Managing Soil Organic Matter under Dryland Farming Systems for Climate Change Adaptation and Sustaining Agriculture Productivity
Ch SrinivasaraoSumanta KunduSS RakeshCh. S. Rama LakshmiG. Ranjith KumarR ManasaG. SomashekarG. Narayan SwamyKancheti MrunaliniSomasundaram JayaramanMihir Narayan MohantyG. VenkateshG. PratibhaJ. V. N. S. Prasad
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Abstract:
Soil erosion and land degradation are led by frequent floods and droughts which are the prime reasons of low productivity in land areas. Poor soil conservation practices, lack of technology transfer, and low-yielding crop varieties are further degrading soil fertility status of land under rainfed farming. In general, crops grown on rainfed soils are highly prone to drought stress and multi-nutrient deficiencies, because these are coarse-textured soils of low water and nutrient retention capacity, low soil organic matter (SOM) content with less aggregate stability. Mono-cropping of staple crops and mining of essential nutrients from soil have caused nutrient imbalance and deterioration of soil quality. Degrading soils, accelerating soil erosion, depleting soil fertility, decreasing soil moisture-holding capacity, depleting ground water table, and increasing multiple nutrient deficiencies lead to low crop yields and perpetuate rural poverty.Keywords:
Dryland salinity
Soil structure
Soil functions
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The main problem of agricultural activities in the steep slope upland area if without adequate soil conservation practices is that it will results in soil erosion. Soil erosion causes agricultural land degradation which reduces the physical, chemical, and biological soil roperties and decreases land productivities. Soil erosion is very harmful to agricultural land productivities, because loss of the fertile topsoil in a relatively short time causes decrease of fertility and productivity of the soils. The role of conservation techniques are the way of soil conservation, which have three principles of definitions, i.e. a) to protect the soil against soil degradation, b) to improve the degraded soil, and c) to make the soil more fertile. Soil conservation practice in the field have used two methods i.e. mechanical conservation methods and vegetative conservation methods. Mechanical conservation method is the earth embankments constructed across the slope to intercept surface run off and to protect soil erosion (soil cultivation along the contour, terraces constructed, contour bank, waterways ditch, drop structure, silt pit, checkdam, gully plug, etc). While the vegetative methode are reducing the kinetic energy of the raindrops on the soil surface, reducing the run off velocity, increasing infiltration rate and reducing soil water contents. The effectiveness of soil conservation techniques in uplands area on the the soil erosion and the land productivity is different in each location. This is because of the difference of the land capability (site specific, soil behavior and properties, and the climate). Farmers’ motivation as the user of the soil conservation technologies is included as one on the determinant factors of the successfulness in improving degraded upland and in increasing land productivity.
Dryland salinity
Soil functions
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Topsoil
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Dryland salinity
Sustainable land management
Degradation
Environmental degradation
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Soil degradation threatens soil health in terms of soils functioning as complex living biological systems, delivering multiple ecosystem goods and services. For example, soil erosion removes the most fertile topsoil, reducing soil depth and soil health, which leads to poor crop growth. This impacts on the economic sustainability of farmers’ livelihoods. This chapter identifies different types of soil degradation, focusing on soil erosion by water. Soil erosion processes are described, and how these change soil properties that relate directly to crop growth, including soil depth, water-holding capacity, biota, carbon content and nutrient reserves. The causal links between soil erosion and crop production are presented, including attempts to quantify the economic costs incurred. It is likely that current impacts and costs will increase further under climate change, increasing the need for effective soil erosion mitigation measures that also enhance soil health.
Dryland salinity
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Land degradation is one of the challenging environmental problems of Ethiopia. In addition, land degradation, low and declining agricultural productivity and poverty are severe and interrelated problems in the country. Land degradation is caused by many factors such as rapid population increase, deforestation, step topographic features, intensive rain fall, unbalanced crop and livestock production to mention few of them. The relation of population growth and land degradation is quite different in many parts of the world. In some parts of the world, population is considered as a problem. While, in other parts of the world it is considered as a resource. In Ethiopia, population growth is the repeatedly mentioned cause of land degradation in general and soil erosion in particular. Thus, this paper aims to give an overview on population growth and land degradation in Ethiopia by taking typical evidence from different parts of the country. Key words : Population growth, soil erosion, soil fertility loss
Environmental degradation
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Arable land
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The study was conducted on Soil and water conservation are those activities at the local level, which maintain or enhance the productive capacity of the land including soil, water and vegetation in areas prone to degradation through
Prevention or reduction of soil erosion, compaction, salinity. Conservation or drainage of water, Maintenance or improvement of soil fertility.
• To control runoff and thus prevent loss of by soil erosion, to reduce soil compaction;
• To maintain or improve soil fertility;
• To conserve or drain water;
To harvest (excess) water.
Dryland salinity
Soil Compaction
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Degradation of land is a vital issue throughout the world with the particular references to Bangladesh as it a threat to agricultural productivity. Agroforestry, a land use system is being popular in many countries to protect the land from various types of degradation. Studies have proved that agroforestry can check soil erosion to some extent, increase soil fertility, reduce salinity, alkalinity, acidity and desertification etc. ultimately improve soil health which keep the land suitable for agricultural production. The article has drawn on the basis of various reviews focusing the land degradation situation of Bangladesh and potentialities of agroforsetry.
Key words: Land degradation, desertification, agroforestry.
Desertification
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Abstract Soil erosion is one of the most serious environmental concerns worldwide. Continued soil erosion can result in degraded soil quality and ultimately reduced crop yields and profitability. In addition, eroded soil particles and attached nutrients, pesticides, pathogens, and toxins, transported off‐site, may contaminate surface water and air quality. In cultivated fields, soil erosion can be caused by water, wind, or directly by tillage. Individual soil erosion processes have characteristic signatures on different landform elements across the landscapes. Observed soil erosion in a field is the integrated result of all forms of soil erosion processes and their interactions. Agronomic measures, soil management, mechanical measures, and other soil conservation practices have been developed and used to control the adverse effects of soil erosion – influencing either the erosivity of the erosion forces or the erodibility of the soil landscape, or both. However, soil conservation practices developed for one erosion process do not necessarily work well on other erosion processes. The selection and implementation of soil conservation practices need to account for all erosion processes if we are to design environmentally sustainable systems.
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