Assessment of Soil Suitability for Improvement of Soil Factors and Agricultural Management

The dramatic growth of the world’s population is increasing the pressure on natural resources, particularly on soil systems. At the same time, inappropriate agricultural practices are causing widespread soil degradation. Improved management of soil resources and identification of the potential agricultural capability of soils is therefore needed to prevent further land degradation, particularly in dryland areas such as Egypt. Here, we present a case study in the El-Fayoum depression (Northern Egypt) to model and map soil suitability for 12 typical Mediterranean crops. Two management scenarios were analyzed: the current situation (CS) and an optimal scenario (OS) of soil variables. The Almagra model was applied to estimate soil suitability under CS and OS. Management options based on the CS assessment were proposed to reduce some limiting factors: a fixed value of 2 dSm−1 for soil salinity and 5% for sodium saturation; these defined the OS. Under optimal management, the OS scenario showed potential, where a notable increase of the area covered by a high suitability class (around 80%) for annual and semi-annual crops was observed. There was also a marked increase (about 70% for CS and 50% for OS) for perennial crops shifting from the marginal to moderate soil suitability class. The results reveal the importance of proper management to massively alter soil suitability into better states in order to achieve sustainable land use in this fertile agro-ecosystem.

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Assessing the Impact of Management Options on Water Allocation in River Mubuku-Sebwe Sub-Catchments of Lake Edward-George Basin, Western Uganda

Water ◽

10.3390/w13152009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 2009

Author(s):

Caroline Ednah Mwebaze ◽

Jackson-Gilbert Mwanjalolo Majaliwa ◽

Joshua Wanyama ◽

Geoffrey Gabiri

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Water Demand ◽

Water Allocation ◽

Management Scenarios ◽

Management Options ◽

Available Water ◽

Lake Edward ◽

Western Uganda ◽

The Impact ◽

Sustainable Water Resources

Limited studies in East Africa and particularly in Uganda have been carried out to determine and map water use and demands. This study aimed at assessing the impact of management options on sustainable water allocation in environmentally sensitive catchments of Mubuku and Sebwe of Lake Edward-George basin in Western Uganda. We used hydro-meteorological data analysis techniques to quantify the available water. We applied Mike Hydro model to allocate water to the different ongoing developments in the catchment based on 2015 and 2040 water demand management scenarios. We used the Nile Basin Decision Support System to assess the sustainability of the different water management scenarios for sustainable water resources use. Reliability computation did not consider hydropower in this study. Results show that water available in 2015 was 60 MCM/YR and 365 MCM/YR for Sebwe and Mubuku, respectively and is projected to decrease by 15% and 11% by the year 2040 under climate scenario RCP8.5. We project water demand to rise by 64% for domestic, 44% for livestock, 400% for industry, 45% for hydro power and 66% for irrigation by 2040. Mubuku water demand is projected to increase from 5.2 MCM in 2015 to 10.7 MCM in 2040. Mubuku available water is projected to fall from 364.8 to 329.8 MCM per annum. Sebwe water demand is projected to increase from 9.7 MCM in 2015 to 22.2 MCM in 2040 and its available water is projected to fall from 60 to 52 MCM per annum by the year 2040 from 2015. Water managers ought to allocate water based on the reliable water allocation which prioritizes domestic and environmental water demands, allocates 90% of industrial demand, 70% of irrigation and 60% of livestock demand. We recommend institutionalizing this model to guide water allocation in the Mubuku-Sebwe sub catchments. Water users should employ more efficient water use techniques to achieve high reliability and sustainable water resources management.

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Farmlands Degradation with Conventional Agricultural Practices and Human Health Risk Assessment: A Case Study of Punjab Province, Pakistan

Land Degradation and Development ◽

10.1002/ldr.4051 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Javed Nawab ◽

Zia Ud Din ◽

Shah Faisal ◽

Sardar Khan ◽

Abid Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Health Risk ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Risk Assessment ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Human Health Risk Assessment ◽

Punjab Province

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Does Traditional Agroforestry a Sustainable Production System in Bangladesh? An Analysis of Socioeconomic and Ecological Perspectives

Conservation ◽

10.3390/conservation1010003 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 21-35

Author(s):

Kazi Kamrul Islam ◽

Mohammad Saifullah ◽

Kimihiko Hyakumura

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Practices ◽

Agroforestry Systems ◽

Sustainable Land Use ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Benefit Cost Ratio ◽

