Agriculture in the Oasis of the Manga Grasslands of Semi-Arid North-East Nigeria

2003 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.B. Alhassan ◽  
R.C. Carter ◽  
I. Audu
Keyword(s):  
Rural Economy ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Organic Soils ◽  
Confined Water ◽  
Acid Sulphate ◽  
North East ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Semi Arid

Peasant farmers in the Manga Grasslands of semi-arid north-east Nigeria depend largely on agriculture for their livelihood. However, recurrent drought since the early 1970s has disrupted the traditional farming systems of the region, and hence the agriculture-based rural economy of the Grasslands. There is evidence that farmers in the Grasslands are obliged to intensify crop production in areas with ‘good’ soils and ‘adequate’ water supply, that is, the oases. The rich organic soils and the shallow, semi-confined water table beneath the oases are precious natural resources for intensive agriculture. These do not come without a price, however, as the rich, organic soils have the potential to be contaminated by acid sulphate and salt. It is expected that future soil creation, particularly under dry climatic conditions, will lead to the formation of true acid sulphate soils, and consequently, the twin processes of soil acidification and salinization will present real management problems for sustainable agriculture. It is concluded however, that under the prevailing soil, hydrological and climatic conditions of the oasis, sustainable agricultural production remains elusive.

scholarly journals Benefits and Limitations of Decision Support Systems (DSS) with a Special Emphasis on Weeds

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Kanatas ◽  
Ilias S. Travlos ◽  
Ioannis Gazoulis ◽  
Alexandros Tataridas ◽  
Anastasia Tsekoura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Decision Support Systems ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Management Options ◽  
The Right

Decision support systems (DSS) have the potential to support farmers to make the right decisions in weed management. DSSs can select the appropriate herbicides for a given field and suggest the minimum dose rates for an herbicide application that can result in optimum weed control. Given that the adoption of DSSs may lead to decreased herbicide inputs in crop production, their potential for creating eco-friendly and profitable weed management strategies is obvious and desirable for the re-designing of farming systems on a more sustainable basis. Nevertheless, it is difficult to stimulate farmers to use DSSs as it has been noticed that farmers have different expectations of decision-making tools depending on their farming styles and usual practices. The function of DSSs requires accurate assessments of weeds within a field as input data; however, capturing the data can be problematic. The development of future DSSs should target to enhance weed management tactics which are less reliant on herbicides. DSSs should also provide information regarding weed seedbank dynamics in the soil in order to suggest management options not only within a single period but also in a rotational view. More aspects ought to be taken into account and further research is needed in order to optimize the practical use of DSSs for supporting farmers regarding weed management issues in various crops and under various soil and climatic conditions.

scholarly journals Livestock in rural piedmont regions of Algeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-208
Author(s):  
Khalila Bengouga ◽  
L LahmadiSalwa ◽  
Reguia Zeguerou ◽  
Moufida Maaoui ◽  
Youcef Halis
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
The Self ◽  
Third Place ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Mixed Farming ◽  
North East ◽  
The Family ◽  
Breeding Mode ◽  
Semi Arid

A livestock survey conducted during 2013/2015 as part of a CRSTRA project in 4 villages situated at North east Biskra and south Batna in Algeria. These regions are located at elevation ranging around 250-831m asl, experiencing arid and semi-arid Mediterranean climate. Respondents of 86 families demonstrated that livestock is an integral part of the region?s mixed farming systems. Low livestock numbers per most households at present reflect the self-consumption breeding mode adapted in these regions. Currently, farmers focus on four main livestock types; goat, sheep, chicken and bee keeping in two regions, it is the case of Beni Souik and Branis , while Maafa includes beyond these types, turkey and pigeon whereas Ain Zaatout includes duck and swine beside the previous livestock types. In the same context; goat ranked first in the four regions, goat and sheep secondly then goat and poultry with goat combined to sheep and poultry in third place. Thus; most families use a combination of grazing, agriculture sub-products and industrial products for the nutrition of their livestock. Families keep livestock as source of milk, butter, wool or hair, leather and other products that are strongly used as nutritional, weaving supply or stocking covering resources for the family members or friends and in some cases for sell to seekers of animal products of indigenous territory origins. Most families use these products for family and friend consumption while a minority sell some of them on local markets.

