Agricultural Land Development Research Articles

Impact of water delivery pipeline leakage on collapsible loess foundations and treatment methods

The Yumenkou Eastward-Expansion Water Pumping Project is an important pipeline for water network construction in Shanxi Province, China. This pipeline is vital for the development of cities and agricultural lands along its path. However, the foundation of the water delivery pipeline is mostly located in collapsible loess strata, thereby affecting project safety. To investigate the feasibility of foundation treatment schemes for the water delivery pipeline, a numerical analysis model is proposed in this study based on the analyzes of the leakage of water pipelines and different foundation treatment schemes through laboratory tests, field tests, and numerical simulations. Results show that the deeper the loess layer is, the smaller the collapsible deformation is and the greater the initial collapse pressure is. Furthermore, the deeper the buried pipeline is, the greater the collapsible deformation is after water leakage. A 0.5 m-thick lime-stabilized soil cushion layer is the most economically reasonable solution among the simulated scenarios. The collapsible deformation caused by pipeline leakage can be divided into three stages: start-up, development, and stabilization. Addressing the leakage point during the start-up stage is crucial. The proposed numerical analysis model can provide an important basis for similar engineering designs.

Moving to the country: Understanding the effects of Covid-19 on property values and farmland development risk

As human populations grow, one strategy for meeting housing demand is through the development of agricultural land and other open space, which can generate negative externalities. This may be addressed at local, state, or federal levels with land-use planning, including farmland preservation policies. Efficient land-use planning in the presence of competing land uses requires knowledge of development risk, housing preferences, and the full costs of farmland loss. We conduct a national scale hedonic analysis using the ZTRAX program U.S. housing transaction data to investigate how COVID-19 has affected property prices in suburban and rural areas with farmland at high risk of development, for the purpose of understanding the effects of COVID-19 driven shifts in housing location preferences. Our analysis demonstrates that the pandemic caused differential price impacts across the 33 states that we analyzed. Furthermore, our estimates suggest heterogeneous price effects driven by the characteristics of nearby urban areas, with prices appreciating faster on land at risk located near smaller urban areas than those near larger urban areas. Our analysis finds that the spatial pattern of development pressure on agricultural lands, as measured through transaction prices, changed in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Management, Implementation and Effect of Village Fund Allocation on Regional Development During Covid-19 Pandemic

The allocation of Village Funds requires planning, monitoring, implementation, and accountability for its use. The implementation of village development must be in accordance with what has been planned in the planning process and the community. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the order of various aspects of life, including Indonesia. The health, social, and economic sectors were most significantly affected. The economic sector is experiencing recession both at the global and national levels. Timor Island is one of the islands in Indonesia experiencing this. This problem cannot be separated in encouraging the national economic growth rate. This study aims to determine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on economic growth in Timor Island, especially Fatuneno Village. Economic growth in Timor Island became the center of attention, which had experienced a contraction to accelerate economic recovery in Indonesia. Utilizing Village Fund Allocation as community empowerment is the main source in developing and advancing village communities, from what is mandated by the central and regional governments prioritizing regional autonomy. The Village Fund allocation is fully utilized for community empowerment and welfare, marked by the development of agricultural land and several infrastructures to make it easier for the community to empower themselves and the environment. Small form so that the village is able to empower the community and village institutions to overcome poverty and reduce inequality, improve development planning and budgeting in the village, and improve village infrastructure development, in order to create a prosperous village.
 Keywords: management, village fund allocation, village welfare, village development, Covid 19 pandemic

Grassland carbon-water cycling is minimally impacted by a photovoltaic array

Agrivoltaic systems, whereby photovoltaic arrays are co-located with crop or forage production, can alleviate the tension between expanding solar development and loss of agricultural land. However, the ecological ramifications of these arrays are poorly known. We used field measurements and a plant hydraulic model to quantify carbon-water cycling in a semi-arid C3 perennial grassland growing beneath a single-axis tracking solar array in Colorado, USA. Although the agrivoltaic array reduced light availability by 38%, net photosynthesis and aboveground net primary productivity were reduced by only 6–7% while evapotranspiration decreased by 1.3%. The minimal changes in carbon-water cycling occurred largely because plant photosynthetic traits underneath the panels changed to take advantage of the dynamic shading environment. Our results indicate that agrivoltaic systems can serve as a scalable way to expand solar energy production while maintaining ecosystem function in managed grasslands, especially in climates where water is more limiting than light.

