Productivity Of Cultivated Land Research Articles

Developmental level of artificial oasis system in Tarim River Mainstream Area

Population and cultivated lands are the key subsystems of artificial oasis system in arid areas. Their levels of development reflect the state of artificial oases. The state of the artificial oasis system in Tarim River Mainstream Area (TRMA) largely influences sustainable development of the entire Tarim region. Percultivated land production, which composes of food, cotton and other economic crops, was used to estimate land production in the region in this paper. Next, the factors that affect total cultivated land production in TRMA were measured. Food population carrying capacity and cultivated land pressure indices were used to assess the level of development of artificial oasis system in TRMA. Studies show that irrational human activities in the lower reaches of Tarim River heavily influence sustainable development of oasis system in TRMA during 1988～2007. Rapid increases in population and cultivated lands, irrational planting structures, unsafe food problems and mounting pressure on cultivated lands are the determinant factors of oasis systems in TRMA. More attention should therefore be given not only to rational cultivated land utility in the upper and middle reaches of TRMA, but also to population growth and rational development of cultivated land in the lower reaches of TRMA. It is essential to control population and cultivated land growth strictly in the lower reaches of TRMA for the sustainable development of TRMA. And the optimizing pattern of sustainable product is to develop cotton plant mainly and give consideration to crop product on the base of crop safety in TRMA.

Spatial pattern of cultivated land productivity in rapid economic development region

Spatial pattern of cultivated land productivity in rapid economic development region

Water use and productivity of two small reservoir irrigation schemes in Ghana's upper east region

AbstractTo examine the impact of small reservoir irrigation development in Africa, the performance and productivity of two small reservoirs and irrigation schemes in the Upper East Region of Ghana were investigated in this study. Hydrologic data measured included daily irrigation volumes and daily evaporation. Farmer cost inputs, excluding labor, and harvest data were also recorded. There was a strong contrast in water availability between the two systems, the Tanga system having a higher amount of available water than did the Weega system. The concept of relative water supply was used to confirm this disparity; Tanga was an inefficient system with a relative water supply of 5.7, compared to a value of 2.4 for the efficient Weega system. It was also concluded that the dissimilar water availabilities resulted in the evolution of very different irrigation methods and coincided with different management structures. Where there was more water available per unit land (Tanga), management was relaxed and the irrigation inefficient. Where there was less water available per unit land (Weega), management was well structured and irrigation efficient. The productivity of water (US$ m−3) of the Tanga system was half that of the Weega system, when analyzed at a high market price for crops grown. In terms of productivity of cultivated land (US$ ha−1), however, the Tanga system was 49% more productive than the Weega system. The difference in the productivity of land is primarily a result of increased farmer cash inputs in the Tanga system as compared to the Weega system. The difference in the productivity of water can be attributed to the varying irrigation methods and management structures, and ultimately to the contrasting water availability. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Classification and gradation of cultivated land quality in Bishan County of Chongqing, China

The conflicts among food security, economic development and ecological protection are the “sticking point” of undeveloped southwestern mountainous areas of China. The objectives of this study are to identify appropriate integrated indicators influencing the classification and gradation of cultivated land quality in the southwestern mountainous area of China based on semi-structure interview, and to promote the monitoring of cultivated land quality in this region. Taking Bishan County of Chongqing as a study case, the integrated indicators involved the productivity, protection, acceptability, and stability of cultivated land. The integrated indicators accord with the characteristics of land resources and human preference in southwestern mountainous area of China. In different agricultural zones, we emphasize different indicators, such as emphasizing productivity, stabilization and acceptability in low hilly and plain agricultural integrative zone (LHP-AIZ), protection, productivity and stability in low mountain and hill agro-forestry ecological zone (LMH-AEZ), and acceptability in plain outskirts integrative agricultural zone (PO-IAZ), respectively. The pronounced difference of classification and gradation of cultivated land, regardless of inter-region or intra-region, is observed, with the reducible rank from PO-IAZ, LHP-AIZ to LMH-AEZ. Research results accord with the characteristics of assets management and intensive utilization of cultivated land resources in the southwestern mountainous area of China. Semi-structure interview adequately presents the principal agent of farmers in agricultural land use and rural land market. This method is very effective and feasible to obtain data of the quality of cultivated land in the southwestern mountainous area of China.

Working Group VIII: Biological Pesticides (Biopesticides)

The control of insect pests of crops (in agriculture, horticulture, plantations, forestry) is a major factor which influences the productivity of cultivated land. In most situations control is achieved through the use of chemical insecticides. A variety of these products are on the market and in common usage. While chemical insecticides are relatively easy to mass produce, store and apply to crops, it has become apparent there are problems associated with their use. Specifically, their effects on non-target, beneficial insects (pollinators, scavengers), and their residues that accumulate and pollute the environment getting into the food chain and endangering particular species (predatory birds etc.). In addition, there is the build-up of resistance in the target and other species. This is a particular problem where, for example, an insecticide is used to control an agricultural pest and its use leads to the development of resistance in haematophagous insects (e.g. mosquitoes) that are vectors of animal and human diseases. Further, there are problems associated with both the manufacture and application of some chemical insecticides where protective clothing is not used or is inadequate and individuals receive overdoses of the chemicals with unwanted consequences. While such problems illustrate the risks associated with the use of chemical insecticides, the benefits are considerable, particularly in relation to the increased production of foods and their improved quality.