Oasis Agriculture Research Articles

The Green Morocco Plan in Boudnib: Examining Effects on Rural Livelihoods

In southeastern Morocco, irrigated agriculture is expanding rapidly in a desert area formerly characterized by oasis agriculture and livestock grazing. The 2008 Green Morocco Plan (GMP) is fueling this expansion with incentives encouraging agricultural growth and foreign investment. Despite the GMP’s green, poverty fighting claims, job opportunities are low-paying and unreliable and water supply is decreasing. Outsider investors and farmers benefit from free groundwater and cheap local labor, leaving locals to deal with the long-term ecological damage. This research utilizes a mixed methods approach including document analysis, semi-structured interviews, household surveys, and a roundtable discussion. It examines GMP implementation in Boudnib as a continuation of historical, state-managed water policies that emphasize technological fixes and ignore associated social and environmental costs. It calls for action on the part of those in power to prevent the deepening of existing inequalities and threats to the livelihoods and environment of already vulnerable populations.

Does Cognition of Resources and the Environment Affect Farmers’ Production Efficiency? Study of Oasis Agriculture in China

Improving production efficiency can help overcome the constraints of resource scarcity and fragile environments in oasis agriculture. However, there are few studies about the effect of farmers’ cognition of resources and the environment on their production efficiency. Taking farmers in the Ganzhou District of Zhangye—a typical representative of oasis agriculture in an inland river basin in Northwest China—this study empirically analyzed the effect of farmers’ cognition of resources and the environment on agricultural production efficiency. The average agricultural productivity of the surveyed farmers is 0.64, which is much lower than the average level in China. Farmers’ cognition of resources and the environment is related to green production willingness and behavior. Green production willingness, green production behavior between cognition of resources and the environment, and agricultural production efficiency play a chain mediating role, showing that farmers’ cognition of resources and the environment indirectly affects production efficiency. Green planting willingness is formed based on cognition of resources and the environment; when farmers translate willingness into behavior, it will further improve agricultural production efficiency. Recommendations are made based on the findings, such as strengthening the cognition of resources and the environment, mobilizing enthusiasm for green production, and promoting the practice of green planting.

Monitoring the impacts of cultivated land quality on crop production capacity in arid regions

Cultivated land plays a vital role in human survival and the development of human civilization. The cultivated land quality (CLQ) is of considerable significance for ensuring food security and social stability. Although studies have been conducted to assess CLQ, efforts regarding the quantitative impacts of CLQ on crop production capacity are still scarce, especially in arid regions. Understanding such a question greatly benefits land resources management and sustainable development of oasis agriculture. The objective of this study is to explore the spatiotemporal variations of CLQ and to quantify the impacts of CLQ on crop production capacity via an ordinary linear regression (OLS) model and correction analysis in arid regions. The Delphi-AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method is applied to assess CLQ in this study with the highest accuracy (96.35%). The average score of cultivated land quality (S-CLQ) is 58.75 in the study area. The results further suggest that the quality of decreasing cultivated land (61.53) is much higher than that of increasing cultivated land (57.99). We use net primary productivity (NPP) calculated by the vegetation photosynthesis model (VPM) to simulate the crop production capacity and find that CLQ has a significant positive impact on crop production capacity (R2 = 0.706). The distribution of average annual NPP is similar to that of CLQ. 62.41% of cultivated land shows an increasing trend in annual NPP, whereas 37.57% of cultivated land shows a decreasing trend. Pearson coefficient by intervals is calculated to identify areas where crop production capacity does not match the quality of cultivated land. The results reveal considerable differences in the Pearson coefficient in various intervals (negative correlation in 5 intervals and positive correlation in 10 intervals). This research quantifies the impacts of CLQ on crop production capacity and provides a way to accurately capture the location of cultivated land that needs to be improved in arid regions.

