Your search found 18 records
1 Kendaragama, K. M. A. 2002. Evaluation of the effectiveness of selected nitrogen fertility indicators for assessing crop rotation effects in a vertisol. Annals of the Sri Lanka Department of Agriculture, 4:83-88.
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: P 7639 Record No: H039362)
2 Qadir, Manzoor; Oster, J. D.; Schubert, S.; Murtaza, G. 2006. Vegetative bioremediation of sodic and saline-sodic soils for productivity enhancement and environment conservation. In Ozturk, M.; Waisel, Y.; Khan, M. A.; Gork, G. (Eds.). Biosaline agriculture and salinity tolerance in plants. pp.137-146.
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: IWMI 631.4 G000 QAD Record No: H039759)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042131)
(0.36 MB)
A combination of appropriate crop rotation(s) and management interventions has the potential to transform saline-sodic soil and water resources from an environmental burden into an economic asset. We carried out 2-year field studies in the Indus Basin of Pakistan to evaluate different irrigation and soil management options of using saline-sodic waters (SSW) and soils for reclamation and for growing salt-tolerant cultivars of rice (SSRI-8) and wheat (SIS-32). These soils have variable levels of salinity and sodicity (ECe 9–44 dS m)1 and SAR 83–319). The treatments on both the sites were the same and consisted of: (1) Irrigation with SSW, (2) Irrigation with freshwater (FW), (3) Soil application of gypsum at 100 % gypsum requirement of soil + SSW (G + SSW), (4) G + one irrigation with SSW and one with FW (G + 1SSW + 1FW), (5) G + two irrigations with SSW and one with FW (G + 2SSW + 1FW), (6) Farm manure at 25 Mg ha)1 each year before rice + one irrigation with SSW and one with (FW FM + 1SSW + 1FW) and (7) FM + two irrigations with SSW and one with FW (FM + 2SSW + 1FW). Rice was grown as the first crop. After harvesting final wheat crop (fourth in sequence), maximum decrease in bulk density and increase in infiltration rate was observed with G + 1SSW + 1FW while FM + 1SSW + 1FW treatment showed higher decrease in pHs and ECe. Significantly the highest decrease in SAR occurred at both sites with G + 1SSW + 1FW. Maximum yields of rice and wheat were generally observed with G + 1SSW + 1FW. The crop yield and economic benefits with treatments showed a positive correlation with that of improvement in soil physical and chemical properties. Overall, the greatest net benefit was obtained from G + 1SSW + 1FW treatment. We also found that the farmers’ management skills were crucial in the overall success in improving crop yields during reclamation of saline-sodic soils. Based on the results of this study, we propose that SSW could be used to reclaim saline-sodic soils by using a rice–wheat rotation and a site-specific combination of soil amendments and water application strategies.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042151)
(0.22 MB)
Soil fertility depletion is among the major impediments to sustained agricultural productivity especially in the less developed countries because of limited application of fertilizers. Soil fertility maintenance requires a balanced application of inorganic and organic nutrient sources. This study was conducted on a Vertisol in Ethiopia to determine the optimum farm yard manure (M) and nitrogen (N) application rates for maximum return under cereal-pulse-cereal rotation system. The main and interaction effects of M and N significantly affected biomass, grain and straw yields of wheat (Triticum durum) and tef (Eragrostis tef), but the residual effect on chickpea (Cicer arietinum) was not significant. Application of 6 t M ha-1 and 30 kg N ha-1, gave the largest grain yield of both crops but a comparable result was obtained due to 3 t M ha-1 and 30 kg N ha-1. The economic analysis revealed that 6.85 t M ha-1 and 44 kg N ha-1 for wheat, and 4.53 t M ha-1 and 37 kg N ha-1 for tef were the economic optimum rates. The additional benefit obtained due to these rates was about 450 USD ha-1. Therefore, application of the economic optimum combination of both organic and inorganic sources of nitrogen is recommended for use on cereals in the cereal-legume-cereal rotation system.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: PER Record No: H045031)
(0.68 MB)
Irrigated agriculture in Oman relies solely on groundwater and Aflaj (Falaj is a canal system, which provides water for a community of farmers for domestic and agricultural use). With the increasing scarcity of freshwater available to agriculture, the need to use of reclaimed water (RW) from Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) in agriculture has increased. In this study, we explored how RW from an STP can be used directly, without Aquifer Storage and Recovery, as a source of irrigation water in conjunction with groundwater for agriculture. Average data from Muscat, Oman in the years from 1996 to 2010 was used for calculation of crop water requirement. Wheat, cowpea and maize were chosen as crops to be grown in rotation through the year. Using RW irrigation conjunctively with groundwater cropping areas of wheat, cowpea and maize can be increased by 323, 250 and 318% respectively, against utilization RW only. Of the total irrigation requirement 57.6% was met with reclaimed water (RW) and 42.4% was met with groundwater (GW). Therefore, it is recommended that decision makers should consider piping RW to areas where groundwater of good quality is available to conjunctively use and meet crop water requirements, rather than piping it to areas where groundwater is saline and unsuitable for irrigation. This will prevent disposal of RW to the sea and minimize stress on fresh groundwater zones.
