Agricultural Prices and Land Degradation in Koutiala, Mali: a Regional Simulation Model Based on Farmers’ Decision Rules

The promising impact of ley introduction and herd expansion on soil organic matter content in southern Mali

Elevation and Land Use Types Have Significant Impacts on Spatial Variability of Soil Organic Matter Content in Hani Terraced Field of Yuanyang County, China

Thinking strategically, the competitive edge in business, politics and everyday life : Avanash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff, (Norton, New York and London) pp. 393, ISBN 0-393-96101-X, $15.50

In this study, we produced a detailed digital soil map of topsoil texture and soil organic matter (SOM) content for 2.4millionha of arable land in Sweden (DSMS). Three spatially exhaustive datasets (a laser-scanned digital elevation model, airborne gamma radiation scanning data and a legacy Quaternary deposit map) were calibrated against topsoil texture and SOM content in around 13,500 soil samples, using multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARSplines) modelling. We then deployed the MARSplines models to produce raster maps (50m×50m) of clay, sand and SOM content. The modelling procedure was validated by an independent dataset of about 24,000 samples clustered on 544 farms (with a local sample density of one per 3ha). The error in clay content was <8% in 75% of the validation samples, while for sand content and SOM content it was 13% and 2%, respectively. Corresponding values for the farm-average level were 6%, 11% and 2%, respectively. Modelling efficiency values revealed that the clay content map was a considerable improvement over the mean of the reference values at national level, regional level and, in many cases, also farm level. However, SOM content predictions showed little or no improvement over the mean of the reference samples (at any scale), due to poor correlation with the exhaustive predictor variables at all three scales investigated. The DSMS soil geodatabase will continue to be improved and have more layers added, e.g. derived layers calculated from the primary clay, sand and SOM layers by use of pedotransfer functions. Practical use of DSMS is exemplified here in an internet application for deriving prescription files for precision agriculture.

A study on the effect of Mangifera indica biomass on soil chemical properties was conducted at INERA in Farako-Ba in western Burkina Faso. To do this, samples were taken from Mangifera indica orchards and a compost pile based on biomass from mango leaves was set up. The main objective of the study was to contribute to a better understanding of the effects of Mangifera indica biomass on soil chemical properties. The experimental system set up consisted of three blocks, each block being subdivided into two sub-plots. From the results obtained, we can conclude that the contents of soil organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are higher in the soil under the crown of Mangifera indica compared to the soil outside the crown, which is a definite advantage in the fight against the degradation of agricultural land. In the Mangifera indica orchard, the soil pH drops from 6.58 under the crown to 5.64 for the control soil. The organic C content obtained in the soil taken from under the crown decreases by 11% at 3 m from the crown and by 13% for the soil taken from 6 m from the crown. The same trend is observed with the nitrogen content. These litters are characterized by high levels of phosphorus (1195mg.kg-1) and potassium (1317 mg.kg-1). The results obtained have raised questions about the status of the soil under cultivation of Magnifiera indica, and therefore require further investigations.