농지법상 농업진흥지역의 농지전용에 관한 고찰

Article 121, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution stipulates the principle of tillage in relation to farmland. Ownership of farmland is owned by the person who uses the farmland to farm. On the other hand, Article 122 of the Constitution permits development by stipulating that necessary restrictions and obligations may be imposed in accordance with the law for the efficient and balanced use, development, and preservation of the national land. Representative development laws include the “Act on the Promotion of Exchanges between Cities and Rural Communities” and the “Basic Act on Agriculture, Rural Communities and Food Industry”. It is to improve the quality of life of rural residents and to enhance the economic vitality of rural areas. In order to achieve this goal, agricultural land is converted and developed. In order to stably supply safe agricultural products and high-quality food to the people, warehouses or factories are established. At this time, farmland in the agricultural promotion area, which is an agricultural and forestry area where the price of land is relatively low, is preferred. At this time, farmland development is mostly carried out as a small-scale project. When small-scale farmland is developed, the connectivity of farmland deteriorates, which interferes with the automated farming method of farming, resulting in a decrease in agricultural productivity. And it is causing the reckless development of agricultural land. There is a problem that farmers who need farmland cannot purchase farmland due to the increase in land price due to farmland development, which hinders the improvement of farmers' income. This study examines the basic concept of farmland, the purpose of designation of agricultural promotion areas, and the details of permission (consultation) for farmland conversion. The purpose is to derive problems from the perspective of farmland conservation following conversion permission (consultation), and to present the contents to be improved to help preserve farmland even a little.

농지법상 농업진흥지역의 농지전용에 관한 고찰

Article 121, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution stipulates the principle of tillage in relation to farmland. Ownership of farmland is owned by the person who uses the farmland to farm. On the other hand, Article 122 of the Constitution permits development by stipulating that necessary restrictions and obligations may be imposed in accordance with the law for the efficient and balanced use, development, and preservation of the national land. Representative development laws include the “Act on the Promotion of Exchanges between Cities and Rural Communities” and the “Basic Act on Agriculture, Rural Communities and Food Industry”. It is to improve the quality of life of rural residents and to enhance the economic vitality of rural areas. In order to achieve this goal, agricultural land is converted and developed. In order to stably supply safe agricultural products and high-quality food to the people, warehouses or factories are established. At this time, farmland in the agricultural promotion area, which is an agricultural and forestry area where the price of land is relatively low, is preferred. At this time, farmland development is mostly carried out as a small-scale project. When small-scale farmland is developed, the connectivity of farmland deteriorates, which interferes with the automated farming method of farming, resulting in a decrease in agricultural productivity. And it is causing the reckless development of agricultural land. There is a problem that farmers who need farmland cannot purchase farmland due to the increase in land price due to farmland development, which hinders the improvement of farmers' income. This study examines the basic concept of farmland, the purpose of designation of agricultural promotion areas, and the details of permission (consultation) for farmland conversion. The purpose is to derive problems from the perspective of farmland conservation following conversion permission (consultation), and to present the contents to be improved to help preserve farmland even a little.

From the bottom up – attributes of small vesper bats’ activity sites in an upland ecosystem in Chiapas, México