6 Bakhsh, A.; Kanwar, R.S. 2011. Land use and agricultural management systems: effects on subsurface drain water quality and crop yields. In Shukla, M. K. (Ed.) Soil hydrology, land use and agriculture: measurement and modelling. Wallingford, UK: CABI. pp.312-328.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy SF Record No: H045786)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047437)
(0.99 MB)
Preliminary studies were conducted to test new design criteria incorporated in the Sefsafa Canal (SC) with the aim of reducing water application costs without sacrificing irrigation performance. For comparison, we also studied the Meet-Yazied Canal (MYC) (which is run without the new techniques). The cost-reduction measures used in this study included reduction of pump discharge rates and the use of electricity instead of diesel. We found that the location of farms along the irrigation canal had little effect on pump operation hours and amount of applied water; instead, crop patterns were the most important factor in this regard. The water use index (WUI), which is the ratio of applied water to required water, was higher in the SC than in the MYC and El-Mesk Canal (MC). Decreasing the pump discharge increased the amount of applied water to meet crop water requirements. During the winter, the WUI values of 1.11–1.16 achieved discharge rates of 70–80 l s-1 and were considered the optimal values of WUI. Further studies are required to avoid excessive application of water during the summer. The application of new techniques prompted farmers to irrigate their fields at night, thereby reducing water losses and installation and operational costs, and promoting equitable water distribution along the entire irrigation canal and throughout the command area.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049124)
(3.06 MB)
Increasing water scarcity and Asia’s rapid economic and social development, specifically the growing demand for animal products and biofuels, is forcing farmers to transform their traditional lowland double-rice cropping systems [R-R] to mixed lowland-upland systems where upland crops such as aerobic rice [R-A] or maize [R-M] are grown instead of paddy rice during the dry period. Such changes have implications on the C and N cycling in the soil-plant system, including major shifts in soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from CH4 to N2O once paddies are used for upland cropping. Moreover, soil organic carbon stocks are decreasing, thereby jeopardizing soil fertility. In this study, we investigated if straw residue incorporation and/or catch crop cultivation impairs the greenhouse gas footprint of diversifying rice cropping systems and thus, presents an alternative to open-field straw burning and intensive mineral N fertilization. For this, we calculate annual global warming potentials (GWP) and yield-scaled GWPs of three different rice systems (R-R: rice-rice, R-A: rice- aerobic rice, R-M: rice maize) without (control) or with additions of straw (+6 Mg ha-1 [S]) or + straw + mungbean as catch crop ([M + S]) on the basis of high-temporal-resolution GHG emissions (CH4 and N2O), and measurements of yield parameters. The field trial was carried out at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, covering two full years. Although dry season N2O emissions increased twice- to threefold in the diversified systems (R-A, R-M), the strong reduction of CH4 emissions during this period resulted in significantly lower annual yield-scaled GWP as compared to the traditional R-R system. The same pattern was observed after application and incorporation of organic material (straw and mungbean), but led to higher substrate availability for methanogens during the following season. Therefore, the GWP was 9–39% higher in treatments including straw incorporation as compared to a control treatment without organic substrate amendments. Additional incorporation of mungbeans further increased GWPs, whereby the increment was highest in R-R rotation (88%) and lowest in R-M rotation (55%), with annual GHG emissions of 11.8 and 5.6 Mg CO2-eq ha-1, respectively. Our study shows that the yield-scaled GWP, as well as irrigation water demand, is lowest for rice-maize (R-M) cropping systems, followed by R-A and R-R systems. This ranking persists even with the incorporation of crop residues, a requirement for farmers as the ban of open-field burning is increasingly enforced. Our work also calls for a refinement of IPCC emission factors for lowland-upland rotations and the inclusion of the land-preparation period within the GHG balance of rice cropping systems.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050769)
(9.76 MB) (9.76 MB)
