Cultivated Land Use Research Articles

The carbon emission reduction benefits of the transformation of the intensive use of cultivated land in China

The transformation of the intensive use of cultivated land has an important impact on agricultural carbon emissions (ACE). However, the existing research on the impact mechanisms of the transformation of intensive use of cultivated land on carbon emissions is not clear. In view of this, this study constructs the impact mechanism of the transformation of intensive use of cultivated land on carbon emissions from the perspective of production factors substitution based on the theory of induced technological change and the theory of marginal returns. Using the Cobb-Douglas production function, this study identifies the transformation patterns of intensive use of cultivated land in China from 1980 to 2021. Furthermore, this study simulates the carbon emission reduction benefits brought about by the transformation of the intensive use of cultivated land by considering the cost of agricultural production. The results show that, first, from 1980 to 2021, the price of agricultural labor increased by 224.10%, while the price of other agricultural production factors significantly decreased. China's intensive use of cultivated land methods has undergone four stages: agricultural labor–intensive (ALI), yield–enhancing factor–intensive (YEFI), labor–saving factor–intensive (LSFI), and innovation factor–intensive (IFI). In 2021, most of China's provinces were in the YEFI or ALI stages. Second, between 1993 and 2021, the transformation of China's intensive use of cultivated land brought about an 87.48% increase in carbon emissions, while the spatial clustering effect of carbon emissions weakened. Furthermore, the results show that, the transition of the use of cultivated land from ALI to YEFI and YEFI to LSFI will reduce carbon emissions by 7.89%, and input factors costs will increase by 23.85%. If all regions, except for those in the IFI stage, transition to the LSFI model, it will result in a 17.56% reduction in carbon emissions, with a corresponding increase of 33.40% of the input factors input costs. This research enriches the theoretical foundation of literature about the transformation of the intensive use of cultivated land. It also expands the research perspective on agricultural carbon emissions. This research also helps provide references for the direction of the transformation of the intensive use of cultivated land in China and the achievement of the dual carbon goals.

Simulating the dynamics of cultivated land use in the farming regions of China: A social-economic-ecological system perspective

Greater comprehension of the intricate impacts of cultivated land use change on social and natural systems is of paramount importance for both immediate and long-term policy decisions and sustainable agricultural development. While prior research has examined specific elements of cultivated land use, there has been limited empirical research assessing interactions and feedback to examine the interplay among the intricacies of economic growth, social change, and their environmental impacts within a cultivated land use system. Hence, we introduce a nuanced system dynamics simulation model designed to evaluate the intricate interplay among social, economic, and ecological subsystems within the context of cultivated land use, with the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China serving as the case study. Our research elucidates that economic expansion tends to precipitate increased agrochemical application, highlighting that strategies to synchronize economic advancement with agricultural land conservation may alleviate the environmental stressors tied to regional land use. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that an integrative development strategy, which carefully balances economic acceleration with the reinforcement of agricultural land protection, can yield a measurable enhancement in agrarian environmental standards. This presents a feasible trajectory toward synergistic regional development.

Integrating Resilience Theory Into a Cultivated Land System: Empirical Insights From China's Key Grain‐Producing Regions

ABSTRACTExploring cultivated land use and conservation from a resilience perspective is crucial to address regional food security concerns. This article first examines the theoretical applicability of resilience in the context of cultivated land use systems and subsequently introduces a specific concept of cultivated land system resilience (CLSR). Focusing on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, a major grain‐producing area in China, the study constructs a measurement system that encompasses five dimensions: endowment of production, socioeconomic factors, scale structure, ecological pressure, and food security. This system is used to evaluate the spatio‐temporal evolution and influencing mechanisms of CLSR in the region from 2001 to 2020. The results indicate that the level of CLSR increased by 7.2% overall and exhibits a distinct spatial pattern, with high‐value areas expanding from the center to the surrounding regions. Furthermore, CLSR shows a positive spatial correlation with rising levels of agglomeration. The spatial heterogeneity of CLSR is influenced by the interaction of various factors, resulting in a partially nonlinear two‐factor enhancement. The influence of each factor varies between different time periods, shifting from ecological pressure to scale structure, ultimately affecting food security. Thus, the resilience perspective offers greater explanatory power to identify key vulnerabilities in the regional cropland system. This approach can improve the efficient allocation of cropland resources and promote sustainable and healthy development at the regional level.