Managing pluvial resources and improving soil hydrology: Survival questions for cotton farming systems. The case study of the Mouhoun (Burkina Faso)

Biologia ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valérie Hauchart
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Hydrological Processes ◽  
Erosion Processes

AbstractCotton cropping has been developing for more than 40 years in the western part of Burkina Faso. It has made a definite modernization of the traditional farming system. Modernization is illustrated by adoption of specific agricultural practices like monoculture, tillage, straight sowing and slope ridge planting. Misuse and non-adaptable local pedologic and climatic context of these new practices perturb soil hydrological processes. Outcomes are water loss by runoff, erosion and changes in the soils physical and physiochemical properties.Besides, we can notice in this area for more than 30 years climatic changes which require us to ask ourselves what are the resulting consequences. In fact, these climatic changes generate an extension of the rainy season, an increase in the frequency of high intensity spells but also recurrence of dry spells during the rainy season. Do these new climatic conditions exacerbate the consequences of cotton practices on hydrological processes and induce an aggravation of flow and erosion processes?These evolutions have direct consequences on crop production whereas needs are highly increasing. The improvement of the prevailing agricultural practices and innovative practices might provide improved pluvial resources in critical moments such as rainfall excess at the beginning and the end of the rainy season and short drought conditions after sowing or germination and during flowering. However two questions arise. In the rainfed agriculture, which cultural practices (to reduce runoff and to favour infiltration) are, in regard to pedologic, climatic or socio-economic context, able to allow improved water efficiency and, as a result, an increase of the food grains production? Might selected practices and production addition satisfy requirements of the coming population?

Soil carbon pool under organic and conventional crop production system of semi arid tropics

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-84
Author(s):  
D Udhaya Nandhini ◽  
E Somasundaram ◽  
S Somasundaram ◽  
K Arulmozhiselvan
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽  
Organic Soils ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Soil Carbon Pool ◽  
Organic Farm ◽  
Doc Concentration ◽  
Farm Soils ◽  
Conventional Farm ◽  
Semi Arid

Regardless of land use, the results indicated significant differences in all the studied parameters. Total % SOC ranged from 0.52 to 0.72 for conventional farm samples (mean 0.62%) and 0.63 to 1.59 for the organic samples (mean 1.19). Bulk density (g/cc) ranged from 0.43 to 0.81 (mean 0. 62) for conventional and 0.17 to 0.28 (mean 0.20) organic farm soils. Organic manures increased microbial biomass carbon by 117% and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration by 181% over conventional farming. The results suggested that organic matter is better protected in organic soils and are consequently less vulnerable to mineralization.

Comparison of no-tillage and conventional tillage in the development of sustainable farming systems in the semi-arid tropics

1996 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 995 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Thiagalingam ◽  
NP Dalgliesh ◽  
NS Gould ◽  
RL McCown ◽  
AL Cogle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Soil Movement ◽  
Dryland Crops ◽  
Semi Arid

The results of 5 short-term (4-8 years) experiments and farm demonstrations in which no-tillage technology was compared with conventional or reduced tillage in the semi-arid tropics of the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland, during the mid 1980s to mid 1990s, are reviewed. In the Douglas-Daly and Katherine districts of the Northern Territory, dryland crops of maize, sorghum, soybean and mungbean sown using no-tillage with adequate vegetative mulch on the soil surface have produced yields comparable with, or higher than (especially in drier years), those obtained under conventional tillage. The importance of a surface mulch in ameliorating soil temperature, moisture and fertility, and in reducing soil movement and loss in crop production in the semi-arid tropics was confirmed. Management of mulch (pasture, crop residues and weeds) will be crucial in the application of no-tillage technology to the development of mixed dryland crop and livestock enterprises in the semi-arid tropics.

scholarly journals Assessment on spatial extent of arid and semi-arid climatic zones of India using GIS

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-193
Author(s):  
NISHA SAHU ◽  
G. P. OBI REDDY ◽  
B. DASH ◽  
NIRMAL KUMAR ◽  
S. K. SINGH
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Spatial Extent ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Moisture Index ◽  
Climatic Zones ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Semi Arid

In this study, a quantitative assessment of spatial extent of arid and semi-arid climatic zones of India was performed for the period from 1988 to 2018 using potential evapo-transpiration (PET) calculated by Modified Penman Method, estimated from global climate data sets. Climatic water balances computed for 625 stations across the country are used for classifying to bio-climate types based on moisture index and areas falling under arid climatic zones in India are delineated using ArcGIS 10.5. It was noticed a considerable changes in the country’s arid and semi-arid climatic zones between the two periods; 1992 and 2018. Overall, there has been a net percent change in hyper arid, typic arid and semi arid (dry) areas is 5.62, 1.62 and 7.17 percent, respectively. Dryness and wetness are increasing in different parts of the country. There is also change in rainfall, PET and moisture index over a period of time which is vital to determine aridity pattern of any region. Thus, results are of great significance for studying the assessment of temporal and spatial dry climatic water balance of India, which can help immensely in the management of water resources and sustainability of crop production under changing climatic conditions.