Rural regions, which are commonly reliant on groundwater for water supply, often face groundwater quality challenges related to agricultural activity. To sustainably manage and protect groundwater resources, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of inherent groundwater vulnerability and the contamination risk posed by pollutant loading. Index-based methods typically assess groundwater contamination risk in a static manner and commonly represent agricultural land as a single land use class despite the complexity of land management practices that may be present. This paper illustrates modification of the conventional DRASTIC-LU methodology, through a newly developed DRASTIC-AgLU-CC approach, to better understand how groundwater contamination risk may change by mid-century while simultaneously examining the potential influence of land use scheme complexity on model performance and prediction. Recharge, depth to water table, and land use are treated as dynamic factors through the integration of downscaled global climate model data, empirically estimated water table fluctuation and recharge, and trend-based land change modelling. The Upper Parkhill watershed in southwestern Ontario, Canada serves as a case study for method application. Study results indicate that more detailed agricultural land use representation, specifically the inclusion of crop rotation and tile drainage data, has the potential to improve model predictive ability; furthermore, predicted future changes in groundwater contamination risk may vary depending on the manner in which land use is represented. Within the Upper Parkhill watershed, mid-century land use and climate conditions may increase groundwater contamination risk, although minimal change is anticipated. The presented approach provides a valuable screening tool to better understand the potential for changing groundwater contamination risk in rural regions and can be used to guide groundwater monitoring programs and water supply development.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050995)
(1.62 MB) (1.62 MB)
Climate change threatens rural livelihoods by adversely affecting agricultural production through reduced crop yields, harvest loss, and increased cost of production. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices have emerged as a possible solution to ensure food security by adapting to climate risks on the one hand, and mitigating GHG emissions from agriculture, on the other hand. However, resource-poor farmers often face both financial and knowledge constraints to adopt CSA practices, and thus, institutional support plays a crucial role in overcoming those barriers. Therefore, this study uses primary data collected from 248 farm households in the Eastern Indian state of Odisha to examine the role of institutional factors in CSA adoption. Almost 95% of the sample farmers experienced the effects of climate change, and many have adopted CSA practices such as rescheduling planting (78%), crop rotation (56%), crop diversification (35%), micro-irrigation (17%), and drought-resistant seeds (16%). Probit models are estimated to explore the key determinants of the adoption of these five major practices. Results show that factors such as government extension service, farmer field school participation, subsidies, access to energy, and perception of climate shocks are the major determinants. Further, the coefficient of interaction between landholding and credit availability on the decision to adopt CSA is positive. Thus, agricultural policies to improve institutional support, such as subsidies on farm machinery, extension support, credit facility, and field demonstration of technologies, are crucial to upscale CSA adoption in the region.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051274)
(12.20 MB)
The study proposes an agent-based model to investigate how adoption of climate smart agriculture (CSA) affects food security. The analysis investigates the role of social and ecological pressures (i.e. community network, climate change and environmental externalities) on the adoption of physical water and soil practices as well as crop rotation techniques in rural Ethiopia. The findings reveal that CSA can be an effective strategy to improve the rural populations' well-being for farm households with access to capital, strong social networks and access to integrated food markets. The climate scenario simulations indicate that farmers adopting CSA fare better than non-adopters, although CSA adoption does not fully counterbalance the severe climate pressures. In addition, farmers with poor connections to food markets benefit less from CSA due to stronger price oscillations. These results call for an active role for policy makers in encouraging adaptation through CSA adoption by increasing access to capital, improving food market integration and building information sharing among farmers.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051400)
(0.54 MB) (552 KB)
Agricultural environment in many developing economies has become increasingly unpredictable in recent decades as a result of climate change, increasing the risk of crop failure. Access to meaningful information is required to mitigate the negative effects of the changing environment. This study examined the impact of agricultural extension services on the adoption of soil and water conservation (SWC) practices using data obtained from farming households in Northern Ghana. A multivariate probit model was used to assess the simultaneous or/and substitution adoption of SWC practices, while endogenous switching probit (ESP) was used to estimate the impact of extension services on adoption of SWC practices to account for observed and unobserved heterogeneities. The results showed that most of the SWC practices were adopted jointly, and factors such as non-farm economic activites and farm size influence the adoption of SWC practices. Moreover, farmers who accessed agricultural extension services had a higher probability of adopting most of the SWC practices (crop rotation, contour ploughing and manure application), and those who did not benefit from extension services would have had an equally higher likelihood of adopting the SWC practices had they accessed the services. The findings of the study imply that enhancing agricultural extension services will reduce adoption gaps in SWC practices, and consequently reduce farmers’ exposure to climate-related agricultural production risks. With growing information and communication technologies, pluralistic extension service delivery that mixes governmental and private-sector-led approaches to extension operations to foster demand-driven extension delivery services are highly recommended.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051627)