We studied bats in a natural protected area and the influence zone in Chiapas, México. Focusing on small vesper bats (Vespertilionidae: Myotinae) in water sinkholes, flooded surfaces, and forested locations (sampling sites), our objectives were to: 1) differentiate the sampling sites based on abiotic and biotic variables, 2) compare the relative activity between the contrasting sampling sites, and 3) determine the relative importance of surrounding land covers amounts on the relative activity. We expected the following: 1) that sampling sites would be differentiable based on an interaction of environmental conditions and nocturnal flying insects’ biomass, 2) to find a significantly higher relative activity associated with water bodies as a reflection of potential drinking and feeding supplies, and 3) that forest cover would have a significant association in a positive direction with the relative activity as a reflection of roosting and commuting opportunities. We obtained weather data with a portable station, collected flying nocturnal insects with a passive trap, and recorded bats with ultrasonic detectors. We also used satellite imagery to calculate land covers amounts around the sampling sites. We performed a multivariate analysis to compare sampling sites, and elaborated correlation models of relative activity against surrounding land covers amounts. The only significant variable for differentiating sampling sites was wind speed; in water sinkholes, with lower mean value compared to flooded surfaces and forested locations, along with a comparatively higher percentage of dipterans in the samples. The mean relative activity of bats was significantly higher in water sinkholes, with maximum values reaching 95 %, which we can relate to environmental conditions and resources available. We found associations in a positive direction with forest cover, secondary forest and water surface, and negative with agricultural land and human development. Finally, we argue that some of the water sinkholes meet the criteria of small natural features supported by the unusual activity of the studied bats, and that targeted conservation actions will complement other strategies implemented in the area.

Floristic composition and diversity of indigenous wild food resources in northwestern Cagayan, Philippines

Abstract. Cacatian SB, Tabian JLT. 2023. Floristic composition and diversity of indigenous wild food resources in Northwestern Cagayan, Philippines. Biodiversitas 24: 2324-2333. The indigenous knowledge of the floristic composition and the species diversity of wild food resources are primary indicators for wildlife management and conservation. The present study surveyed the ethnobotany of the indigenous wild plants, the possible environmental threats, and the traditional conservation practices of the rural people in the remote barangays of Sta. Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, Pamplona and Abulug in Northwestern Cagayan, Philippines. The study employed a field-based cross-sectional design. Forty-eight wild plant species belonging to 42 families, mainly Moraceae, Solanaceae, Amaranthaceae and Cucurbitaceae, were harvested for food by the rural communities in the study areas. Among the identified species, trees and perennials were reported to be the most dominant. The most significant proportion grows in the lowland. Fruits and leaves are the most harvested plant parts consumed raw and or cooked. The phenological calendar was developed in relation to the specific months when the edible plant parts are available for harvest within the study sites. Agricultural land expansion or development, overexploitation of wildlife, and excessive rainfall are the greatest threats to plant diversity. Considering the importance of these food resources, the locals primarily keep and protect them from potential threats through harvesting and use of selected plants or plant parts, collecting firewood from dead and fallen trees, and domesticating and cultivating indigenous wild plants.

Differential exposure to drinking water contaminants in North Carolina: Evidence from structural topic modeling and water quality data

To better understand water security of communities in North Carolina, this research uses structural topic modeling (STM) and geographic mapping to identify the main topics and pollutant categories being researched and the areas exposed to drinking water contaminants. The textual data derived from the journal article abstracts that examined water pollution in North Carolina is from 1964 to present. The STM analysis of textual data is paired with socio-demographic data from the 2015–2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates and water pollution data from North Carolina state agencies. The STM findings show that the most discussed topics relate to runoff management, wastewater from concentrated agricultural feeding operations, emerging contaminants, land development, and health impacts as a result of water contamination. The article discusses how the topics especially threaten groundwater resources used by community water systems and private wells. Those communities served by private wells are predominantly low-income and minority populations. As a result, threats to groundwater supplies exacerbate existing issues of environmental justice in North Carolina, especially in the Coastal Plains Region. The STM findings revealed that several key threats to safe drinking water are less covered by academic literature, such as poultry concentrated agricultural feeding operations and climate impacts, which may increase disparities in water access in North Carolina.