Strategies for Sustainable Crop Production in Semi-Arid Africa

1992 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.L. McCown ◽  
B.A. Keating ◽  
M.E. Probert ◽  
R.K. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Productive Capacity ◽  
Soil Enrichment ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Semi Arid

This is a record of the experience of a research team attempting to identify a development path for a farming system in semi-arid Africa. The farming system is the largely-subsistence production of crops and livestock by smallholders in the Machakos and Kitui Districts in Eastern Kenya. The region is known locally as Ukambani- “the place where the Kamba people live”. This region has a long history in which the food demands of rapidly growing populations have periodically outstripped the productive capacity of the land and current technology. Today, the population pressure on land and its rate of growth are among the highest in the world, and emigration is no longer a feasible solution. But numerous other areas of Africa are not far behind in population pressures and a more sustainable agriculture in this region is important not only for Kenya. Almost certainly, the problems of agriculture in Machakos-Kitui today represent a future scenario for much of semi-arid Africa. This article is also concerned with methodology for conducting research on farming systems. While the project was designed according to the concepts of Farming Systems Research (FSR) (Collinson, 1982), the realities of development assistance projects created challenges in implementation. The research also departed from the conventional FSR plan as new possibilities were realized, and with great benefit. The outcome is a well-founded hypothesis: contrary to much contemporary wisdom, a strategy of augmenting traditional soil enrichment practices with modest amounts of fertilizer is economically feasible for many farmers and provides the best prospects for food security and sustainable agriculture in this climatic zone.

Peculiarities of the course of the postpartum period in domestic reindeer females, its morphophysiology and behavioral reactions in the North-East of Russia (Republic of Sakha)

2020 ◽  
pp. 99-105
Author(s):  
V. Fedorov ◽  
E. Sleptsov ◽  
K. Plemyashov
Keyword(s):  
Postpartum Period ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Taiga Zone ◽  
Behavioral Reactions ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Mountain Taiga

A growth in the number of deer and an increase in their productivity are closely related to the solution of the complex problem of reproduction and rational use of deer females. Significant damage to reindeer husbandry is caused by the barrenness of northern domestic deer, the level of which has been quite high in recent years. So, in the Republic of Sakha, on 01.01.2020, the number of domesticated reindeer was 152,068, of which female deer and heifers — 71,818, offspring per 100 females — 59, business yield amounted to 52 fawns per 100 females. The causes of infertility are very diverse, as the natural and climatic conditions of the breeding zones have a significant influence on the reproductive function of reindeer. In Yakutia, the main population of northern domestic deer is bred in mountain taiga and tundra natural-climatic zones, so there are about 55 thousand deer in the mountain taiga zone and more than 65 thousand deer in the tundra zone. In this regard, the study of the peculiarities of the postpartum period course in domestic reindeer females, its morphophysiology, and behavioral reactions depending on the natural and climatic conditions of breeding is of great importance.

Micro and Macro-level Analysis of Crop Diversification: Evidence from an Agrarian State West Bengal

2020 ◽  
pp. 489-499
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Structure Questionnaire ◽  
Crop Diversification ◽  
The Status ◽  
Block Level ◽  
Diversified Farming Systems

The farming system in West Bengal is being shifted by integration between the set of cash crops and the main food harvest process. This change in diversified farming systems, where smallholders have a production base in rice can complement production; affect technical efficiency and farm performance. The goal of this study was to investigate the status of crop diversification on smallholders in West Bengal. First, crop diversification regions were developed in West Bengal based on the Herfindahl index, which were categorized into three regions. Three sample districts were studied separately at the block level, and 915 small farmers from 41 sample villages of 9 sample blocks were interviewed through a good structure questionnaire for field studies from the sample districts. West Bengal was gradually moving towards multiple crop production. Furthermore, increasing rice production reduced the marginal use of inputs for the production of other crops. Farming and other vital factors such as HYVs area to GCA, average holding size and per capita income in some districts of West Bengal can be identified as determinants of crop diversification.

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