Academic literature on the topic 'Dryland farming'

Drylands which cover one third of the earth’s land surface and almost 80% of Kenya’s land surface are being used to grow dryland crops such as maize, beans, sorghum, millets and livestock. Studies show that refined farming systems can be used in enhancing ecosystem sustainability, through the promotion of species and crop diversity. For example, cropping patterns involving intercropping legumes and cereals have demonstrated varying success in maintenance of crop diversity in the Kenyan drylands showing land equivalent ratios (LER) > 1.0, although such benefits are often lost during low rainfall seasons. Research show that some genotypes can be used to reduce soil erosion, enhance nutrient availability, soil moisture retention, microbial earthworm activities and land use efficiency. Thus critical examination of farming systems for dryland areas suggests that long term multiple effects of the ecosystem, rather than the short term benefits not only increases yields but sustains the life of ecosystems. In this reveiw we submit that monocropping systems should be modified to include varieties that are suitable for different plots in the same site to enhance efficient utilization of underground diversity. In developing farming systems modelling approaches utilizing plant genotypic and epigenetic variations, ecological, edaphic and microbial cycles should be evaluated for dryland ecosystems.

Dryland farming is still to be a main activity of the community around the part of Forest Area (Bagian Daerah Hutan/BDH), Panggang, Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan (KPH) Yogyakarta. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of dryland farming and the factors that influencefarming income. The survey method was used to carry out farming data and information by interview the farmer. The R/C analysis, labor productivity analysis, and capital productivity analysis were used to determine the efficiency of dryland farming. Furthermore, to determine the effect of production input factors on farming efficiency, a multiple linear regression analysis was carried out. The results showed that dryland farming by the community around BDH Panggang forest was not efficient because the value of R/C<1 (0,44), labor productivity Rp 29.522,69/working people’s day is lower than a local standard wage Rp 50.000/ working people’s day, and the productivities of land and capital are negative value. The factors production, land area, seed cost, fertilizer cost, pesticide cost, and labor have simultaneously impacted the farmers’ income for dryland farming. The factors of seed cost have been a significant effect on the farmers’ income in dryland farming.

AbstractResources available for dryland farming in Jordan are limited since 91% of the country has an arid climate. Moreover, the available resources are subject to a wide range of natural and human constraints. The farming systems consist of two main types: annual crops such as wheat and barley, and fruit trees such as olives, grapes, and stone fruits. Socioeconomic factors coupled with a fluctuating rainfall pattern cause some shifting in land use and variation in land under cultivation. Alternative land use strategies and preservation and more efficient use of resources are the means to achieve higher production. Substantial addition of land suitable for cultivation is unlikely since it would require additional water resources, which are diminishing in Jordan. Environmental degradation such as desertification is a major concern to land use planners. Several issues must be addressed if agricultural productivity is to be sustained: preservation of resources; overcoming various pressures imposed on agricultural lands; adoption of new practical and economical practices; introduction of modern technologies such as water harvesting, supplemental irrigation, use of treated waste water, and proper soil conservation measures; and adaptive research.

<p>This study analyses land-use conflicts in specific dryland agricultural areas in relatively dry humid tropics based on the Regional Spatial Land Use Planning Regulations and land-capability evaluation. This research was conducted in the Regency of Jeneponto, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The observation site was chosen based on several maps overlapping to produce 30 land units spread across 14 land systems in Jeneponto. This study integrates ground surveys and geographic information systems technology. The land capability analysis used a simple approach factor, according to United States Department of Agriculture definitions. The results indicate that land capability was dominated by Class IV, which covered 35,133 ha or 63.1%. Class VI covered 12,581 ha or 22.6%, Class III covered up to 4,378 ha or 7.9%, and Class VIII covered 3,130 ha or 5.6%. Class VII covered only 486 hectares, or 0.9%, the smallest area. These results indicate that the dryland area which had become a land-use conflict was delineated by Regional Spatial Land Use Planning Regulations. The drylands found in Jeneponto cover 22,214 ha or 39.9%, which has been divided into two: an area where non-dryland agriculture was converted into dryland farming (16,503 hectares, or 29.6%), and an area where dryland-farming was converted into non-agricultural dryland area (5,711 hectares, or 10.3%). Interviews with 50 farmers in the study location revealed factors that had changed agricultural dryland use into non-agricultural dryland use; lower incomes due to decreased soil fertility was a crucial factor.</p>

Covering about 40% of Earth’s land surface and sustaining at least 38% of global population, drylands are key crop and animal production regions with high economic and social values. However, land use changes associated with industrialized agricultural managements are threatening the sustainability of these systems. While previous studies assessing the impacts of agricultural management systems on biodiversity and their services focused on more diversified mesic landscapes, there is a dearth of such research in highly simplified dryland agroecosystems. In this paper, we 1) summarize previous research on the effects of farm management systems and agricultural expansion on biodiversity and biodiversity-based ecosystem services, 2) present four case studies assessing the impacts of management systems on biodiversity and ecosystem services across highly simplified dryland landscapes of the Northern Great Plains (NGP), USA, 3) discuss approaches to sustain biodiversity-based ecosystem services in drylands, and 4) present a conceptual framework for enhancing agricultural sustainability in the drylands through research, policy, economic valuation, and adaptive management. An analysis of the land use changes due to agricultural expansion within the Golden Triangle, a representative agricultural area in the NGP, indicated that the proportion of land conversion to agriculture area was 84%, 8%, and 7% from grassland, riparian, and shrubland habitats, respectively. Our results showed this simplification was associated with a potential reduction of pollination services. Also, our economic analysis projected that if 30% parasitism could be achieved through better management systems, the estimated potential economic returns to pest regulation services through parasitoids in Montana, USA alone could reach about $11.23 million. Overall, while dryland agroecosystems showed a significant loss of native biodiversity and its services, greater pest incidence, and a decrease in plant pollinator networks, these trends were moderately reversed in organically managed farming systems. In conclusion, although land use changes due to agricultural expansion and industrialized farming threaten the sustainability of dryland agroecosystems, this impact can be partially offset by coupling ecologically-based farming practices with adaptive management strategies.