Medieval Boom in the North-west Sahara

Modern scholarship on the medieval Sahara has focused on a handful of famous entrepôt sites that have their origins in the 8th century or later, and as a result we still understand very poorly the nature and extent of Saharan oasis settlement and agriculture in the golden age of Saharan trade. This article presents the first securely dated chronology for oasis development in the north-west Sahara based on three seasons of archaeological survey and a comprehensive radiocarbon dating programme in the Wadi Draa, Morocco. The Draa Valley contains some of the largest, most populous and most productive oases in the Sahara, as well as serving as an important travel corridor for trading caravans coming from West Africa to access the Atlas passes and reach Marrakech. Focusing on evidence from a large zone of abandoned oases on the Kasr Bounou Plain, this article demonstrates that while oasis agriculture and settlement was taking place between the 4th–8th centuries—well before the Muslim conquest of Morocco—there was a significant increase in settlement and agricultural exploitation from the 9th century. This phenomenon is marked by the appearance of substantial mudbrick settlements, along with irrigation and field systems, and is coterminous with the development of the medieval trading entrepôt of Sijilmasa. A settlement boom and significant investment in irrigated oasis agriculture occurred between the 11th and 13th centuries, contemporary with Almoravid and Almohad rule of the Draa, followed by a retraction and abandonment of much of the oasis by the 16th century. The new evidence from the Draa challenges the long-held belief that sedentarization and irrigated oasis agriculture were unique to the medieval period in the north-west Sahara. OPEN ACCESS CC BY-NC-ND

Applications of Electromagnetic Induction and Electrical Resistivity Tomography for Digital Monitoring and Assessment of the Soil: A Case Study of Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia

Al-Ahsa Oasis is one of the main and oldest agricultural centers in Saudi Arabia and one of the largest natural oases in the world. It is the largest irrigated agricultural oasis worldwide. The cultivated area is about 12,000 hectares in the region of Al-Ahsa. Groundwater was considered the main water source, if not the only source, for the different purposes of Al-Ahsa Oasis. However, due to groundwater depletion from these aquifers, treated wastewater is currently used to meet the shortage of irrigation water at Al-Ahsa Oasis. Today, several problems affect the agricultural productivity at Al-Ahsa Oasis, and modern geophysical techniques could contribute effectively to solving these problems; such problems are increasing soil salinity and the existence of a hardpan layer in some parts of the Al-Ahsa oasis. The soil texture is considered a critical factor to be taken into consideration. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of modern geophysical techniques to study the agricultural aspects of Al-Ahsa oasis. Ten profiles of 2-D electrical tomography using SuperSting R8/IP 8 channel multielectrode resistivity and IP imaging system with 112 electrodes at one-meter spacing were implemented. Moreover, twenty electrical conductivity profiles were measured of 2240 points using EM38-MK2 at vertical mode with transmitter–receiver coils of 0.5 and one meter spacing. The results indicated that the salinity variation along the measured profiles was changed vertically and laterally due to the changes in the soil type, texture, moisture content, sabkha, and the whole oasis. Analysis and interpretation of the interpreted resistively tomograms of the ten 2-D profiles indicate remarkably the different geoelectric units of different hydrogeological conditions and soil texture across the oasis. These results will be of good utility for farmers, development sectors, and research institutions, especially in agriculture development studies, at Al-Ahsa Oasis, to ensure the sustainability of agriculture in this important historical Oasis.

Does China’s Belt and Road Initiative affect oasis agriculture in Central Asia?

Does China’s Belt and Road Initiative affect oasis agriculture in Central Asia?