(1.94 MB) (1.94 MB)
Adoption of appropriate climate smart innovations is the major step towards enhancing food security, building climate resilience capacity as well as reducing or removing GHG emissions from smallholder farms to sustainably maintain agricultural livelihoods. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the rate, intensity, and determinants of multiple adoptions of climate-smart agriculture innovations among smallholder farmers in Ethiopia's Upper Blue Nile Highlands. All Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) innovations have a synergistic effect on the adoption of other innovations, with the exception of Soil and Water Conservation (SWC). The economic constraint model demonstrated that farm size, number of plots, and access to financial services influence crop residue management, crop rotation, and agroforestry adoption. Hence, a larger number of plots, a larger total farm size, and access to rural savings and credit increase the probability of adoption. The diffusion innovation model, on the other hand, asserted that frequent extension visits, market access, access to information communication, social networks, and strong tenure security have no less of an impact on the adoption of CSA innovations such as improved variety, crop residue management, crop rotation, compost, SWC, and agroforestry. Furthermore, farmers' perceived technology-specific characteristics of CSA innovations increase the likelihood of adoption. Hence, formal education, more awareness about climate change and CSA, and the ability of CSA innovations to reduce the impact of climate change risks such as rising temperatures, increased hailstorms, and increased erratic rainfall have significantly increased the likelihood of adoption. The integrated technology adoption model explains the determinants of adopting multiple CSA innovations simultaneously. Livelihood asset building programs, strong public extension systems via mobile phone, voice messaging, and radio enhance adoption. Policy to identify and scale up a portfolio of farm-level specific CSA innovations is required.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052040)
(1.66 MB) (1.66 MB)
Climate change influences agriculture in sub Saharan Africa. The climate-smart agriculture approach is emerging as a new paradigm for adapting agriculture to the changing climate and mitigation. The main aim of this review was to assess the climate smart agriculture practice, factors affecting it and impact of climate smart agriculture. It was conducted by following systematic review procedures. It includes defining a research problem, conducting a literature searches, evaluating relevant material, data analysis, synthesis, and interpretation; and presentation. The result indicated that the climate smart agriculture implemented in Ethiopia were agronomic practices, integrated soil fertility management, conservation agriculture, agroforestry system, irrigation. The factors that affect climate smart agriculture in Ethiopia were age of the family head, sex, household size, education level, distance to farm land, farm size, farming system, farm income source, off-farm income, access to irrigation, market access, access to agricultural credit, access to extension service, membership to organizations, farmers’ perceptions of rainfall shocks, crop yield, access to climate information, access to agricultural inputs, slope, agro ecology, change in precipitation, tenure security and livestock ownership. The impact of climate smart agriculture practice improves soil fertility status, increased crop yield, per capita nutrition consumption and dietary diversity, increased income of smallholder farmers, hence reducing poverty. Therefore, adopting different climate smart agriculture practice should be promoted in different parts of the country. In addition, the study was limited geographically to Ethiopia and it is better to incorporate the study in Africa and worldwide level.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052228)
(4.62 MB) (4.62 MB)
This study evaluated the comprehensive Water-Energy-Food-Carbon Nexus (WEFC) by focusing on energy assessment in northwest Iran. The energy evaluation indices for different products were calculated by estimating the total input and output energies. Multi-objective optimization based on five individual objectives and WEFC Nexus policies was used to identify the optimal land-use allocation of wheat, barley, rapeseed, and sugar beet, silage corn, and potato while minimizing water and energy consumption and CO2 emissions, and maximizing food production and profit. The results indicate that the suggested framework provides a practical methodology for determining the optimal land-use allocation considering quantitative WEFC Nexus. To increase economic efficiency and reduce energy consumption, agricultural practices and policy recommendations should be adopted, including promoting renewable energy sources, implementing energy-saving technologies, improving fertilizer management, improving crop rotation practices, conservation tillage, and improving water management and adoption of sustainable farming practices. The results allow policymakers to optimize multiple resources and recommend the best resource allocation under recommendation policy, technology, and constraints to achieve sustainable development in agriculture.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052547)