Studying on the psychological contract of farmers behavior of transferring agricultural land in China

BackgroundAt present, the social economy is in a period of fast-paced change in China, with various modes of production and life evolving and emerging. The transfer of agricultural land is the transformation of the utilization mode of the main factors of production in rural areas, and it is one of the contents of the social and economic reform in rural areas. In 2021, the area of rural land transfer is up to 3.7×1011 m2 in China, an increase of 4.3% over the previous year. 1,239 counties (cities, districts) and 18,731 townships have established agricultural land management rights transfer centers to provide services such as policy consultation, information release, and contract signing for both sides of the transfer. Farmers are the subjects of agricultural land management and transfer. Their behaviors are affected by their psychology to some extent. In the long-term, dynamic, and gradual process of agricultural land transfer, it is particularly important to respect farmers’ wishes, pay attention to farmers’ psychology, and guide farmers’ behavior. However, only a few written contracts were signed. Most are verbal agreements of spontaneous or collective land transfers. The verbal agreements auto-execute to some extent within certain limits. The goals of farmers in farmland transfer are diversified, and their cognition, willingness and psychological identity affect the performance of the contract and the effect of transfer.Subjects and MethodsThe psychological contract of agricultural land transfer can be defined as the transferor and transferee of agricultural land transfer. Through a certain psychological suggestion mode, through the subjective cognition and understanding of the rights and obligations of both parties, rather than the direct explicit expression, a contract relationship of rights and obligations is formed. The party awarding contract and the contractor are the subjects of agricultural land transfer. Therefore, the subjects of the psychological contract of agricultural land transfer include farmers, village collectives and enterprises, all of whom have equal status, forming their own psychological contracts. The forming process of the psychological contract of agricultural land transfer includes four steps. Step one is cognition and judgment. Both parties to the transfer are aware of and judge their own rights and obligations based on external environmental information and their own circumstances. Step two is psychological expectations. Before information is transmitted, both sides of the transmission transform cognition and judgment into psychological expectations. The third step is to convey psychological expectations. Both sides of transfer transmit psychological expectations by means of direct patterns, such as oral form and written form, and implicit ways, such as perception and comprehension. Step four is the formation of the psychological contract. Both sides of transfer reciprocally admit information of psychological expectations transmitted in implicit ways, forming psychological contracts. If they can’t come to an agreement on psychological contracts, a new four-step cycle is entered.ResultsThe forming of the psychological contract of agricultural land transfer is shown in Figure 1. First, farmers’ behavior background, such as the experiences of land lease and transfer, the targets of land transfer and education, has an effect on the building of psychological contracts and its type. On the one hand, the farmers who have the experience of land transfer and get high benefits from it are much more motivated than those who don’t have that experience or ever have dissension while transferring. On the other hand, the targets of transfer and the education level of farmers affect the type of psychological contracts. Second, Farmers’ subjective norms, mainly reflected in the difference in folk customs, will form various communication modes and take different measures to deal with breaching contracts while transferring. Third, farmers’ behavior cognition reflects in their comprehension of the capability of executing contracts, including bargaining power, decision-making level and managing modes of the rent. The ability of behavior cognition and control of farmers has a positive influence on their behavior intention and happened.ConclusionsAccording to the above results, in order to promote the reposeful transfer and orderly development of agricultural land, the following suggestions are proposed: The first is to improve the agricultural land transfer policy system, establish and improve the institutional environment for agricultural land transfer, create conditions for the establishment of farmers’ behavioral psychological contracts in the process of agricultural land transfers, and guide farmers to establish relationship psychological contracts. The second is to improve the market system, properly cultivate and develop agricultural land transfer intermediaries, reduce transaction costs, and reduce the probability of farmers’ psychological contracts being broken. The third is to guide farmers to establish a positive agricultural land transfer psychology based on their resource endowments such as labor force quality and cultural quality, and encourage farmers to make agricultural land transfer decisions such as subcontracting, leasing, reselling, and interchanging.Figure 1.Psychological contracts of agricultural land transfer forming

Water-Land-Food Nexus for Sustainable Agricultural Development in Main Grain-Producing Areas of North China Plain.

Stable and sustainable food production is an important guarantee for national security and social stability. The uneven distribution of cultivated land and water resources will threaten national food security. In this study, we adopt the Gini coefficient and water-land matching coefficient for exploring the water-land nexus in the main grain-producing areas of North China Plain (NCP) from 2000 to 2020. The water-land-food nexus considering grain crop production structure is further explored from spatial and temporal multi-scales. The results show the following: (1) The Gini coefficient presents an increasing trend in the NCP, indicating an increasing imbalance in the water-land matching degree among inter-regions. (2) There are significant differences in the WL nexus and WLF nexus among regions, showing a spatial pattern of "worse in the north and better in the south". (3) The cities which belonged to the low WL-low WLF and high WL-low WLF should be considered as key targets when formulating policies. (4) Adjusting the wheat-maize biannual system, optimizing the grain cultivation structure, promoting semi-dryland farming, and developing low water-consuming and high-yielding crop varieties are essential measures for these regions. The research results provide significant reference for the optimal management and sustainable agricultural development of agricultural land and water resources in NCP.

DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL, ARABLE LAND AND ORGANIC FARMING IN THE CR, DEVELOPMENT OF LAND PRICES IN SELECTED EU COUNTRIES

The paper compares the development of agricultural and arable land in the Czech Republic between 2000 and 2020. It has been found that the area of agricultural and arable land had decreased. Obviously, the legal norms that are supposed to ensure its protection are not observed in practice and that there can always be found a reason to grant an exception. The paper also examines the development of the prices of agricultural and arable land in selected EU countries between the years 2000 and 2018. In all cases examined, price growth has been recorded. The area of vacant land is decreasing; therefore, the people interested in its purchase are willing to pay high prices. In the paper, the development of organic farming in the CR from the 1990s until present is addressed. There has been a massive development of this way of farming. This could be considered positive, since organic farming is beneficial for the environment, farm animals, and consumers, who can get quality food.

Agricultural land management strategy of Zhambyl region of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The most important task of sustainable development of Zhambyl region of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the restoration and preservation of the productivity of 9236.1 thousand hectares of agricultural land, which are exposed to degradation to various extent. 3139,9 thousand hectares of agricultural land are exposed to very strong degradation in the region, represented by sources of irrigated arable land with secondary salinization of soil, presence of water and wind erosion, and grazed-up pastures. The related social and economic strain in the region entails further decline in the living standard of the rural population and a decline in the level of agricultural production. The introduction of private land ownership and the emergence of new forms of husbandry in Kazakhstan resulted in a significant change in the spatial structure and functional development of agricultural land in the region under study. The use of land in Zhambyl region for agricultural development is based mainly on financial, economic and organizational mechanisms, while the problem of environmental effects of their transformation remains in abeyance, which resulted in the formation of an extensive, unprofitable agricultural production exposed to negative anthropogenic and environmental factors, resulting in the need to create agricultural land management strategy. The agricultural land management strategy of Zhambyl region of the Republic of Kazakhstan was developed on the basis of natural and agricultural, socio-economic, regulatory and nature protection indicators that reflect the priority activities to achieve sustainable use of agricultural land. At all stages of the development of the strategy, methodological developments and regulatory criteria adapted to the conditions of agricultural nature management were applied. The developed agricultural land management strategy is focused on the predominance of environmental priorities in land use, as a result of which agricultural land use will become cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and mutually beneficial.

SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT IN CORN FARMLAND, SOUTHEAST KAZAKHSTAN: REPORT FROM KAZAKHSTAN AND CHINA BORDER

The agriculture in semi-arid lands of Kazakhstan on the example of the Kazakh-Chinese border has been transforming since the 2010s. This study examines corn farming practices and related state policies in Kazakhstan and makes policy recommendations for future sustainable land management (SLM) implementation. Through interviews with key informants and a review of policy documents, this paper identifies the following: 1) the study site has three farming issues depending on the geography; 2) farmers have positive agricultural practices for SLM adoption, such as crop rotation and manure usage; and 3) the agricultural enterprises established by the Agricultural Investment Policy have influenced the expansion of corn cultivation since the 2010s. These findings suggest it is possible to sustainably improve agricultural production in the study area, which is affected by infrastructure development between China and Kazakhstan, through the introduction of appropriate technology for each elevation and the development of sustainable agricultural land through cooperation with local companies.