Archaeological research on the settlement of Bol’shoy K’irk-K’iz in the Right-Bank Chorasmia in 2021

The article summarizes the preliminary results of the research conducted at the settlement of Bolshoy Kyrk-Kyz in 2021. The stratigraphic excavation within the citadel of the settlement revealed three construction horizons corresponding to the most intense period of the monument's life - the first half of the I millennium AD. This date is determined by a very characteristic ceramic complex obtained during excavations. There is a group of ceramics made by hand from clay with admixtures of chamotte and crystalline gypsum. This ware has numerous analogies in the ceramic complexes of Khorezm dated to the II–IV centuries AD. In the northern part of the fortress, where the contours of a large building were traced, a new excavation was laid. After the sweeps, this assumption was confirmed. A part of a large building was discovered during the excavation, in the center of which was a vast courtyard paved with mud bricks. Perhaps it was a large city estate built at the final stage of the monument's life. According to the accompanying material, the building dates from the VII – first half of the VIII centuries AD. As a result of these works, a preliminary periodization of the life of the monument is proposed, which was founded as the center of a small agricultural oasis no later than the IV–III centuries BC. The final stage of the existence of the fortress dates back to the VII–VIII centuries AD. At this time, an extensive suburb with developed handicraft production was formed to the east of the fortress.

АНТИЧНЫЕ ПОСЕЛЕНИЕ БАЛАНДЫ

The article publishes the results of several years of excavations at the settlement of Balanda, on the territory of the ancient delta of the Syr Darya, where the agricultural Chirikrabat archaeological culture was widespread in the second half of the I millennium BC. The Balanda settlement is the center of a small agricultural oasis of the IV-II centuries BC, which was based on the main canal, between the channels of the Inkardarya and Zhanadarya lower reaches of the Syr Darya and the Aral Sea, as a whole. The center of the settlement and the entire oasis was the fortified manor-fortress of Balanda I. On Balandy 1, several rooms were opened, the remains of a large monumental building. Next to the fortress, Manor 2 was excavated, as a result, three rooms with hearths were opened, in the center the remains of two relatively different-time firing pottery furnaces. During the excavations, more than 50 fragments of ceramics were found. All pottery, in any case, when it is possible to determine the shape and type of vessel, has direct analogies in the ceramic complexes of the Chirikrabat culture.

Potentially Toxic Elements in Oasis Agricultural Soils Caused by High-Intensity Exploitation in the Piedmont Zone of the Tianshan Mountains, China

Considering the pollution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soils of China, the present study analyzed the current state and influencing factors of PTEs in oasis soils using the model of absolute principal component score–multiple linear regression in the piedmont zone of the Tianshan Mountains. The possible non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of PTEs at current concentrations were also explored using a human-health risk-assessment model. The results suggested that the extent to which potentially toxic elements in the soils of different geographical units in the study area is affected by human activities varies considerably. The PTEs Cd and As in the soils of the Yili River Watershed were the most strongly influenced by human activities, reaching levels of 40% and 59%, respectively. However, in the Bortala River Watershed, Cu, Cd, and As were the most strongly influenced by human activities, reaching levels of 33%, 64%, and 76%, respectively. Geographical units with a high degree of economic development (e.g., the Yili River Watershed) had, in contrast, low levels of PTE pollution caused by human activities, which may be related to the regional economic development structure. The human health risk assessment showed that the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of PTEs are currently below the threshold. However, increasing the arsenic content to 1.78 times the current level in the Bortala River Watershed would lead to carcinogenic risk. For the Yili River Watershed, a 3.33-fold increase in the arsenic content above its current level would lead to a carcinogenic risk. This risk should be addressed, and targeted environmental-protection measures should be formulated. The present research results will provide important decision support for regional environmental protection.

Ways to Improve the Productivity of Oasis Agriculture: Increasing the Scale of Household Production and Human Capital? A Case Study on Seed Maize Production in Northwest China

Oasis agriculture in arid areas faces the constraints of scarce resources and a fragile ecological environment. Improving agricultural production efficiency is the key solution. However, there are few studies analyzing the relationship between farmers’ production efficiency and planting scale from a micro-empirical perspective. Herein, we study the seed-producing corn growers in Zhangye city, and supplement special survey data with national input–output survey data. We use data envelopment analysis to measure agricultural production efficiency, and tobit regression to calculate the marginal effects of factors affecting production efficiency on farms of different scales. The results show that production efficiency is greater for large-scale farmers than for small-scale farmers. Duration of technical training, education time of laborers, planting income, and productive expenditure are significantly positively correlated with production efficiency. Average age of farmers and the amount of pesticide and fertilizer use are significantly negatively correlated with production efficiency. Off-farm activities improve the production efficiency of small-scale farmers but inhibit it for medium- and large-scale farmers. Differences exist in marginal impacts for different scales of farmland. We conclude that expanding the scale of family farms and optimizing human capital are effective for improving agricultural production efficiency in arid oasis areas.

