrenewable, compromising food security. When groundwater becomes scarce, groundwater withdrawals peak, causing a subsequent peak in crop production. Previous descriptions of finite natural resource depletion have utilized the Hubbert curve. By coupling the dynamics of groundwater pumping, recharge, and crop production, Hubbert-like curves emerge, responding to the linked variations in groundwater pumping and grain production. On a state level, this approach predicted when groundwater withdrawal and grain production peaked and the lag between them. The lags increased with the adoption of efficient irrigation practices and higher recharge rates. Results indicate that, in Texas, withdrawals peaked in 1966, followed by a peak in grain production 9 y later. After better irrigation technologies were adopted, the lag increased to 15 y from 1997 to 2012. In Kansas, where these technologies were employed concurrently with the rise of irrigated grain production, this lag was predicted to be 24 y starting in 1994. In Nebraska, grain production is projected to continue rising through 2050 because of high recharge rates. While Texas and Nebraska had equal irrigated output in 1975, by 2050, it is projected that Nebraska will have almost 10 times the groundwater-based production of Texas.

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