Natural afforestation of the fallows in the Western Polissya

One of the main tasks of forestry in Ukraine is to increase forest cover – it can be partially solved by the development of low-productive agricultural land, in particular, fallows, on which self-sown forest is already growing or just appearing, since the expanded reproduction of forests is relevant for Ukraine, considering ecological and forestry transformations of fallows conditioned by their natural afforestation. The main goal was to evaluate the success of natural renewal on fallows in the region under study, to identify factors influencing the course of natural afforestation and tree conservation depending on the location of the plot relative to the forest border and the distance to it. General scientific, forestry and taxation, reconnaissance, forestry and ecological, and geobotanics methods were used to investigate natural renewal at fallows. Office study of materials was carried out using mathematical statistics. As a result of a detailed investigation of the natural settlement of forest tree species on abandoned fields of Western Polissya, it was found that in coniferous and subor conditions, the plots are mostly wooded with pine, as well as birch and alder. In most of the test plots, the renewal was satisfactory (according to the Nesterov scale). The number of self-seeding of tree species in the test plots was not uniform and ranged from 1.2-13.1 thous. units/ha depending on forest site types, species composition, undergrowth size, the abundance of living ground cover, and the degree of sodding of the site and clogging with weeds and grass, which ranged from 20 to 90%. The occurrence of natural renewal is also not uniform: from 19 to 100%. The spread of tree species occurred mainly from forest stands located to the west, northwest, and north of the fallows. The findings of the study are extremely important for employees of the forest industry, and can also be used by territorial communities in improving land management, establishing landscape parks, etc.

Geospatial Analysis of Abandoned Lands Based on Agroecosystems: The Distribution and Land Suitability for Agricultural Land Development in Indonesia

The Indonesian land area is 191.1 million ha, part of which is abandoned land in various agroecosystems that have the potential for expanding the agricultural area. The purpose of this research was to geospatially analyze abandoned land based on its agroecosystem at the national and district levels, as well as to evaluate the land suitability of the land for expanding agricultural development. The methods included: (1) geospatial analysis of the national land cover map at a scale of 1:250,000 combined with soil and climate information to identify abandoned land and examine its agroecosystem, (2) selecting representative districts in each agroecosystem for visual interpretation using high-resolution imagery, i.e., SPOT 6/7, (3) assessing the land suitability of abandoned land for agricultural development at the national and district levels, and (4) predicting national abandoned land and its land suitability. The essential finding is the identification of abandoned land at around 42.6 million ha in Indonesia distributed over six agroecosystems, with the widest being in dry lowland and wet climates. Then, 54 districts were selected to characterize abandoned land by using SPOT 6/7 high-resolution imagery and were interpreted visually. It was found that the abandoned land covered approximately 16.9 million ha. The distribution of abandoned land from the interpretation of satellite imagery was smaller than that of geospatial analysis due to differences in the map scale and the use of ancillary data. The identification of abandoned land from high-resolution imagery should be carried out for all regions of Indonesia to accurately map the distribution of the abandoned land and characterize the properties. However, it requires a large amount of time, cost, and facilities to complete the inventory. The geospatial analysis that combined imageries and ancillary data identified 27.7 million ha of abandoned land suitable for expanding the agricultural area. The largest suitable abandoned land for the purpose was found in the lowlands with a wet climate, especially in Papua, Kalimantan, and Sumatra islands. The identified suitable abandoned land of 54 districts differed by scale, in which it was 11.2 million ha at the scale of 1:250,000 and 8.5 million ha at the scale of 1:50,000, respectively. The potential land expansion for food crops, particularly paddy fields, was only 2.2 million ha, located in mineral swamp land, which was predominantly located in Papua, with inadequate accessibility. Expanding paddy fields for national food security in the future would be constrained by less suitable land resources, while the near future challenge is the competition of land allocation for agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, as well as for food crops and plantations.