Retraction Note: Artificial intelligence system–based oasis soil water quality measurement and network marketing behavior analysis

Groundwater is the only source of water for the development of oasis agriculture. However, due to the lack of scientific groundwater management and excessive exploitation, there are also varying degrees of problems in irrigation technology and crop planting structures, which have caused the oasis’s groundwater level to decline year by year, water quality deterioration, soil salinization, desertification, and vegetation degradation. With serious consequences, these problems continue to threaten the ecological protection and agricultural development of the oasis. This article focuses on the hydrological and ecological problems of oasis caused by over-exploitation of groundwater resources. Taking oasis as the research goal of this paper, combined with the ecological idea of “coordinating the development and utilization of water resources and ecological environment protection to achieve sustainable development”, this paper studies the data mining technology from the perspective of data mining, and focuses on the application and popularization of neural network in the marketing evaluation of the telecommunications industry. This article will introduce the development status and application fields of data mining technology and neural network technology, discuss the current status and future development trends of marketing plan evaluation methods in China’s electronic communications industry, and explore the current domestic telecommunications industry’s use of manual statistics and evaluation of marketing policies The author will use data mining, artificial intelligence, complex network analysis and other research methods to break through the boundaries of traditional user trend research. Based on various index data in corporate marketing and feedback data after marketing, the evaluation model based on BP algorithm is further developed, and the telecom marketing evaluation model makes up for the shortcomings of manual analysis.

Al-Kharj during the reign of the first Saudi state (1157-1233 AH / 1744-1818 AD): الخرج في عهد الدولة السعودية الأولى (1157 – 1233هـ / 1744 – 1818م)

This study describes the political, economic and scientific conditions of the city of Al-Kharj during the reign of the first Saudi state (1157-1233 AH / 1744-1818 AD). Firstly, on the political level, Al-Kharj is considered one of the most hostile cities in Diriyah for years, and it occurred in many wars, before it submitted. Secondly, on the economic level, Al-Kharj has two advantages that it is less likely to combine with others: the first is that it is an agricultural oasis famous for its abundance of water, fertility of its soil and good harvests, and the second is that it occupies a unique location that made it a passage for pilgrimage and trade caravans. Thirdly, on the scientific level, Al-Kharj, according to the sources and references available to us, witnessed jurisprudential diversity prior to its accession to the Saudi state, but it was not an active scientific center, and perhaps the future reveals to us secrets that we do not know and contradict our understanding.

Analyzing ecological environment change and associated driving factors in China based on NDVI time series data

The ecological environment is the foundation of human survival and development. China’s ecological environment has undergone a historic transition from partial improvement to overall improvement. In this paper, long time series NDVI data (1998–2018) are used to evaluate the ecological environment change and spatiotemporal change that has taken place in China over the last 20 years, at different scales (regional, provincial, county, and grid scales). Combined with typical areas, the causes of ecological environment change are revealed. The results show that in about one-third of China, the ecological environment improved, and in 10%, the ecological environment deteriorated. Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Guizhou, and Guangxi are the provinces in which the improvement of the ecological environment is most pronounced. However, the ecological environments with vegetation as the core in Shanghai and Jiangsu Province have deteriorated significantly. The areas with the fastest improvement in their ecological environment are those with precipitation of 200–600 mm. The Yellow River Basin is an area where the ecological environment has significantly improved. Forestry projects and the development of oasis agriculture effectively promote the improvement of the ecological environment. In the past 20 years, the main reason for the degradation of the ecological environment in eastern coastal areas is urban expansion. China should continue to strengthen its overall layout of forestry projects and improve its ecological environment. When planning its ecological construction, China should fully consider the associated physical and geographical conditions, and adjust measures to local conditions accordingly. China should coordinate the relationship between development and protection and avoid the “pie spread” expansion witnessed in eastern coastal areas.