(2.39 MB) (2.39 MB)
Pakistan is listed among the countries that are extremely vulnerable to climate changes and it has experienced several climatic and natural disaster shocks with adverse impacts on its agricultural sector and farmers livelihoods. This study investigates adaptation to climate change as a means of farm survival and farm exit in Pakistan by using panel datasets and empirically employs Multinomial Logit Model (MLN) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The results reveal, first, farm experience significantly increases the likelihood of climate change adaptation and decreases the likelihood of farm exit. Second, land and livestock ownership both have positive and significant impact on farm survival with adaptation strategies and decrease the probability of farm exit. Third, climatic disasters have positive and significant impact on farm exit. Four, extension services have negative and significant impact on adaptation strategies and increase the probability of farm exit for those farms who did not receive climate change adaptation strategies information timely. Finally, TPB results illustrate that non-adapters climate change future intensions are affected by attitude, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms. The study findings bring scholars and policymakers attentions towards next level of climate change impact on farm exit, and are useful for farm survival and recruiting new farmers by promoting mixed-crop livestock production systems in the face of climate change, and during viral diseases such as Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) of animals that caused a large number of animals deaths nationally and internationally.
17 He, Q.; Liu, De L.; Wang, B.; Wang, Z.; Cowie, A.; Simmons, A.; Xu, Z.; Li, L.; Shi, Y.; Liu, K.; Harrison, M. T.; Waters, C.; Huete, A.; Yu, Q. 2024. A food-energy-water-carbon nexus framework informs region-specific optimal strategies for agricultural sustainability. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 203:107428. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107428]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052623)
(7.12 MB)
Agricultural sustainability is threatened by pressures from water scarcity, energy crises, escalating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and diminishing farm profitability. Practices that diversify crop rotations, retain crop residues, and incorporate cover crops have been widely studied for their impacts on soil organic carbon and crop production. However, their associated usage of natural resources and economic returns have been overlooked. Here, we employed a food-energy-water-carbon (FEWC) nexus framework to assess the sustainability of crop rotations plus various management strategies across three sub-regions of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia. We found that compared with residue burning and fallowing, residue retention and cover cropping contributed to GHG abatement, but the latter consumed more energy and water per hectare. The composite sustainability scores, calculated with the FEWC framework, suggested that legume-inclusive rotations were generally more sustainable. Furthermore, in northern NSW (with existing sorghum/wheat/chickpea/wheat rotation), residue retention with cover cropping was most suitable combination, while the use of residue retention with fallow yielded greater benefits in southern NSW (with existing wheat/field pea/wheat/canola rotation). Regional disparities in climate, soil, cropping systems, and on-farm costs prompted region-specific strategies to address the unbalanced distribution among FEWC domains. Our study provides assessments for identifying feasible management practices to advance agricultural sustainability.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052789)
(2.91 MB) (2.91 MB)
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is a practice aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and income while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening agricultural resilience against climate change. In Ethiopia, the agricultural industry is being impacted by climate change, and various strategies are being implemented to enhance sustainability and food security. These include promoting climate-resilient crop breeds, integrating conservation agriculture techniques, using advanced livestock management practices, and establishing effective water management systems. CSA programs also aim to improve access to credit, extension services, and markets for smallholder farmers. However, challenges such as limited finance, technical capacity, and inadequate infrastructure hinder the adoption and scaling up of these strategies. Despite these challenges, CSA is a crucial step towards achieving food security and can serve as a model for other countries facing similar challenges.
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