Identifying Villages for Land Consolidation: A New Agricultural Land Erosion Indicator

Among the priorities of the European Union’s (EU) Common Agricultural Policy are the willingness to improve the quality of life in rural areas and effectively utilise their resources. Soil quality is one of the major factors that impact the potential level of agricultural crops. Therefore, it is a key determinant of income from agricultural production in a specific area. The awareness that spatial variations exist in soil quality classes in the study area directly affects the planning of the development of agricultural land and efficient allocation of funds for the spatial redevelopment of rural areas. These data can be used over a very long time in connection with a few changes in land quality. The data on the quality and suitability of soil in the study area were derived from an analysis of map information on land quality and use. The analyses were conducted in 299 villages of the Zamość district, Lublin voivodeship, in the eastern part of Poland. The study area, extending over more than 187,181 hectares (ha), was divided into more than 280,000 plots for administrative purposes. The paper presents a self-designed agricultural land quality indicator to identify precincts featuring the best soils used in agricultural production. The value of the indicator will oscillate from 0 to 1. The value for an object will be close to or equal to 0 when the area comprises only land showing a high degree of erosion, e.g., light soils with a significant slope gradient. The value for an object will be close to or equal to 1 if its area is exclusively or predominantly flat. The highest value of the indicator in the study area was 0.75 and the lowest was 0.26.

Modification of desert sand to soil using polymers for its agricultural potential

Desertification is a severe global environmental problem. It is expanding at a rate of 50–70 thousand-kilometer square annually. The problem is more severe in areas that are in close vicinity of deserts. Districts of western Rajasthan, India, are majorly affected by the Thar Desert. To solve this problem, we propose converting sand to soil artificially. To develop soil-like characteristics in the desert sand, we used different polymers such as xanthan gum, guar gum, gum tragacanth, carboxymethyl cellulose, and hydroxyethyl cellulose. The physico-chemical properties of sand, such as water-holding property, evaporation rate, and abrasion resistance, were evaluated. The results showed that sand mixed with polymers has a higher water-holding property, lower evaporation rate, and high abrasion resistance. Further, the results of the germination rate (chickpea, cluster bean, and mung bean) were higher in xanthan gum and guar gum mixed sand. This modified sand technology could be used as an ecofriendly approach for developing sand-to-soil characteristics in the Thar desert and also have a potential for future agricultural land development in the Thar desert.

THE IMPACT OF AGRO-CLIMATIC FACTORS ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS OF ORENBURG REGION

Currently, the shortage of fresh water is an important abiotic factor limiting the survival, growth and distribution of plants in semi-arid areas. The productivity of natural forage lands is influenced by seasonal fluctuations in temperature and precipitation, especially characteristic of the steppe Orenburg region. The uneven intra-annual distribution of precipitation does not meet the water needs of the phytocenosis in the vegetative phase of development. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of atmospheric precipitation on agricultural forage lands of Orenburg region. An important and necessary task is to assess the interaction of agro-climatic factors on the development of agricultural land is an important and necessary task. The research area is located in a zone with a semiarid (semi-arid) climate of temperate latitudes of the Orenburg Urals of the Orenburg region (Orenburg region, Russia). Studies of agricultural land were carried out on 4 plots in the vicinity of the village of Nezhinka, Orenburg district, Orenburg region. For this purpose, various facies of agricultural lands located on the supports of watershed surfaces are identified and analyzed. To study local geosystems of various facies, we used camera methods, aerospace images and in-kind observations. Statistical and mathematical processing of digital data was carried out according to the StatsoftStatisticav 6.1 RUS program. Elements of descriptive statistics of average annual indicators (total precipitation per year, precipitation during the growing season, productivity of natural lands) revealed that the theory of normality was not rejected. The analysis of the average long-term data on the amount of precipitation and their relationship with the productivity of natural forage lands shows a reliable positive correlation between these parameters, at r2 = 0.95. In the conditions of the semi-arid zone during the growing season, plants use the moisture of atmospheric precipitation most effectively

Spatial Analysis of the Components of Agricultural Development in the Countryside of Karma District

Agricultural development is one of the most important means that can contribute to reducing the phenomenon of food deficit. Policy of agricultural development focuses on all capabilities and programs that are organized within a unified progressive program aims at developing the agricultural sector and establishing institutions to serve market-oriented production, regulate land tenure and improve the income level.
 Therefore, the main objective of this research is to study and analyze the most important natural and human constituents and the role that these components play in developing this sector after standing on the most prominent obstacles and determinants what impedes the development of agricultural lands. One of the reasons for choosing Karma district is related to its agricultural capabilities that qualify it for agricultural expansion in the production of agricultural crops، especially grain crops.