Under the requirements for high-quality development, the coordinated promotion of agricultural carbon emission reduction and agricultural product supply guarantee in China is crucial to hold the bottom line of national food security as well as promote agricultural green transformation and development. Based on such situation, from the perspective of decoupling effect, driving factors and the prediction, this paper uses panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020, takes the carbon emission formula, the “two-stage rolling” Tapio decoupling elasticity coefficient method, the spatial Durbin model and the Grey model optimized by the Simpson formula background value to quantify the relationship between agricultural carbon emission and agricultural product supply, analyze the driving effects of agricultural carbon emission reduction and agricultural product increase, and predict the decoupling state of agricultural carbon emission and agricultural product supply between 2021 and 2025, so as to draw a scientific basis that is conducive to the coordinated promotion of agricultural carbon emission reduction and agricultural product supply guarantee in China. The result shows that: (1) The decoupling state of agricultural carbon emission and agricultural product supply shows generally “the eastern and central regions are better than the western regions” in China, and the decoupling state has improved significantly year by year. Green technology innovation (GTI), agricultural carbon emission and agricultural product supply in China have significant spatial differences and spatial auto-correlation, which shows the spatial factors cannot be ignored; (2) Green technology innovation and agricultural carbon emission in local and adjacent provinces are both in an inverted “U-shaped” relationship, meaning that high level green technology innovation is an effective way to reduce carbon emission. Though green technology innovation and agricultural product supply in local and adjacent provinces are both in a positive “U-shaped” relationship, but the minimum value of lnGTI is greater than 0, which indicates that current level of green technology has been raised to a certain level, effectively improving the output of agricultural products; (3) Compared with those in 2016–2020 in China, it is projected that in 2021–2025 the decoupling state of agricultural carbon emission and agricultural product supply will be improved significantly, and the provinces below the optimal state will leave the extremely unreasonable strong negative decoupling state, mainly show recessionary decoupling and recessionary connection. Our findings provide Chinese decision-makers with corresponding references to formulate accountable and scientific regional policies in order to achieve high-quality development of agriculture and realize “Double carbon” target in China.

Policy modelling of the trade-off between agricultural development and land degradation—the Sudan case

Water provision is sensitive to climate change, and agricultural production and food supply are sensitive to water availability. Water scarcity affects food security and agricultural economic development through changes in agricultural production and changes in the composition of produced goods. Recent droughts also led to a decrease in the volume of water allocated to agriculture, which led to a decrease in total agricultural production and exports, and this has subsequent impacts on food security and economic development. The research aimed to measure the impact of water scarcity on agricultural economic development for the period 1990-2022. The research included three behavioral equations with three endogenous variables: the cultivated area, the value of agricultural output, and the value of gross domestic product, and four exogenous variables: the amount of available water, agricultural labor, and the value of agricultural investments and the income of other sectors, the studied model is called the sequential model, which was estimated using the Recursive method, using the ordinary least squares (OLS) method. The results indicated that increasing the amount of available water will lead to an increase in the cultivated areas by 141,129.2 dunums, and that increasing one thousand dunums of the cultivated area will increase agricultural output by 0.00821, and that agricultural labor is inversely proportional to agricultural output. It became clear that if the income of the rest of the sectors increased by one unit, the domestic product would increase by 0.1873. Water scarcity will reduce cultivated areas, which in turn will decrease agricultural output, causing the value of agricultural output to decrease and its contribution to the gross domestic product to decrease. In turn, it will have serious repercussions on agricultural economic development. Therefore, the research recommends the necessity of integrated water management and improving the efficiency of its use, as well as the application of modern technologies in agriculture, such as sprinkler irrigation, hydroponics, and redrawing crop compositions to ensure maximizing the net return per unit of water.

Water provision is sensitive to climate change, and agricultural production and food supply are sensitive to water availability. Water scarcity affects food security and agricultural economic development through changes in agricultural production and changes in the composition of produced goods. Recent droughts also led to a decrease in the volume of water allocated to agriculture, which led to a decrease in total agricultural production and exports, and this has subsequent impacts on food security and economic development. The research aimed to measure the impact of water scarcity on agricultural economic development for the period 1990-2022. The research included three behavioral equations with three endogenous variables: the cultivated area, the value of agricultural output, and the value of gross domestic product, and four exogenous variables: the amount of available water, agricultural labor, and the value of agricultural investments and the income of other sectors, the studied model is called the sequential model, which was estimated using the Recursive method, using the ordinary least squares (OLS) method. The results indicated that increasing the amount of available water will lead to an increase in the cultivated areas by 141,129.2 dunums, and that increasing one thousand dunums of the cultivated area will increase agricultural output by 0.00821, and that agricultural labor is inversely proportional to agricultural output. It became clear that if the income of the rest of the sectors increased by one unit, the domestic product would increase by 0.1873. Water scarcity will reduce cultivated areas, which in turn will decrease agricultural output, causing the value of agricultural output to decrease and its contribution to the gross domestic product to decrease. In turn, it will have serious repercussions on agricultural economic development. Therefore, the research recommends the necessity of integrated water management and improving the efficiency of its use, as well as the application of modern technologies in agriculture, such as sprinkler irrigation, hydroponics, and redrawing crop compositions to ensure maximizing the net return per unit of water.