Geographic Distribution of Oases in Arid Regions

This article examines the oases that appeared on the inhabited continents of the planet. Historically, in the desert regions formed two main types of irrigated agriculture - small oasis and large oasis. Small oasis farming as a geographical type is developed in the vicinity of small water sources (small streams, streams, springs) in the foothills and in areas where deserts are flooded, groundwater leaks, temporarily adjacent to runoff. The fields of different sizes within the oases made them look like dry sheets, while at the same time showing property and legal inequality.

The History Of Irrigated Agriculture In The Jizzakh Oasis

This article studies irrigated agriculture in the Jizzakh oasis based on written and archaeological sources. The irrigation system of the Jizzakh oasis of the XVI-XIX centuries, the terms associated with irrigation, the agricultural oases formed during this period have been scientifically studied.

Agro-ecological landuse transformation in oasis systems of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, northern Oman

The millenia-old oasis systems in the Western Hajar Mountains of Northern Oman have received widespread attention as models of sustainable irrigated agriculture in hyperarid Arabia. Given Oman’s rampant urbanization, growing scarcity of water and skilled labour, we quantified chances in water use, land use, and land cover between 2007 and 2018 using a rare time-series approach of detailed GIS-based crop mapping. Results from satellite image analysis and comprehensive ground truthing showed that urban areas grew from 206 ha in 2009 to 230 ha in 2014 and 252 ha in 2018. Throughout this decade, irrigated areas in backyards and front-house gardens of the town, planted largely to tree crops and vegetables, increased from 13.5 to 23.3 ha. Between 2007 and 2018 the actively used area of the studied oasis systems declined by 2.0% and the share of perennial crops without underplanting by 5.1%, while land under agroforestry increased by 2.1% and fallow land by 3.5%. Rising water demand of the sprawling town Sayh Qatanah led to terraces of Al ‘Ayn and Ash Sharayjah now being partly irrigated with treated wastewater which accelerated the abandonment of the old settlement structures. The labour- and water use efficiency-driven transformation of the Al Jabal Al Akhdar oasis agriculture into increasingly market-oriented landuse systems questions its function as example of sustainable, bio-cultural heritage of Arabia.

A Decade of Hydrological Drought in Central-Western Argentina

Most of the water used for the development of the main socio-economic activities in Central-Western Argentina (CWA), an arid to semi-arid region, home to most of the Argentinean wine production, relies on surface streamflow from several snow-fed rivers. During the last decade (2010-2020), reduced snow accumulation over the higher elevations of the Andes mountains triggered the occurrence of hydrological drought over CWA, affecting winter tourism, restricting water use for irrigation and domestic use, and leading to socio-political disputes. This study provides a detailed description of the recent hydrological drought conditions through the use of streamflow records from 15 river basins, which were complemented by precipitation, snowpack, and water equivalent thickness measurements to provide a comprehensive picture of the water losses over the last decade. Hydrological drought indices derived from the threshold level method and the standardized streamflow index allowed characterizing the unusualness of this dry period in the context of the last 49 years. The hydrological deficit over the last decade highlighted the challenges faced by the water managers to provide water for irrigation in the main agricultural oases, with a likely overexploitation of the groundwater resources to supplement the limited surface runoff. The hydrological drought severity increased since 2017, with record-breaking levels in several basins, particularly during the period between July 2019 and June 2020 for the rivers located between 35° and 36°S. We identified the main hydrological drought impacts in CWA, as well as the need for improved mitigation strategies to cope with current and future drought conditions. We also analyzed the current limitations in terms of snow and groundwater observations, highlighting the necessity for an effective hydrological drought monitoring system, together with an improved forecast of snow accumulation in the headwaters, which can contribute to better regional water management plans.