Pests And Diseases ◽

The Social ◽

Traditional Agroforestry ◽

Benefit Cost

In the tropics, products and services provided by the traditional agroforestry systems (TAS) support the basic needs and promote the livelihood of millions of rural people. However, the outcomes and mitigation of TAS, in particular, the social and environmental issues are not systematically addressed. Thus, the objective of the study was to assess the economic, social and environmental outcomes of two important TAS in Bangladesh. This study reports results on prospective analyses using the Date palm and Jackfruit-based TAS practiced in the Jashore and Mymensingh districts of Bangladesh. The results revealed that the TAS enhanced farm productivity and the benefit–cost ratio of both systems were much higher than the general agricultural practices in Bangladesh. The TAS also improved resilience of rural farmers through more efficient water utilization, enhancing soil fertility, improving microclimate, controlling pests and diseases, and diversifying products. At the same time, the farmers’ problems were neglected due to the absence of farmers’ platforms, and also tradeoffs may arise; thus, the social aspects of the TAS farmers had not developed equally. Therefore, the study would recommend minimizing the tradeoffs through enhancing the conservation strategies at farmers’ levels to make the TAS more viable and sustainable land-use practices.

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Agricultural Land Management Options Following Large-Scale Environmental Contamination: Evaluation for Fukushima Affected Agricultural Land

Volume 2: Facility Decontamination and Decommissioning; Environmental Remediation; Environmental Management/Public Involvement/Crosscutting Issues/Global Partnering ◽

10.1115/icem2013-96231 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Hildegarde Vandenhove

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Management ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Large Scale ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Management Option ◽

Management Options ◽

Fukushima Daiichi ◽

Agricultural Land Management

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has raised questions about the accumulation of radionuclides in soils, the transfer in the foodchain and the possibility of continued restricted future land use. This paper summarizes what is generally understood about the application of agricultural countermeasures as a land management option to reduce the radionuclides transfer in the food chain and to facilitate the return of potentially affected soils to agricultural practices in areas impacted by a nuclear accident.

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Sustainable land-use patterns for arid lands: A case study in the northern slope areas of the Tianshan Mountains

Journal of Geographical Sciences ◽

10.1007/s11442-010-0510-5 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 510-524 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Geping Luo ◽

Yixing Feng ◽

Baiping Zhang ◽

Weiming Cheng

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Tianshan Mountains ◽

Arid Lands ◽

Sustainable Land Use ◽

Northern Slope ◽

Land Use Patterns ◽

Use Patterns

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Sustainable agriculture: The study on farmers’ perception and practices regarding nutrient management and limiting losses

Journal of Water and Land Development ◽

10.2478/jwld-2018-0007 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 67-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Barbara Kiełbasa ◽

Stefan Pietrzak ◽

Barbro Ulén ◽

Jan-Olof Drangert ◽

Karin Tonderski

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Agriculture ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Low Cost ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Farm Management ◽

General Idea ◽

Limiting Nutrient ◽

Scientific Project ◽

Sustainable Agricultural Practices

AbstractThe paper presents the results of a scientific project focused on limiting nutrient losses from farms by introducing measures to apply fertilizers in a more sustainable way. It is a case study of selected aspects of farm management, focussing on the issue of sustainable agriculture and their tools. The main aim of the study was to analyse and evaluate farmers’ knowledge of the fertilizing process and its aspects, as well as applying sustainable agricultural activities on farms. The study emphasised the importance of nutrient management, as very important for sustainable farming. Also, the links between farmers’ opinions and their activities were analysed. The important issue concerned measures for sustainable farm management introduced on the farms, as well as measures to limit nutrient leaching into groundwater. Twenty-eight farmers from two regions in Poland were interviewed about their perceptions for the case study. In general, the farmers considered their farm activities to be more sustainable than in the past. They demonstrated an understanding of the general idea of sustainable agriculture. However, many farmers still demonstrated a poor grasp of nutrient flows and nutrient balances on farms. Their knowledge and perception was based on general, rather than specific knowledge gleaned from an academic/vocational course. The farmers demonstrated a realization that there were some new, or low-cost measures that could be introduced to make management more sustainable and pro-environmental, but there was still a need for wider adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.

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