Agricultural development must be the government's main focus to achieve comprehensive and serious economic development for society. The (Regional) Government as a public organization holding autonomous rights to determine policies to increase agricultural development must begin to prepare. What many experts have highlighted is the role of Regional Government in regional development in terms of human resources, namely the existence of a personnel system called bureaucracy. Every organization needs to develop human resources (HR) through improving performance to have abilities, skills, and positive attitudes to carry out their duties well. Experts and scholars say that three concepts among the many are highlighted in the aspect of bureaucratic resource management to improve employees' work, namely organizational justice, organizational politics, and work commitment. The research aims to determine and analyze the achievements of implementing agricultural development; and to know and analyze the respective relationships between organizational justice, organizational politics, and work commitment on employee performance in agricultural development. Use a quantitative approach to causality design. Take the case of Wakatobi Regency with its unique coastal areas and small islands. The sample was 225 employees or around 44% of the total sample of 514 people. The number of samples was determined by Slovin calculation and then taken at simple random. Primary data was obtained through distributing questionnaires, and secondary data from economic reports from authorized institutions. Data were analyzed using the SEM-AMOS approach. The results of the analysis found that development in Wakatobi Regency is supported by the agricultural and fisheries sectors. Its role is very dominant in GRDP, but it has not shown a direction that is in line with economic growth because it has experienced a decline. One of the aspects highlighted is that the performance of local governments in agricultural and fisheries development has not been optimal. The theoretical implication is that development performance analysis must use variables and indicators from empirical factual data (non-perception) through GRDP values and economic growth. Because, it has been proven that aspects of implementing human resource management through organizational politics and organizational justice have been proven to have a significant influence on performance, while work commitment is not yet significant. Practical implications for the government as a development policy formulator are to evaluate the development approaches that have been carried out, as well as regional leaders and leaders of regional apparatus implementing units (OPD) to pay attention to employee work commitment because our findings prove that their role is still weak in carrying out their duties and functions as ASN.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the hypothesis that a common basis for rapid growth in agricultural output and productivity lies in a remarkable adaptation of agricultural technology to the sharply contrasting factor proportions in the two countries. It is hypothesized that an important aspect of this adaptation was the ability to generate a continuous sequence of induced innovations in agricultural technology biased towards saving the limiting factors. In Japan these innovations were primarily biological and chemical. In the United States they were primarily mechanical.

Land degradation such as declining soil fertility is the main cause for poverty in rural areas of developing countries due to reduced land productivity. To tackle the effect of soil degradation on agricultural production, soil and water conservation (SWC) measures such as bench terraces have been installed at large scale in Ethiopia highlands. However, the effects of such bench terraces on the evolution of selected soil properties are less studied. Thus, the overall objective of this study is to evaluate short-term effects of bench terraces on soil properties. Four terraced hillside farming sites and four adjacent control sites were purposely selected at Teshi, Ruba Feleg, Mechael Emba and Enda Chena of the Tigray region. For each selected site, three representative hillslope classes at foot slope, middle slope, and upslope positions were identified for soil sampling. Soil physico-chemical properties were analyzed using standard laboratory procedures at regional soil laboratory research center. The results revealed remarkable effects of bench terraces on rehabilitation of the degraded soils. However, its installation can also induce considerable negative impacts on soil fertility during the first few years due to soil translocation and exposure of subsoils. The results indicated that aggregate stability and soil pH values for most of the hillside farming sites have shown a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) among upslope, middle and foot slopes positions and control sites which would be explained by erosion and leaching in the upslope and enrichment of base forming cations and clay at foot slope positions. High proportion of large aggregates size is observed at both Teshi and Ruba Feleg hillside farming sites compared to their corresponding control sites. The soil organic matter (SOM) content, total nitrogen (TN) and available phosphorous (Av.P) at Teshi site, TN at Ruba Feleg site, TN and Av.P at Michael Emba site and SOM and Av.P at Enda Chena hillside farming site are significantly different (p < 0.05) among the three slope classes of the sites and the corresponding control site. Moreover, mean SOM content and Av.P at Ruba Feleg site and SOM content at Michael Emba site have shown a significant difference (p < 0.05) among the three slope classes and the control sites except between upslope and middle slopes. Generally, the installation of bench terrace combined with soil fertility management practices such as application of organic manure and compost are important positive operation for changing most unproductive mountains and hillslopes into productive landscapes while contributing towards a sustainable land management in the area. This study provides important evidences on the effects of bench terraces on soil physical and chemical properties of the area to land managers and decision makers to aid sustainable land management practices in similar environments.