Breaking the Vicious Cycle between Illness and Poverty: Empirical Actions on Land Use in an Oasis Agricultural Area

Illness and poverty have been identified to be mutually influential, thereby forming a vicious cycle. Cutting off this vicious circle will be of great significance in the long-term planning of rural poverty reduction. Most of the existing studies have been conducted in proposing medical policies. Thus, these policies neglect the ability of the poor themselves. In oasis agricultural areas, the land is the critical resource, and improving land-use efficiency has been proposed as the key entry point for breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and illness. This article summarizes the success achieved in fighting health-related poverty in South Xinjiang, China, which can be attributed to a three-pronged approach that addresses the construction of the living, production, and ecological spaces. (1) Construction of the living space should be the first step in breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and illness since it can improve the medical and basic living infrastructure. (2) Construction of the production space is critical for breaking the vicious cycle since it can directly increase the income of the poor. Specifically, the profit can be improved by increasing crop yields, developing animal husbandry, and participating in land circulation and rural cooperatives. Additionally, the construction of township enterprises can provide employment to the poor. (3) In regard to the construction of the ecological space, preventing and controlling desertification, as well as renovating the village environment, is essential for providing a good living environment that is conducive to the improvement of physical fitness. Constructing the multi-spaces of “living–production–ecological” has important implications in terms of transforming the vicious cycle into a virtuous one, which is crucial for designing national poverty reduction policies.

Water Scenarios Modelling for Renewable Energy Development in Southern Morocco

Water and energy are two pivotal areas for future sustainable development, with complex linkages existing between the two sectors. These linkages require special attention in the context of the energy transition. Against this background, this paper analyses the role of water availability in the development of solar thermal and photovoltaic power plants for the case of the Draa Valley in southern Morocco. Located in a semi-arid to arid mountainous area, the Drâa Valley faces high water stress - a situation expected to worsen due to climate change. At the same time, the region has one of the greatest potentials for solar energy in the world. To examine whether limited water availability could accelerate or delay the implementation of solar thermal and photovoltaic power plants, this paper compares regional water availability and demand in the Draa Valley for different scenarios, paying particular attention to potential socio-economic development pathways. The Water Evaluation and Planning System software is applied to allocate the water resources in the study region. The water supply is modelled under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 climate scenario, while the water demand for the Drâa Valley is modelled for a combination of three socio-economic and two energy scenarios. The climate scenario describes a significant decrease in water availability by 2050, while the socio-economic and energy scenarios show an increase in water demand. The results demonstrate that during a sequence of dry years the reservoirs water availability is reduced and shortages in water supply can result in high levels of unmet demand. If this situation occurs, oasis farming, water for drinking and energy production could compete directly with each other for water resources. The energy scenarios indicate that the use of dry cooling technologies in concentrated solar power and photovoltaic hybrid systems could be one option for reducing competition for the scarce water resources in the region. However, given that energy generation accounts for only a small share of the regional water demand, the results also suggest that socio-economic demand reduction, especially in the agricultural sector, for example by reducing the cultivated area, will most likely become necessary.

Vulnerability of oasis agriculture to sandstorm disasters in Xinjiang, China

A vulnerability assessment index system and model for oasis agriculture to sandstorm disaster had been constructed. The concept was based on the characteristics of oasis agriculture, from the view of comprehensive disaster reduction and regional sustainable development. Seven main oasis agricultural regions in Xinjiang, China in 1980s, 1990s and 2000s were considered. Focusing on the sensitivity of regional hazard formative environments and the adaptability of sandstorm disaster affected bodies, the vulnerability of oasis agriculture was assessed. The results showed that the vulnerability of oasis agriculture to sandstorm disaster changes in different periods and is mainly affected by sensitivity of climate and adaptability of local agricultural conditions. During the past three decades, the sensitivity has been enhanced in some regions, but the vulnerability of the region has not been significantly reduced because of the enhancement of human adaptability.