SUMMARYThe majority of cotton produced in Australia is exported. The Australian cotton industry must maintain product quality in order to remain globally competitive. In addition, carbon-conscious consumers need reassurance that the system used to grow the product is environmentally sustainable. The aim of the present study was to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to various farm inputs in three common types of cotton farming systems on the Darling Downs region, southern Queensland. Analysis revealed that GHG emissions for dryland solid-plant and dryland double-skip cotton farming systems are similar, but emissions are much higher for irrigated solid-plant cotton farming (1367, 1274 and 4841 kg CO2e/ha, respectively). However, if comparisons of GHG emissions are based on yield (per tonne), the positions of dryland double-skip farming and dryland solid-plant farming are reversed, but the position of irrigated cotton farming still remains as the highest GHG emitter. If the cotton industry comes under the Australian Government Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) without any subsidies and preconditions, and with a carbon price of A$25/t CO2e, the costs borne by each system would be A$66.8/t for the irrigated cotton industry, A$39.7/t for the dryland solid-plant cotton industry and A$43.6/t for the dryland double-skip cotton industry. This suggests that irrigated cotton would be more profitable in financial terms but with heavy environmental sustainability costs.

The mediterranean region of Australia extends from Geraldton in Western Australia across southern Australia into western and northern Victoria. This region experiences hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, with 300-600 mm annual rainfall. In the dryland farming zone, the cereal-livestock farming system dominates and produces 30-35% of Australia's total agricultural production. The major soils in the region are deep, coarse-textured sands and sandy loams, duplex soils with coarse-textured sands over clay (generally low in nutrients and organic matter), and fine-textured red-brown earths of low hydraulic conductivity. Major soil problems in the region include sodicity, salinity, soil structural degradation, nutrient deficiencies, boron toxicity, acidity, waterlogging, inadequate nitrogen nutrition, water-repellence, and root diseases. These problems have been exacerbated by excessive clearing of trees, increased frequency of cropping, reduced area sown to pastures, declining pasture production, and a decline in nutrient levels. With improved soil management there is potential for increased productivity from dryland farming areas of the region and improved ecological sustainability.

AbstractIndustrialized farming practices result in simplified agricultural landscapes, reduced biodiversity, and degraded species-interaction networks. Thus far, most research assessing the combined effects of farming systems and landscape complexity on beneficial insects has been conducted in relatively diversified and mesic systems and may not represent the large-scale, monoculture-based dryland agriculture that dominates many regions worldwide. Specifically, the effects of farming systems on forbs, bees, and their interactions are poorly understood in highly simplified dryland landscapes such as those in the Northern Great Plains, United States, an area globally important for conventional and organic small grain, pulse, forage, and oilseed production. During a 3-yr (2013–2015) study, we assessed 1) the effects of dryland no-till conventional and tilled organic farming on forbs, bees, and bee–flower networks and 2) the relationship between natural habitat and bee abundance. Flower density and richness were greater in tilled organic fields than in no-till conventional fields, and forb community composition differed between farming systems. We observed high bee diversity (109 taxa) in this highly simplified landscape, and bee abundance, richness, and community composition were similar between systems. Compared with tilled organic fields, bee–flower interactions in no-till conventional fields were poorly connected, suggesting these systems maintain relatively impoverished plant-pollinator networks. Natural habitat (11% of the landscape) did not affect small-bodied bee abundance in either farming system but positively affected large-bodied bees within 2,000 m of crop-field centers. In highly simplified agricultural landscapes, dryland organic farming and no-till conventional farming together support relatively high bee diversity, presumably because dryland organic farming enhances floral resources and bee–flower networks, and no-till management in conventional farming provides undisturbed ground-nesting habitats for wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea).

Topography in East Nusa Tenggara Province dominate by dryland and slope land. In the dryland farmers develop farming system of maize as a staple crop. Dryland potential for food crop in Bali and Nusa Tenggara reach 645,891 ha but have low fertile and low productivity of maize. Productivity of maize in East Nusa Tenggara Province only reach 2.7 ton/ha. This is lower productivity if compare with average of national level and result of research. The objective of research is to get specific technology of maize cultivation in the marginal dryland. This research was conducted in Kupang District as long as dry season at 2019. In this research apply three technology in maize cultivation. There were consist of (1) Farming system of maize that Apply recommendation chemical fertilizer + manure, (2) Farming system of maize that apply recommendation chemical fertilizer (Urea and NPK), (3) Farming system of maize that have no apply chemical fertilizer and manure. The Result of this research show that productivity of maize can reach 5.6 ton/ha on technology recommendation chemical and manure fertilizer.