Agriculture in Gujarat, despite a decline in its share in the State Domestic Product, remains an important sector. In this study district level agricultural performance of Gujarat state has been analysed over a decade. Using Prem Narain's methodology, the level of agricultural status of all the regions as well as districts of Gujarat has been measured by obtaining the composite index. The findings revealed the greater imbalance in agricultural development of the state. The agricultural performance of the state has declined across the period of time. Further it has shown that, nine districts namely Amreli, Surendranagar, Ahmedabad, Dahod, Bharuch, Dang, Valsad, Patan and Kutchh were found low developed in agriculture which account for about 34 percent of the total GCA of the state. The regions of Kutchh need greater attention of the policy makers as well as of the state government for its agricultural development. For bringing about uniform regional development, model districts have been identified for low developed districts. It also explores different poor performed indicators in low agricultural developed districts that require improvement for enhancing the level of development of respective district.

Despite significant progress in increasing agricultural production, meeting the changing dietary preferences and increasing food demands of future populations remain significant challenges. This is especially the case in developing countries. Climate change and variability, unstable markets, and shrinking arable land resources that result from urbanization and industrialization represent additional challenges. In many countries – especially those with dense populations and/or diverse ecosystems in need of conservation – expanding agriculture to new lands to increase production is not an option. Conversely, where farmers’ practices result in land degradation and deterioration of soils and natural resources upon which future productivity depends, urgent research and policy attention is needed to arrest and reverse declines in land degradation and adverse soil quality in consideration of mounting global demands for agricultural goods. This chapter provides a synopsis of agricultural land degradation issues while providing potential solutions to reverse soil quality decline through an understanding of integrated land management practices. In addition to methodologically describing the impacts of land degradation on agricultural productivity, the chapter provides up-to-date information for the specialists in the fields of agricultural development, soil science, topography, economics, and ecological management. Options for appropriate policy frameworks to mitigate the degradation of agricultural land at the international, regional and national levels are discussed and proposed.

Understanding the spatial variability of soil organic matter (SOM) is crucial for implementing precise land degradation control and fertilization to improve crop productivity. Studying spatial variability provides a scientific basis for precision fertilization and land degradation control. In this study, geostatistics and classical statistical methods were used to analyze the spatial variability of SOM and its influencing factors under various degrees of land degradation in the red bed area of southern China. The results demonstrate a declining trend for SOM content with increasing land degradation. The SOM content differs profoundly under different land degradation degrees. The coefficient of variation ranges from 13.61% for extreme land degradation to 8.98% for mild land degradation, 7.96% for moderate land degradation, and 5.64% for severe land degradation. A significant positive correlation is displayed between the altitude and the SOM (p &lt; 0.01) under mild and moderate land degradation conditions. Bulk density and pH value have a significant negative correlation with SOM (p &lt; 0.01). It can be observed that terrain factors, as well as physical and chemical soil parameters, have a great influence on SOM.