Increase In Cultivated Area Research Articles

Spatial and transient modelling of land use/land cover (LULC) dynamics in a Sahelian landscape under semi-arid climate in northern Burkina Faso

Sahelian landscapes have gone through rapid changes over the past decades under high pressure from an ever-growing population, climate hazards and land degradation. Understanding drivers of change and forecasting LULC dynamics in time and space are critical for sustainable land management. This research aimed at analyzing LULC patterns and forecasting future changes in the landscape at the watershed level in semi-arid climate in northern Burkina Faso. Three LULC categories (natural vegetation, degradation soils, and cultivated areas) were considered. Seasonal vegetation dynamics were assessed through the monitoring of radiometric indices over the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. The post-harvest period (October-November) was found to be optimal for single-date LULC mapping. Furthermore, LULC maps for 1986, 1999, 2009 and 2017 were produced through a supervised classification of Landsat satellite images. For land change modelling and prediction, a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) neural network was calibrated between 1999 and 2009 and validated against 2017 reference map, then used to simulate prediction maps for 2030 and 2050, in conjunction with population growth forecasts. Analysis of LULC changes revealed degradation soils were the major contributor to cultivated areas expansion between 1986 and 2017. Land use maps predicted for 2030 and 2050 indicated an expected increase in cultivated areas of 10.4 % and 22.7 % respectively. These results highlight the strength of the human-environment relationship in the watershed and call for careful planning and conservation actions for a sustainable balance between sustainable agricultural production and natural resources conservation.

Identified diseases would threaten on the expansion of Amorphophallus muellery Blume cultivation in Indonesia

As one of the important agribusiness crops, Amorphophallus muelleri Blume’s cultivation areas, locally known as “porang”, have significantly increased in the past recent years. The increase in cultivation area has been triggered by the significant rise of corm price and by the government program for enlargement of the porang cultivation. Consequently, farmers would eventually grow the porang on open agricultural land. As a result of cultivation expansion, an increase in corm production is required to meet export demand. Like other tuber crops, which have been cultivated on large and open areas in Indonesia, the porang plant would similarly experience severe damage and even a failure of harvest due to the diseases. The present field observation found infections caused by fungi (Phytophthora colocasia and Sclerotium rolfsii) and a plant virus significantly reduced the corm yield. The paper presented the first report of the diseases on the porang plant. Thus, the expansion of the porang cultivation area in Indonesia would be challenged by the infestation of these diseases.

Impact of Watershed Programmes in Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh, India: How Beneficiaries Perceive?

An ex- post study was conducted to assess the impact of watershed development programmes, and appraisal was made with perceptions of beneficiaries of respective watersheds. The water resources development activities were accorded the highest priority with the allocation of 42% of the total budget, followed by soil conservation activities with the allocation of 27% of the budget. The cumulative effect of land-based activities was observed in terms of an increase in cultivated area (34%), cropping intensity (44%), afforestation/plantation (34%), irrigation intensity (13%) as well as a decrease in current fallow (78%) and wasteland (35%). The value of crop diversification index and cultivated land utilization index were higher over pre-project situations, and higher value of crop yield index indicated the higher productivity levels for major crops in watershed villages. Positive and significant differences in various socio-economic attributes among watersheds and control areas like labour absorptions and income from crop enterprises also endorsed the positive effects of watershed-based interventions. However, yield enhancement, groundwater recharge, saving of resources and augmentation of income were the major benefits of various watershed-based interventions as perceived by the beneficiary households.

РАЗРАБОТКА ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ОСВОЕНИЯ ЗАБРОШЕННЫХ ПАХОТНЫХ ЗЕМЕЛЬ В ТВЕРСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

In the Non-Black Earth Zone of Russia, since the 90s of the last century, the number of tractor and other agricultural machinery has sharply decreased. If in 1990 there were more than 30 thousand tractors of various capacities in the Tver region, then by 2020 there are 4 thousand tractors left in collective agricultural organizations, and approximately the same number of tractors are in private farms. The reduction occurred more than 8 times, with the remaining equipment having an average age of over 12 years. The renewal of tractor equipment in recent years has been happening at a rate of 1-2% per year, at the same time, 7-8% of the remaining tractors are written off annually. Directly connected with such dynamics is the reduction of acreage, which decreased by about 10 times, to 120 thousand hectares. And only in recent years there has been an increase in cultivated areas to 278 thousand hectares. At present, 551 thousand hectares of agricultural land are used for the production of agricultural products, that is, from 2,575 thousand hectares. Half of the agricultural land is arable land. More than 300 thousand hectares of arable land are idle, overgrown with forest, bushes, hogweed. The age of vegetation, forests on abandoned arable land reaches 10 years. In the near future, most of these lands may be completely decommissioned.

O deserto verde cresce em Alagoas: uma análise crítica da expansão do eucalipto no estado

Na última década, a superfície cultivada com eucalipto em Alagoas cresceu exponencialmente. A territorialização do eucalipto em Alagoas ocupa extensas áreas da Mesorregião Leste e Agreste e tem o objetivo de fomentar o complexo de madeira-papel-celulose, apropriando-se de condições vantajosas para a reprodução ampliada do capital. Contraditoriamente, o aumento da superfície cultivada com eucalipto no estado coincide com a diminuição da oferta de um importante gênero, como o feijão, fragilizando a soberania alimentar. Ademais, a territorialização do eucalipto apresenta seus primeiros sinais de destruição social e ambiental, a exemplo da diminuição da oferta hídrica e contaminação de plantações e corpos d’agua de comunidades. Compreende-se que o advento do agronegócio do eucalipto, longe de representar uma alteração da realidade hegemônica do estado, atualiza suas contradições por meio do deserto verde.
 Palavras-chave: eucalipto, capital, agronegócio

<p class="Body"><strong>Bioecological aspects of mites associated with </strong><strong><em>Vitis vinifera </em></strong><strong>varieties in the state of Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil</strong></p>

Viticulture is an activity of economic importance in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, especially in Serra Gaúcha, which is the major grape-producing region. However, an increase in cultivated areas has been observed in other municipalities in the state. The aim of this study is to characterize mite diversity and community behavior on different varieties, recognizing which predatory species have potential to control phytophagous mites associated with Europan varieties in the Taquari Valley, Rio Grande do Sul state. The study was conducted in vineyards located in the municipalities of Marques de Souza: ‘BRS Vitória’ and cv ‘Itália’ “m”; Imigrante: cv ‘Itália’ “i”; Dois Lajeados: cv ‘Itália’ (c and f), ‘Tannat’ and ‘Chardonnay’; and Putinga: ‘Champanhe’ and ‘Moscato’. Samplings were carried out monthly in the period ranging from March 2017 to March 2018, during which twenty plants were randomly collected from each variety. Three leaves were clipped from each plant; one from the apical third, one from the median third, and one from the basal third, totaling 60 leaves per area. A total of 10,533 specimens were collected, belonging to 12 families, 38 genera, and 53 species, along with those belonging to the suborder Oribatida. The ‘Itália’ “c” variety had the highest abundance (2,012), followed by ‘Moscato’ (1,788) and ‘BRS Vitória’ (1,593). Phytoseiidae had the highest diversity among the mite families observed, with 20 species followed by Tetranychidae (8). The most abundant species were Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) (3,420) and Euseius concordis (Chant) (565), present throughout the study period. ‘Chardonnay’ variety had the highest similarity (72.55%) among mite fauna compositions and the highest dissimilarity occurred between ‘BRS Vitória’ and ‘Champanhe’ varieties (95.48%). Environments evaluated in Dois Lajeados and Putinga were the most homogeneous concerning mite fauna diversity and abundance.

Features of the use of non-destructive testing to combat siltation of the Krasnodar reservoir

The article discusses ways to use non-destructive testing to combat siltation of the Krasnodar reservoir. This article presents the results of solving the problem of silting of the Krasnodar reservoir for the rational use of water resources of floodplain territories. The forecast of changes in sediment for the future is determined considering the increase in overgrowth of the reservoir, further processing of the coastline, as well as a decrease in afforestation and an increase in cultivated areas in the Kuban river basin. The main measures to improve the transport of sediment into the dead volume bowl are considered, and ways to solve the siltation problem through clearing the flooded riverbeds are proposed to be carried out by the method of stirring, since this method is used in reservoirs with flow, because its essence lies in the fact that silt sediments are agitated with the help of a floating dredger with water jets and the pulp is not sucked into the dredger, and suspended sediments are transported by the flow of water into the bowl of the “dead” volume of the reservoir. It should be noted that during georadar studies on soils such as clays and loams, the boundaries are distinguished mainly by the degree of moisture. In our case, water is highly mineralized, and filtration significantly reduced the electrical resistance of soils, therefore, the separation of the lithological composition is possible only on the main lithological differences. With soil moisture more than 20-30% and high mineralization of soils with a relatively low resistance, the depth of the study was no more than 2-3 m.

Current Agricultural and Environmental Policies in Benin Republic

The need to feed the population growth conducts to the development of material intensive production systems in many countries. However the absence of adequate policies has adverse consequences on the environment and the performance of the agricultural and rural sectors. Benin Republic, through its Strategic Plan for Agricultural Sector Development (PSDSA) focuses on improving food and nutrition security, improving farm level income and building resilience to climate change within the Government Action Plan (PAG Bénin Révélé) 2016-2021. The aim of this study is to analyze the current agricultural policies and his link with the current environmental policies in Benin Republic. The data from Ministries and Structures in charge of Agriculture, Environment, Health and Human being were used. Reports from some international organizations such as FAO, PNUD and FIDA were also used. It is observed and planed an increase in cultivation area, all crops yields and crops production from 2016 to 2021. That will involve the more use of agricultural machinery, fertilizers and pesticides. Added to the current environment challenges, it appears the risk of soil degradation, deforestation, water and air pollution, then global impact on the environment when this plan will be implemented. It is right that some Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) are purposed for many of the actions. However, these EIA are sometime neglected and sacrificed for the profitability of agricultural production. To achieve this agricultural goal without affect the environment, the respect of the adequate law and EIA for each single activity becomes necessary.

TOXICIDADE DETERMINADA PELO USO DOS AGROTÓXICOS EM ORGANISMOS INDICADORES DE QUALIDADE DA ÁGUA

A expansão das fronteiras agrícolas tem promovido o aumento de áreascultivadas e uso de agrotóxicos, e inquietações quanto ao destino destestem sido manifestadas, sobretudo pela exposição a que são submetidos oscorpos hídricos. Admitindo-se a preocupação, objetivou-se avaliar o graude toxicidade, determinado pelo uso dos agrotóxicos glifosato, atrazina eimidacloprido, em organismos indicadores de qualidade da água. Para isso,realizaram-se testes de sensibilidade e definitivos empregando-se dafinídeos(Daphnia magna). Os testes de sensibilidade apresentaram concentraçãoefetiva (CE50) de 0,77 mg.L-1, atestando sua utilização e o preconizado pelaISO 6341. Para os testes definitivos e concentrações testadas, foi encontradaCE50 para o glifosato de 27,4 mg.L-1, para a atrazina CE50 de 8,1 mg.L-1 e parao imidacloprido 217,1 mg.L-1. Como efeito deletério, observou-se que, apósos testes, os organismos imóveis apresentaram deformações nas carapaçase no tubo digestivo. Entre as propriedades mais agressivas dos agrotóxicos,destacou-se sua miscibilidade.

The phytosanitary status of sunflower crops оf north-eastern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

The high economic efficiency of sunflower growing contributed to a sharp increase in the sunflower planting acreage in Sumy region. The increase of cultivated areas under sunflower resulted in an oversaturation of crop rotations with this crop. The study of the phytosanitary status of sunflower crops was carried out in the basic farms of the phytosanitary security department of the Main Office of State Consumer Service (Derzhprodsluzhba) in Sumy region. The research methodology was commonly accepted.
 The main pests of sunflower crops were grey beet weevil (Tanymecus palliates Fabr.), larvae of common click beetle (Agriotes sputator L.), darkling beetle (Opatrum sabulosum L.), larvae of the western may beetle (Melolontha melolontha L.), leafcurl plum aphid (Brachycaudus helichrysi Kalt).
 The sunflower seedlings were damaged grey beet weevil, darkling beetle. The most widespread soil pests were the larvae of the western may beetle and larvae of common click beetle.
 Leafcurl plum aphid populated sunflower crops with 6‒8 pairs of true leaves. It continued to spread across the field during the inflorescence stage and the stage of initial blossom. The highest pest colonization was observed at the edge of the field in 2015, 2017 and accounted for 16 % of the plants. In the middle of the field, the aphid colonization was lower than at the edge.
 During the years of research, the economic threshold of sunflower pest harmfulness was exceeded only in some years. Sunflower damage by grey weevil beet, larvae of common click beetle, darkling beetle, larvae of the western may beetle was weak, and their number was insignificant.
 The increase of sunflower acreage did not lead to a significant growth of pest number, the exceeding of economic threshold of their harmfulness.

Farmers' Perceptions of and Adaptations to Water Scarcity in Colombian and Venezuelan Páramos in the Context of Climate Change

This study examined how members of 2 water user associations in high-elevation ecosystems in Colombia and Venezuela perceive water scarcity as well as the relationship between their perception of and adaptation to it. Among study participants, adaptation was guided not only by the perception of climate change (disturbance of the seasons, decrease in precipitation, and more extreme temperatures) but also by the perception of the socioeconomic causes of water scarcity (increase in cultivated area and population, aging irrigation infrastructure, system management problems). Farmers in the Venezuelan study site have adopted new and more efficient irrigation technologies, restored degraded infrastructure, and undertaken various actions to preserve and conserve wetlands. In the Colombian study site, farmers created a new irrigation system that draws water from a nearby lake, creating access to an abundant resource. The study shows how perceptions of water scarcity in a climate change context are critical determinants of farmers' behavior, especially collective adaptation.

Assessment of land use change and its effect on soil carbon stock using multitemporal satellite data in semiarid region of Rajasthan, India

BackgroundLand use change plays a vital role in global carbon dynamics. Understanding land use change impact on soil carbon stock is crucial for implementing land use management to increase carbon stock and reducing carbon emission. Therefore, the objective of our study was to determine land use change and to assess its effect on soil carbon stock in semi-arid part of Rajasthan, India. Landsat temporal satellite data of Pushkar valley region of Rajasthan acquired on 1993, 2003, and 2014 were analyzed to assess land use change. Internal trading of land use was depicted through matrices. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stock was calculated for soil to a depth of 30 cm in each land use type in 2014 using field data collection. The SOC stock for previous years was estimated using stock change factor. The effect of land use change on SOC stock was determined by calculating change in SOC stock (t/ha) by deducting the base-year SOC stock from the final year stock of a particular land use conversion.ResultsThe total area under agricultural lands was increased by 32.14% while that under forest was decreased by 23.14% during the time period of 1993–2014. Overall land use change shows that in both the periods (1993–2003 and 2003–2014), 7% of forest area was converted to agricultural land and about 15% changes occurred among agricultural land. In 1993–2003, changes among agricultural land led to maximum loss of soil carbon, i.e., 4.88 Mt C and during 2003–2014, conversion of forest to agricultural land led to loss in 3.16 Mt C.ConclusionThere was a continuous decrease in forest area and increase in cultivated area in each time period. Land use change led to alteration in carbon equity in soil due to change or loss in vegetation. Overall, we can conclude that the internal trading of land use area during the 10-year period (1993–2003) led to net loss of SOC stock by 8.29 Mt C. Similarly, land use change during 11-year period (2003–2014) caused net loss of SOC by 2.76 Mt C. Efforts should be made to implement proper land use management practices to enhance the SOC content.

Production and Cultivated Area Variation in Cereal, Rice, Wheat and Maize in China (1998–2016)

The production of cereals, including rice, wheat, and maize has increased in China over the past 20 years. However, variations in the production and cultivated area of cereals remains unclear. In this study, we collected and analyzed the cereal production and cultivated area in China from 1998 to 2016. An 85% increase in cereal production was recorded from 1998 to 2016, due to an increase in the maize production along with the increase in the cultivated area. Meanwhile, rice and wheat production have been stable since 2000. No change occurred in the rice cultivated area through 2016, and a 19% decrease in the wheat cultivated area was observed in 2016 relative to 1998. In addition, a significant positive relationship was observed among cereal production, maize production, and cultivated area (p < 0.0001). Together, the increase in cereal production in China over the past two decades has resulted from the increase in maize cultivated area and the consequent increase in maize production.

Money laundering in rural areas with illicit crops: empirical evidence for Colombia

This research presents the first evidence on the existence of money laundering in rural areas dedicated to the production of illicit crops. This paper uses, as money laundering (ML) measure, Financial Intelligence Reports (FIR). FIR is a more accurate ML measure than Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) since it implies more rigorous and detail analysis. The present research uses a new panel of municipal data for the period 2000–2013 which has information that measure: ML dynamics, economic activity, violence, conflicts, institutional presence and interdiction. Using a fixed-effects model by municipality and year, this study found a positive relationship between ML, measured as the value of FIR, and illicit crops. The results are maintained throughout specifications and robustness exercises. This paper found that a 1% increase in cultivated area in the municipality implies 3.04% increase in the FIR value. If one representative municipality of the sample is taken, an increase of 1% in cultivated area would be translated into 641 million COP (342.705 USD) in money laundering reported in FIR. Thus, the existence of money laundering in rural areas dedicated to illicit crops is concluded.

Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics in the North-Eastern Somali Rangelands of Eastern Ethiopia

Drastic changes have occurred in Siti zone rangeland over nearly the last three decades, due to rapid land conversion dynamics in the area. In the zone, the land-use change over time and space and temporal trends rangeland condition have never been studied. This study analyzed land use and land cover (LULC) change dynamics since the 1980s. Three dates, 1985, 2001 and 2017, Landsat images were used for classification and analysis of the various LULC. The three images were geo-referenced, re-sampled and processed for classification, using the maximum likelihood classifier algorithm. Moreover, field observations and information from local people were used for triangulation to patterns LULC dynamics. From 1985 to 2017, the general trend observed in the land use/cover change in the rangeland resources in the study districts implies a loss of grassland cover was compensated by an increase in cultivated areas, settlement and shrub/bush land cover. Moreover, the encroachments of invasive plant, Prosopis, settlement and the promotion of cultivation to pastoral way of livelihood have exacerbated the decline of rangeland cover. The study findings have shown important changes in the LULC patterns in the north-eastern Somali rangelands of eastern Ethiopia. These trends are certainly the characteristics of a pastoral way of life turn to settlement. This suggests that major changes in the socio-ecological driving forces affecting landscape dynamics have occurred in the last three decades or so.

Rapid expansion of sugarcane crop for biofuels and influence on food production in the first producing region of Brazil

This paper analyzes the influence of sugarcane on soybean and livestock productions in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in the Midwest of Brazil, the main agricultural region of the country. We also observed indirect influence of sugarcane in non-producing regions. Two periods have been analyzed, 2006–2009, which is the beginning of the sugarcane expansion, and 2009–2013, which is the main expansion phase. In this state, sugarcane is essentially used for ethanol production, and soybean and livestock production are the main food products, together with corn. The shift-share method was used, with decomposition of the evolution in area, productivity and geographic location effects. The area effect was divided between scale and substitution effects. Data were collected from national and local databases. From 2006 to 2009, sugarcane areas replaced soybean in the best land areas. In the second period, sugarcane and soybeans occupied pasture areas. None of the activities surveyed decreased its production between 2006 and 2013. Sugarcane generated positive externalities on food production in the state, forcing the evolution of productivity, mainly in cattle raising. Positive impact of sugarcane on the productivity of livestock and soybean reduces indirect effects of the production of biofuels on land use and didn’t have a negative effect on food production. The increase in food consumption had a much greater impact on the evolution of crops, with a high increase in cultivated areas of soybean and pastures in Brazil.

Impact of Gomal Zam Dam irrigation project on agriculture and welfare of farming community in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan

This study investigated impact of Gomal Zam Dam (GZD) irrigation project on agriculture and welfare of farm households in Southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study found immense effect of the project on increase in cultivated area and yield of wheat and gram crops, and diversification of traditional cropping pattern to commercialized farming with the addition of sugarcane and vegetables. The availability of irrigation water also induced cultivation of fodder crops which enabled farmers to add large ruminants to their livestock herds. All these changes resulted improvement in farmers’ welfare and development in project area. There are various post project needs which are equally important for long term success. The most important of these needs are training of farmers on water use efficiency; provision of technical assistance on using high yielding seed varieties, chemical fertilizers and pesticides; and provision of credit and subsidies for dairy farming.

AN ECONOMIC STUDY TO ESTIMATE THE SUPPLY RESPONSE OF WHEAT CROP IN PORT SAID GOVERNORATE

The wheat crop in Egypt is a major source of food for a large population. There is a deficit in bridging the food gap. Egypt imports wheat with its domestic production. Egypt currently suffers from 50% self-sufficiency in wheat. The Port Said Governorate is considered one of the governorates of Egypt in which the Peace Canal contributes to the increase of land and Egypt from the wheat importing countries, which means that the economics of this crop have not been expanded in Zarattha in such a way that makes a significant contribution to filling the deficit and achieving self-sufficiency rates. The study aims to study the general time trends of the main changes associated with the estimation of the supply response of the wheat crop, which includes both the cultivated area of the crop, the agricultural price and the net yield of the crop. It also aims to identify the most important changes affecting the cultivated area, In agriculture The study was based on data from the Department of Agricultural Statistics in the Directorate of Agriculture in Port Said Governorate and the Agricultural Statistics Bulletin issued by the Central Administration of Agricultural Economics and some researches related to the subject of the study. The study used some descriptive and quantitative statistical methods such as simple regression method and multiple regression method to estimate the supply response functions of wheat yield in Port Said Governorate in the linear image. The results of the study on estimating general time equations for some of the economic indicators related to estimating the supply response of wheat yield during the period 2000-2016 in the cultivated area, the agricultural price and the net yield of the studied crop showed that there is an increasing general trend In both cultivated area and farm price and net return, 727, 24.82, 288.18 respectively and the significance of the model was established at the level of 0.05. What is for the results of the restoration of the supply of accounting? The study of the full linear model was overseen by the models for the response of the wheat yield in Port Said Governorate where it is clear from the full linear model that includes all the explanatory variables referred to that the model is significant. It is worth mentioning the significance of all the variables studied, (T-1), T-1 wheat price, T-1 wheat net yield (T-1), T-1 net, yield formula from wheat to clover (T-1) ), The stability of price policies, and the percentage of wheat / rice yield (T-1) 1% of the changes occurring in the area cultivated with wheat to the previous factors of the Immunization Heif order . As shown in the previous equation, there is a positive relationship between six factors and area cultivated wheat in the year, meaning that the increase of cultivated area of the year following the cultivation by 50 acres. The increase in the agricultural price was an incentive for farmers to increase the cultivated area of the crop studied in the year The net yield from wheat may lead to an increase in the cultivated area by 3.54 feddans, and the price ratio between the wheat crop / barley crop in the previous year was estimated at an area of about 91.56 feddans and the net yield from wheat to barley. Cultivated by 26848 feddans, a factor of inverse relation with the cultivated area of agricultural engineering, this factor may lead to a decrease in the cultivated area of wheat 8282.2 feddans on the cultivated area in the wheat province of Port Said Governorate. The elasticity of the supply response to the variable of crop area (X1) in the previous year, agriculture price (X2) in the previous year, (X4) net weight/ net wheat/barley yield in the previous year and (X6) previous 0.65, 2.8, 1.7, 1.58, respectively. If there is a change in the capacity of 1% in the area cultivated with wheat there is a change in the area cultivated in the previous year by 0.65%, and there is a change in the previous years farm price increased by 2.8% and wheat net/net barley yield has change by 1.7% and the wheat/ barley price ratio has change by 1.58%, respectively. The results showed that the model for the wheat yield response were the logarithmic model. This is evident from the value of (F) (R2).

AN ECONOMIC STUDY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE WHEAT CROP IN EGYPT

Wheat is becoming increasingly important because it is one of the most Important cereal crops and a basic source to individual food. Productive and economic indicators of wheat production in Egypt the total costs , net return and farm price was studied. An increase was recorded in the cultivated area in Egypt, where the growth rate was 2.6%, and there was no significant increase in productivity, while the cultivated area grew by 2.5%. The results showed that there was an increase in the cost growth rate, with a growth rate of 9.9% and net profit growth of 12%, and the farm price reached of 10%. The main factors influencing supply response to wheat crop in Egypt were studied. The increase in cultivated area in the previous year (reflecting the customs and traditions of the farmers) by 10,000 acres leads to an increase of the current cultivated area of 3.3 thousand acres and the increase in the agricultural price by 10% The increase in the percentage of net yield per feddan of wheat compared to the yield of clover by 1% leads to an increase in cultivated area by 9.21 thousand acres . The significance of the model as a whole has been statistically significant. The value of the modified limiting factor indicates that about 87% of the changes in the cultivated area of wheat are due to the change in the explanatory variables

ASSESSMENT OF CHANGES OF LAND USE/LAND COVER OF A COMMAND AREAE IN NILE DELTA, EGYPT, USING REMOTE SENSING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM TECHNIQUES

This study aimed to detect the changes of land use of Meet Yazid commend area, in Kafr Al-Shikh and Al-Gharbia governorates during the period from summer 2013 to winter 2015 using remote sensing and GIS techniques. In this study, RapidEye images, dynamic GPS and IMAGINE objective feature extraction module were used. The results showed an increase of cultivated areas of rice from 30.06 % to 31.57 %, while wheat increased in the year 2014 and 2015 from 27.3 % to 37.9 % of the total area respectively. On the other hand, there was a decrease of cultivated areas of maize and cotton in years 2013 and 2014 from 24.64 % to 23.29 % and from 15.26 % to 14.68 % of the total area, respectively. Clover cultivated areas decreased in years 2014 and 2015 from 21.5 % to 18.5 % of the total area, respectively. The changes of the crops in these areas may be due to the change in the social and agricultural economics. The results also showed that the rate of urban encroachment increased during the study periods where results recorded increasing in urban areas from 13.64 % of total areas in summer 2013 to 14.85 % of total area in winter 2015. The study cleared that increasing in total cultivated area of crops throughout the period from summer 2013 to winter 2015 except the period summer 2014 where occurred decreasing in total cultivated areas of crops for the previous sessions. The changes in cultivated area was accompanied by changes in the areas of fish ponds in the same period, which is due to transformation in the pattern of land use from crop cultivation to aquaculture, in some areas. The results also show the ability of RapidEye images of high differentiation for land use classes as well as obtained results with high accuracy more than 90 % for all studied seasons.