Effects of Indigenous Cultivation Practices on Soil Conservation in the Hilly Semiarid Areas of Western Sudan

Abdalla I A Ahmed,Ibrahim M Eldoma,Elsadig Elmahdi A H Elaagip,Fujiang Hou

doi:10.3390/w12061554

Abstract

In dry regions, it is customary for farmers to use soil water conservation and/or water harvesting techniques. These practices have now become applicable to agriculturalists combating the adverse effects of drought on food production. In the semiarid areas of Zalingei in western Sudan, we quantified the soil erosion using traditional conservation measures, and conducted experiments in two consecutive rainy seasons (2013 and 2014). A split-split plot design was used to quantify the respective influences of each variable on reducing soil erosion: A) three gentle gradients (Slope1 (0.98%), Slope2 (1.81%), and Slope3 (3.1%)); B) two cropping systems (mono-crop and mixed-crops); and C) five indigenous conservation tillage practices—chisel ploughing (CHP), cross slope tied bonding (CSTB), contour ridge with stone bonds (CRSB), cross slope bonding (CSB), and zero tillage (ZT). Our results showed that there were significant differences between the slopes in season 2 (2014); the soil eroded at Slope3 was more than that of Slope1 and Slope2 by 71% and 27%, respectively. Over two seasons, there were no significant differences between the cropping systems. Conversely, the erosion level observed with CHP was higher than with the other practices. However, the CSTB and CSB erosion levels were only higher in season 2 when compared with those of CRSB and ZT. The study concluded that under the above conditions, the rate of soil erosion was severe and exceeded the erosion tolerance. Based on these results, in western Sudan, CRSB and ZT may be the more effective indigenous conservation practices for the protection of agricultural soils and productivity.

Highlights

The level of soil degradation is increasing globally and is linked to an increasing risk of drought [1].The growing human population faces increased pressure on its food supply, which is compounded by the limited availability of agricultural lands
The cropping system factor did not exhibit any significant variances among the treatment means over the two consecutive seasons (Figure 5B)
The results showed differences as a result of the interaction between the land slope and the cropping system only in the first season (Figure 6A)

Summary

Introduction

The level of soil degradation is increasing globally and is linked to an increasing risk of drought [1]. The growing human population faces increased pressure on its food supply, which is compounded by the limited availability of agricultural lands. To address these issues, the productivity of existing arable lands must be increased via better water use efficiency and soil conservation practices. Climate change is predicted to increase the incidence and severity of droughts in semiarid regions [3,4]. The erosion of agricultural soils has long been a global environmental concern [5–8]. Rain flood erosion in agricultural lands strips the fertile topsoil on-site in arid and semiarid regions

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Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion