Land Productivity Research Articles

Faktor Perubahan Alih Fungsi Lahan Pertanian Akibat Pembangunan Kawasan Aerotropolis Kulon Progo dan Dampaknya Terhadap Tata Guna Lahan LP2B, Pemukiman dan Pariwisata

The development of the Aerotropolis area in Kulon Progo Regency causes frequent changes in agricultural land use to residential areas, hotels, restaurants, and other infrastructure. The excessive rate of conversion of agricultural land will have a negative impact on Kulon Progo Regency. Therefore, it is necessary to know the factors causing changes in agricultural land use and their impact on LP2B areas, residences, and tourism. The research method used is descriptive-analytical with statistical data; observations of situational conditions and the results of interviews regarding the problem being studied will be analyzed and then explained more specifically and in depth. The results of the analysis show that the phenomenon of land conversion in Kulon Regency is influenced by internal factors, namely the strategic location of agricultural land and its proximity to public facilities. The productivity of the agricultural sector has decreased due to difficult farmer regeneration, which causes economic factors to emerge. Apart from that, it is also influenced by external factors, namely increasing population growth, increasing development of the trade and services sector, the COVID-19 pandemic, and government policies that facilitate the conversion of agricultural land. The impact is that land and agricultural productivity are decreasing while the area of residential areas and the tourism sector are increasing. As a result, the GDP growth rate in the agricultural sector decreased, while the accommodation and food and drink (tourism) sector and the service sector increased. This trend has the potential to reduce the implementation of LP2B in Kulon Progo Regency. Recommendations that need to be made are strengthening government policies regarding the protection of LP2B and the involvement of many parties from the community, private sector, NGOs (Non-Government Organizations), and local governments regarding the implementation of LP2B

The Identification of Land Use Conflicts and Policy Implications for Donghai County Based on the “Production–Living–Ecological” Functions

The rapid development of urbanization has continuously encroached on people’s living space and ecological space, leading to an imbalance in territorial spatial functions. Identifying potential land use conflicts and optimizing land use structure are conducive to carrying out territorial spatial planning rationally. In this paper, we adopt the suitability assessment method to evaluate the suitability of land for production, living, and ecological functions and then use the land use conflict identification matrix to identify land use conflicts in Donghai County and make relevant suggestions according to the intensity of land use conflicts. The results of this study show the following: (1) the areas of suitable land use zones, strong conflict zones, medium conflict zones, and weak conflict zones in Donghai County are, respectively, 58.83%, 10.62%, 26.31%, and 4.24%. (2) The spatial distribution differences in the different conflict zones could determine the pertinence of conflict mitigation and spatial planning. In the process of the urbanization of Donghai County, ecological environmental protection is still the top priority. (3) It is necessary to economically and intensively use construction land, improving its fine management level. Land use efficiency should be maximized, and the spatial distribution of national territory should be reasonably optimized while strengthening the guiding role of planning. This study addresses land conflicts from the perspective of spatial planning rather than economic behavior. It also provides significant insight into land use layout at the county level, which is exactly what China is exploring in the new era.

Global evaluation of NOAA-20 VIIRS dark target aerosol products over land and ocean

The Dark Target (DT) algorithm has been applied to the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi-NPP (SNPP) and NOAA-20 satellites to extend the aerosol data record from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS). The newly released VIIRS DT Version 2.0 (V2.0) dataset includes NOAA-20 aerosol products for the first time. This study provides the first evaluation of NOAA-20 VIIRS DT aerosol products, including aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångstrom exponent (AE), for the period 2018–2022 using Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN) measurements. In addition, the operational DT aerosol products from SNPP VIIRS (V2.0) and MODIS (Collection 6.1) are also used for comparison purposes. Overall, NOAA-20 AODs over land and ocean exhibit good validation metrics globally, showing comparability to MODIS products and superiority over overestimated SNPP products. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that in South Africa specifically, NOAA-20 land AODs tends to display more pronounced negative biases, despite all products being underestimated. Furthermore, all ocean AE products demonstrate high correlation coefficients (>0.83) with the ground-based data, meeting the fraction of expected accuracy (>80%). Encouragingly, NOAA-20 AE product has significantly improved the persistent issue of overestimation at low-value in MODIS product, making it a more preferable choice for usage. Error analysis reveals that the performance of all three land products decreases in sparsely vegetated areas and when the solar zenith angle is small. However, NOAA-20 AOD exhibits relatively stable performance and is less affected by variations in aerosol loading, observation geometry, and surface vegetation cover. In addition, the performance of AOD and AE over ocean is significantly influenced by scattering angle and wind speed. This research is anticipated to serve as a reference for the utilization of operational VIIRS DT aerosol products and possible algorithm optimization.

Assessment of Land Damage Status Using Frequency Method on Several Land Use for Biomass Production in Payakumbuh City

Intensive use of land for agricultural businesses causes the land to become very dynamic and causes a decrease in soil quality for producing biomass. This research aims to determine environmental conditions (level of damage to land and soil for biomass production) and the factors that cause soil damage in Payahkumbuh City. Land surveys were carried out using the research method in five sub-districts. Samples taken in the field are disturbed soil samples for analysis of physical properties (texture, BV, TRP, and permeability). In contrast, disturbed soil samples are used to analyze chemical soil properties (c.organic, pH, DLH, Redok). Apart from that, he also observed environmental conditions such as rocks on the surface and the depth of the soil. Next, the soil samples are explained in the soil laboratory of the Department of Soil Science and Land Resources. Data from soil physical and chemical property variables are processed, averaged, and compared with soil health standards following PP No. 150 of 2000. The research results show that the results of land identification and verification show that the land in the five sub-districts of Payakumbuh City in the research area has a Light Damage Status (RI) covering an area of 2391.65 ha and Moderate Damage (RII) covering an area of 1856.76 ha. From 10 observation points, the land in the research area has two levels of soil damage: moderate and light. Soil damage is caused by limiting factors. In moderate damage status, the limiting factors are (RII-vpre), namely soil porosity, degree of air escape, redox reactions, and electrical conductivity. Meanwhile, the limiting factors in soil with mild damage are (RI-vre) soil porosity, redox reactions, and electrical conductivity.

Effect of Maize (Zea mays) and Soybean (Glycine max) Cropping Systems on Weed Infestation and Resource Use Efficiency

Agriculture has consistently improved to meet the needs of a growing global population; however, traditional monoculture farming, while highly productive, is facing challenges such as weed infestation and inefficient resource utilization. Herbicides effectively control weeds. However, their widespread use in weed management has the potential to contaminate soil and water, endangering the ecosystem by damaging non-target plant and animal species. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different maize and soybean cropping systems on weed infestation and resource utilization. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with three replications consisting of three cropping systems: sole maize (SM), sole soybean (SS), and maize–soybean strip intercropping (MSI). In this study, the main difference between SM, SS, and MSI was the planting density, which was 60,000 (SM), 100,000 (SS), and 160,000 (maize–soybean in MSI). We observed that a higher total leaf area index in MSI resulted in increased soil cover, which reduced the solar radiations for weeds and suppressed the weed growth by 17% and 11% as compared to SS and SM, respectively. Whereas the radiation use efficiency for companion crops in MSI was increased by 39% and 42% compared to SS and SM, respectively. Moreover, the increased soil cover by total leaf area index in MSI also increased the efficiency of water use. Furthermore, our results indicated that reduced weed-crop competition increased the resource use in MSI, which resulted in increased crop yield and land equivalent ratio (LER 1.6). Eventually, this resulted in reduced inputs and increased land productivity. Therefore, we suggest that MSI should be adopted in resource-limiting conditions with higher weed infestation as it can simultaneously promote ecological balance and improve agricultural output, thereby reducing the environmental effects of traditional cropping systems.

Integrated Cultivation of Land-Sea Ecosystems That Prioritizes Harmony with Nature and Society

There is an urgent need for aquaculture systems that not only increase productivity, but also maintain ecological balance and improve the well-being of local communities. With increasing pressure on natural resources due to overexploitation, emerging climate change, and global economic uncertainty, new approaches that integrate terrestrial and marine ecosystems are crucial. This research aims to develop an integrated aquaculture model that prioritises harmony between nature and society. This approach incorporates organic farming and mariculture practices, in line with blue economy principles, to create environmental sustainability and social welfare. The research method used was descriptive qualitative, with a focus on mapping specific regional areas consisting of three or four agro-climatic regions. Data were collected through surveys and focus group discussions (FGDs), covering ecological factors such as climate, coastal plain quality, seabed and seawater. Seawater health estimation for mariculture was based on physical, chemical and biological parameters with APHA (1992) guidelines. The results show that this integrated aquaculture can improve environmental quality and productivity of land and sea, while creating harmony between natural resource management and social welfare. This model provides a practical solution to achieve sustainable development.

Soil Aggregates and Organic Carbon Affected by Bio‑Fertilizer in Greenhouse Soil

ABSTRACT Bio-organic fertilizer exerts an important part in aggregate stability as well as carbon and nitrogen turnover. To investigate whether there is a synergistic effect of bio-organic fertilizer application on soil properties within the aggregates. In the present study, the field experiment was performed to examine soil organic carbon (SOC) contents, total nitrogen (TN) contents, stability, and the SOC and TN contents of aggregate fractions in 0–20 cm layer. The treatments comprised the application of no fertilizer (CK), chemical fertilizer alone (CF), bio-organic fertilizer alone (OF), and chemical fertilizer combined with bio-organic fertilizer (COF). Our study suggested that the OF and COF treatments evidently enhanced the stability of aggregates relative to other treatments. All bio-organic amended treatments elevated the SOC level in bulk soil and within each aggregate fraction by 0.67–153.62%. Small macro-aggregates and micro-aggregates made large the contribution to rate of SOC and TN under each treatment, relative to other aggregate fractions. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that both the significant positive correlation of SOC and TN with the composition of macro-aggregates and negative correlation with aggregates of <0.25 mm particle size. Further analysis using principal component analysis and comprehensive soil fertility index evaluation indicates that the combined application of bio-organic and chemical fertilizer was a favorable agricultural management practice for improving greenhouse soil quality and maintaining land productivity. This study evidenced that the COF treatment is more suitable for improving the greenhouse soil structure and enhancing carbon sequestration capacity, which is of great significance in ensuring the structure stability of greenhouse soil and maintaining the high yield of tomatoes.

Productivity effects of agroecological practices in Africa: insights from a systematic review and meta-analysis

AbstractScholars have proposed agroecology as a promising method for promoting sustainable and socially just agricultural production systems. However, the extent to which agroecological practices will generate the yields required to ensure sufficient food globally remains unclear. This notion is particularly true in the context of Africa, where agricultural productivity is low but levels of hunger and malnutrition are high. To address this knowledge gap, this article undertakes a systematic review of empirical studies to assess the overall status of agroecology-related research in Africa. Using descriptive and meta-analytical methods, we evaluate empirical evidence on the effect of agroecological practices on land and labour productivity. Our analysis of 501 peer-reviewed articles reveals that the body of agroecology-related literature in Africa has been growing in the past 10 years from approximately 10 to more than 70 studies per annum before and after 2014, respectively, with a strong focus on East Africa, particularly Kenya. The majority of the reviewed studies relate to but do not mention agroecology in the title or abstract. Thus, solely relying on studies that use the term may introduce bias and overlook valuable research contributions to the field. The meta-analysis could identify 39 agronomic studies with 392 observations in which agroecological practices were compared to monocrop systems (defined as plots where similar plants grow alongside each other simultaneously and sequentially from one season to the next) with or without inputs as the control groups. The meta-analysis indicates that agroecological practices are associated with a positive and significant difference in land productivity, compared to that for monocrop systems especially so when monocrops are grown without inputs. However, the size and direction of yield differs by practice, crop, climatic factor, soil property and type of control.

Historical and legal aspects of compensation for losses of agricultural production

The relevance of the topic is stipulated by the need to study the historical and legal aspects of the institute of compensation for losses of agricultural production which was proposed in Soviet times and concerned agricultural land. The introduction of this institute was aimed at increasing agricultural production by involving as much of the State’s land fund as possible. This approach necessitated the inclusion in Soviet legislation of a certain range of provisions that, on the one hand, ensured the preferential allocation of land plots for agricultural use, and, on the other hand, established legal restrictions and obstacles to reducing the area of agricultural land used for non-agricultural purposes. This approach was implemented at the subordinate level by adopting a number of union and republican resolutions. Subsequently, Article 46 of the Land Code of the Ukrainian SSR (1970) enshrined the relevant legislative provisions, which not only regulated relations on compensation for losses, but also laid the foundation for the priority of agricultural land, which allowed for the preservation of agricultural land. The next stage in the regulation of relations regarding compensation for losses of agricultural production is associated with the adoption of the Land Code of the Ukrainian SSR of 1990, which, along with compensation for losses of agricultural production, additionally regulated compensation for losses of forestry production, expanded the list of grounds for compensation for losses, and also provided that the funds received as compensation for losses shall be used exclusively for the development of new lands, improvement of soil fertility and productivity of forest lands, and improvement of the forestry fund. It is emphasized that the current Land Code of Ukraine (2001) has regulated in detail and systematically the relations arising from the compensation of losses of agricultural production. The procedure for compensation for such losses provides for compensation to society for the negative socio-economic and environmental consequences arising from the transfer of agricultural land to other categories. However, recent legislative activity in this area has demonstrated a gradual depreciation of agricultural land as an object of special protection. In particular, the provision on compensation for losses of agricultural production was removed from Chapter 36 of the Land Code of Ukraine, which means that the change of the designated purpose of agricultural land is carried out without compensation for losses of agricultural production, etc. This indicates, at least, that the institution of compensation for losses of agricultural production has achieved the goal set when it was introduced, and that it has expanded opportunities for attracting investments with a view to rapidly rebuilding Ukraine.

How cultural innovations trigger the emergence of new pathogens.

Cultural practices perceived to be adaptive-from clearing land for food production to medical innovations-can disseminate quickly through human populations. However, these same practices often have unintended maladaptive effects. A particularly consequential effect is the emergence of diseases. In numerous instances, a cultural change is followed by the appearance of a new pathogen. Here, we develop mathematical models to analyze the population processes through which cultural evolution precipitates the emergence of a new disease. We find that when a risk-bearing cultural practice spreads, emergence can be an unavoidable cost even if a safer alternative practice eventually evolves from the original. Social learning and a fitness advantage associated with the evolving practice drive early disease emergence but the two factors have distinct effects on the time to mutation of the pathogen and significant stochastic variation is observed. For example, a disease can take longer to emerge in a population that adopts the risk-bearing practice quickly than in a population that is slow to transition. Extending the model to explore the effects of an alternative practice evolving from the original, we find a nonmonotonic relationship between relative risk of the two practices and the median time to disease emergence. Our findings contribute to understanding how cultural evolution can shape pathogen evolution and highlight the unpredictability of disease emergence.

Exploring the Path of Balanced Development: The Decoupling Evaluation of Agricultural Production Efficiency and Land Carrying Capacity

ABSTRACTHigh‐quality development in agriculture is crucial for maintaining the harmonious balance between human society and the natural environment, and promoting this development model is one of the key measures to alleviate land degradation issues. This study, grounded in the PRED theory (Population, Resources, Environment, and Development theory) framework, establishes an evaluation system for high‐quality agricultural development by selecting 128 cities within the Yangtze River Economic Belt as its samples. It quantifies land carrying capacity, utilizes the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) model to assess agricultural production efficiency, and applies the Tapio decoupling model to analyze the interplay between these two factors. The results reveal that the land resource carrying index has risen from 1.245 to 1.70, indicating an escalating tension between population and food resources. Furthermore, agricultural production efficiency has seen a 16.56% increase, reflecting positive advancements in agricultural production across the region. Spatial distribution analysis shows that the standard deviation ellipse is concentrated in the mid and lower reaches, centered in Changde, Hunan, and expanding westward, with a broader coverage area and perimeter. Additionally, the decoupling relationship between land carrying capacity and agricultural production efficiency primarily manifests in three forms: strong negative decoupling, weak decoupling, and expansive negative decoupling. This research offers significant insights for effectively mitigating the strain between population growth and resource‐environmental carrying capacity.

PENDAMPINGAN TEKNIS APLIKASI BAHAN ORGANIK EKSOGEN PADA LAHAN HORTIKULTURA KELOMPOK TANI MEKAR BARU DI DESA WAIMITAL KABUPATEN SERAM BAGIAN BARAT

Providing exogenous organic materials is a very important ingredient in efforts to safely improve soil productivity, so that the resulting products are safe for consumption and free from chemical contamination. The application of organic fertilizer to horticultural land will directly affect crop yields. The aim of community service on horticultural land in the Mekar Baru farmer group in Waimital village is as an effort to assist and strengthen the plant cultivation system for farmers in maintaining land productivity and sustainable production based on the application of organic fertilizer. The method used is technical assistance to farmers during plant cultivation. The results of the technical assistance provided show that new awareness has been built in the horticultural plant cultivation system. This indicator shows that the application of liquid organic fertilizer to several horticultural plants on farmers' land is better than on land that does not receive organic fertilizer.

Economic Analysis, Yield Optimization, and Competition Dynamics of Groundnut/Cereal Fodder Intercropping Systems in Pakistan's Semi Arid Tropics

This research focuses on the intercropping management options including aspects of yield performance, nitrogen contribution to groundnut and economical considerations through the usage of intercrop Maize, Sorghum and Pearl Millet under varying cuttings treatments. Intercropping is effective in increasing land productivity and efficiency in nutrient use and provides economic returns yet the best combinations have not been well explored. Randomised complete block design was used to assess the growth characteristics of plant height, modulation and nitrogen in sole cropping and intercropping treatments in which they make cuts. For sole crop, both, maize and pearl millet produced the highest green fodder yields of 13.40 t ha⁻¹ and 19.10 t ha⁻¹, respectively, and intercropping reduced the productivity for both crops but it was statistically significant, yield recorded in Maize (one cut) groundnut = 3.10 t ha⁻¹. Both nodulation and nitrogen content were maximum in sole groundnut, but they were lower when groundnut was grown in association with other crops. Among all competitive indices, the LER was the highest on maize (LER=1.72), pearl millet and sorghum indicated that intercropping enhances land use efficiency. This was facilitated by the Monetary Advantage Index (MAI) that provided much support to maize-groundnut intercrop, which was easily identified as the most appropriate option for inter-crop revenue generation with an MAI of Rs. 17,800. These results provide evidence for the suitability of maize as the best intercrop for the enhancement of productivity and profitability in groundnut based intercropping systems. This study adds valuable input to sustainable agriculture, particularly in that it expresses the yields and profits from distinct intercrop associations as numeral digits deemed useful by both the scientific and agricultural communities.

Limits to the ability of carbon farming projects to deliver benefits for threatened species.

Australia has proposed a legislated market for biodiversity based on an existing carbon credits scheme which generates Australian carbon credit units (ACCU) from land-based projects. This provides a unique opportunity to assess the potential for markets to benefit biodiversity. We assessed the extent to which projects under the ACCU scheme overlap potential threatened species habitat, compared that to overlap afforded by protected areas, and compared the ability of different project types to deliver potential benefits to species most impacted by habitat loss. Projects are primarily located in low-cost, marginal arid lands, a pattern that reflects that of the protected area estate. Projects are smaller and fewer in number in more productive lands close to human populations. These lands also overlap most threatened species habitat, hence those species most in need of habitat restoration are the least likely to have their habitat restored under the ACCU scheme. Projects, however, do overlap the geographic range of 32% of the 1,660 threatened species assessed, including for 275 species with <17% of their range in protected areas. Biodiversity markets must incentivize actions in areas of high biodiversity value underpinned by regulations that align with national priorities for biodiversity conservation.

Farmers Preference and Willingness to Pay for Sugarcane Seed Attributes in Kenya

Over the years, Sustainable production of sugarcane has been impeded by scarcity of high-quality seeds, this has been mainly attributed by dominancy use of recycled planting materials which are often sourced from local social networks. To help reverse this trend, a number of organizations have been involved in the development of improved and clean seed cane planting material. However, a sustainable seed-system has not yet been actualized largely due to limited development of improved cane seed systems. In order to inform the improved cane seed development efforts, it is important to understand farmer’s preference toward different attributes attached to sugarcane seed varieties. It’s due to the above insistence to identify these preferences that this article has been developed, the data used was collected in Kakamega and Kisumu Counties which occupies the large sugarcane production zone. 284 sugarcane farmers and Value chain actors were interviewed. Choice experiment approach was used in assessment of farmers preferences for sugarcane seeds attributes . The findings of the study revealed that mean age of the farmers was approximately 50 years (49.96 yrs.) with average of 14 years in sugarcane production and average land size of 2 acres with most of farmers having just basic education (Primary school level). The findings indicated that, in general, sugarcane farmers mostly preferred to purchase seed cane planting material with high adaptability to the environment, high yielding, disease resistance, early maturity and Sucrose level in that respective order of importance. The marginal willingness to pay for each attribute show that adaptability had the highest WTP of 3970 followed yields (KES.1316), resistance (KES.608), maturity (KES. 379), and level of Sucrose content (KES.238)respectively. The study therefore recommends that awareness creation on improved cane seeds should be done, and an efficient distribution system for improved seed cane should be established.

Land-use competition in 1.5°C climate stabilization: is there enough land for all potential needs?

Achieving a low-carbon future requires a comprehensive approach that combines emission mitigation options from economic activities with the sustainable use of land for numerous needs: food production, energy production, carbon sequestration, nature preservation and broad ecosystem services. Using the MIT Integrated Global System (IGSM) framework we analyze land-use competition in a 1.5°C climate stabilization scenario, in which demand for bioenergy and natural sinks increase along with the need for sustainable farming and food production. We find that to address the numerous trade-offs, effective approaches to nature-based solutions (NBS) and agriculture practices are essential. With proper regulatory policies and radical changes in current practices, global land is sufficient to provide increased consumption of food per capita (without large diet changes) over the century while also utilizing 2.5–3.5 billion hectares (Gha) of land for NBS practices that provide a carbon sink of 3–6 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO2 per year as well as 0.4–0.6 Gha of land for energy production—0.2–0.3 Gha for 50–65 exajoules (EJ) per year of bioenergy and 0.2–0.35 Gha for 300–600 EJ/year of wind and solar power generation. We list the competing uses of land to reflect the trade-offs involved in land use decisions, and note that while there is sufficient land in our scenario, attaining this outcome, capable of delivering a 1.5°C future, requires effective policies and measures at national and global levels that promote efficient land use for food, energy and nature (including carbon sequestration) and ensure long-term commitments by decision makers from governments and industry in order to realize the benefits of climate change mitigation.

Land plot as a kind of monetary capital. Land market and cadastral value of agricultural land

The basis for determining payments for the use of agricultural land plot is land rent – the excess value of agricultural products over the average profit. Rent is a "surplus", the taxation of which does not affect the incentives for production. The rent tax does not lead to distortions in the economy and does not reduce its efficiency, unlike destructive taxes on productive capital and labor - a tax system that punishes achieving high results in hard work and entrepreneurship. The amount of tax rate established by the Tax Code of the Russian Federation for land plots classified as agricultural lands for agricultural production - 0.3% of the cadastral value of a land plot - leads to speculative enrichment through the purchase of state land with the subsequent leasing at a rental price ten times higher than the average nominal land fee and the refusal of regional and municipal authorities to provide state and municipal lands for ownership to citizens and legal entities, as authorities prefer to lease these lands. This is how land has become a source of unearned wealth. Social, economic and environmental consequences of this clearly affect the welfare of society. The article presents a simple model for the annual calculation of land rent based on data from commodity producers of the agro-industrial complex on production, expenses, cost price, and profitability of crop products.

Prolonged alkali water irrigation: impacts of treatment strategies on soil health and microbial dynamics

BackgroundThe extent of natural salt-laden groundwaters used for irrigation is increasing worldwide, which is a fast-emerging threat to agroecosystems and global food security. The salt buildup in the soil is linked to deteriorated soil chemical, physical, and biological health and decreased land productivity. Alkali waters with high residual sodium carbonate (RSC) is one of the severe poor-quality waters that deteriorate soil. We evaluated soil microbial dynamics and soil health at critical growth stages of rice crop receiving two-decade-long irrigation with three levels of alkali water and two reclamation strategies. These included good-quality water (GQW), alkali water (ALKW) with an RSC concentration of 5 me L⁻1 (ALKW1), ALKW with an RSC concentration of 10 me L⁻1 (ALKW2), ALKW2 treated to neutralize RSC to 5 me L⁻1 using gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O; ALKW2 + GYP), and ALKW2 treated with sulfuric acid (H2SO4; ALKW2 + SA). Eleven microbial parameters were used to develop a soil microbial activity index (SMAI), and eight soil health indicators were correlated with changes in SMAI and crop productivity.ResultsThe SMAI peaked under good-quality water (GQW) conditions (0.84–0.89), while the lowest values were recorded under ALKW2 (0.06–0.18). Neutralized alkali waters, ALKW2 + SA and ALKW2 + GYP, significantly improved SMAI with corresponding values of 0.25–0.35 and 0.13–0.32, respectively. SMAI across all stages correlated positively (R2 = 0.91–0.98) with rice yield. Microbial activity varied with the crop growth stage, peaking at tillering. Gypsum application alone, aimed at neutralizing alkalinity from an RSC of 10 to 5 me L⁻1, proved insufficient in bringing the SMAI up to the ALKW1 (RSC level of 5 me L⁻1).ConclusionsThe application of dilute sulfuric acid demonstrated better results in restoring the soil microbial activity index than gypsum amendment; however, sulfuric acid treatment depends on native calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolution for its effectiveness. It may not suffice for soil stability improvement in the long term, especially when native CaCO3 is low. Therefore, integrating gypsum and dilute sulfuric acid for RSC neutralization is worthwhile; however, further assessment is needed to confirm their combined impact on soil biochemical and physical properties.

Value Chain Analysis of Haricot Bean in East Shewa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

The key objectives of the study were identifying haricot bean value chain actors, their functions and relationship among them, examining actor’s performance along the chain and analyzing factors affecting supply to the market and factors affecting market outlet choice in the study area. Both primary and secondary sources were used for data collection. The primary data was collected through interviewing 180 sample household farmers and 40 traders using semi-structured questionnaires. STATA version 15 Software was used for data analyzing. As the descriptive result indicate that, on average farmers allocate 0.72ha of land for haricot bean production, from which 21.72qt/ha of output gained. In the value chain of haricot bean input suppliers, farmers, collectors, traders, transporters and consumers are the major value chain actors who perform various value chain. From the study result, six marketing channels of haricot bean are exhibited in the study areas. Estimates of the multiple linear regression models indicate that the level of haricot bean supplied to the market is determined by educational level of household, haricot bean farming experience, land allocated for haricot bean, market price of haricot bean, TLU, access to credit, and access to market information. Therefore, policy makers should focus more on the abovementioned variables in the future intervention to increase volume of haricot bean supplied to the market. As the multivariate probit model result indicated that the market outlet choice of rural assemblers was positively and significantly influenced by distance to the nearest market center, distance to all weather road, and educational level whereas it’s negatively and significantly influenced by output level where as selling direct to consumers outlet choice was negatively and significantly affected by sex of household, educational level, farm experience of household in haricot bean, and output level. Urban traders/wholesalers market outlet was positively and significantly affected by sex of household, educational level, haricot bean farm experience, access to credit, access to market information, membership of cooperative, and output level whereas it’s negatively influenced by distance to the nearest market center, distance to all weather road and extension service. Based on the findings of this study, some relevant implications can be drawn that can assist to design appropriate intervention mechanisms to improve market outlets choice of haricot bean farmers in the study area.

Are Neutrality Targets Alone Sufficient for Protecting Nature? Learning From Land Cover Change and Land Degradation Neutrality Targets in Mauritius

ABSTRACTLand degradation contributes to loss of land productivity, climate change, and biodiversity loss worldwide, making the monitoring of land cover change a fundamental component of sustainable land use planning. To facilitate this task, international research organizations publish increasingly high‐quality global land cover data, yet those are still proving too imprecise at the scale of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as Mauritius. Though rapidly developing, Mauritius does not have a locally produced land cover map which is consistently updated and made available to the public in the scope of participatory planning processes. This study sought to bridge this gap by revising a 2010 land cover map of Mauritius island and producing a new map for 2020, which can serve as a basis for future updates through a consistent methodology that combines photointerpretation and semi‐automated classification from various datasets. These maps enabled the observation of key changes in the island's landscape, which are consistent with socio‐economic events, namely the decline of agricultural coverage (12.7%) due to the phasing out of preferential trade agreements for sugar, and the expansion of real estate (14.3% increase in built area) following new investment promotion policies. Considering the small size and high population density of the island, as is the case for SIDS, these developments and the Land Degradation Neutrality Targets of Mauritius bring the feasibility of area‐based land degradation neutrality into question and call for the analysis of land and ecosystem conditions through additional indicators.