The Impact of Cultivated Land Fragmentation on Farmers’ Ecological Efficiency of Cultivated Land Use Based on the Moderating and Mediating Effects of the Cultivated Land Management Scale

To date, scholars have increasingly focused on the reduction in crop yields caused by cultivated land fragmentation, yet its effects on the ecological efficiency of cultivated land use are often overlooked. This oversight leads to land resource waste and environmental pollution. It is essential to explore this problem to achieve moderate-scale farming operations and promote the green transformation of agricultural land. This study theoretically analyzed the mechanisms by which cultivated land fragmentation and management scales influence the ecological efficiency of cultivated land use. Based on 2023 household data from Changde and Shaoyang, China, empirical tests were conducted using the stochastic frontier analysis method, Tobit model, and structural equation model. The research results indicate that: (1) The mean ecological efficiency of cultivated land use among the total sample households was 0.822, and the eco-efficiency in the plains was slightly lower than that in the hilly areas. (2) The scale of cultivated land management played a moderating role in the impact of cultivated land fragmentation on ecological efficiency, with differences observed between topographical types. The scale of management can offset part of the negative impact of cultivated land fragmentation on the ecological efficiency of cultivated land use. (3) Regarding the impact of cultivated land fragmentation on the ecological efficiency of cultivated land use, cultivated land management scale changes play a complete mediating role. These findings help provide policy implications to improve the ecological efficiency of cultivated land use. Policy support should be strengthened by promoting moderate-scale cultivated land operations, enhancing the comprehensive remediation of cultivated land fragmentation, and developing skilled farmers for long-term environmental sustainability.

Spatial zoning and effect evaluation of county high-standard farmland siting delineation for sustainable cultivated land use in China: A case study in Dali, Shaanxi

High-standard farmland construction is critical for sustainable land use and food security in China. Currently, scientific siting delineation for high-standard farmland at the county level is lacking. Delineation through evaluation and zoning is essential to improve land productivity. This study focuses on Dali County in Shaanxi Province, Fenwei Plain. It analyzes cultivated land changes using the land use transfer matrix and the PLUS. By integrating macro “township-parcel-grid” and micro “farmer” perspective, it establishes a comprehensive evaluation system for high-standard farmland delineation. We delineate construction zones and evaluate potential effect of high-standard farmland. The results reveal that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the cultivated land area generally decreased. The permanent basic farmland positively contributes to the increase of cultivated land. Land use simulation in 2030 results show that the urgency for land consolidation. (2) The delineated high-standard farmland area in Dali is 85,081 hm2, with comprehensive evaluation index values ranging from 0.2229 to 0.5970, indicating that Dali has the potential for continuous construction of high-standard farmland. (3) This study zones high-standard farmland construction according to the difficulty and time sequence. Delineated high-standard farmland can play potential effect of agglomeration and demonstration, sustainable and coordinated development and grain production capacity increasing. We offer a scientific method for delineating zones of high-standard farmland within county, providing recommendations for sustainable high-standard farmland construction. It serves as a reference for the gradual conversion of all permanent basic farmland to high-standard farmland in China.

Pollution Evaluation and Risk Control Suggestion of Heavy Metals in Soil-crop System in Different Soil Parent Material Areas of Guangxi

To study the heavy metal pollution and influencing factors of soils and crops in different parent material areas and provide the basis for the classification and control of cultivated land, a total of 1 326 soil surface samples and 46 crop seed-root soil samples were collected from Xingye County in the southeast of Guangxi. The enrichment characteristics of heavy metals in the soil-crop system of four soil-forming parent materials were compared and analyzed, and the influencing factors of Cd absorption by rice were studied. The comprehensive quality impact index method was used to evaluate the soil and crops in the study area, and the safe use of cultivated land was proposed according to the evaluation results. The results showed that in the four soil-forming parent material areas, only the carbonate rock parent material area showed obvious enrichment of heavy metals in the soil, especially Cd. According to the "National Food Safety Standard for the Limit of Pollutants in Food" （GB 2762-2022）, the excess rate of heavy metal Cd in rice seeds was 35.7%, and the other heavy metal rates were not exceeded. The bioconcentration coefficient of heavy metal Cd in rice from different parent material areas was as follows： quaternary sediment area > carbonate parent material area > clastic parent material area > granite parent material area. The enrichment of Cd in rice was affected by soil pH and CaO. When the soil pH value was in the range of 5.5-6.5, the Cd content and exceeding rate of rice seed increased significantly. The evaluation results of soil-crop heavy metal pollution showed that the overall heavy metal risk in the study area was high, and the proportions of clean, mild, light, moderate, and heavy pollution were 23.91%, 10.87%, 17.39%, 17.39%, and 30.43%, respectively. Combined with the distribution of the comprehensive quality influence index and the pollution characteristics of different parent materials, the classification and control suggestions were put forward, which provided ideas for the safe utilization of polluted cultivated land.

Using the MSFNet Model to Explore the Temporal and Spatial Evolution of Crop Planting Area and Increase Its Contribution to the Application of UAV Remote Sensing

Remote sensing technology can be used to monitor changes in crop planting areas to guide agricultural production management and help achieve regional carbon neutrality. Agricultural UAV remote sensing technology is efficient, accurate, and flexible, which can quickly collect and transmit high-resolution data in real time to help precision agriculture management. It is widely used in crop monitoring, yield prediction, and irrigation management. However, the application of remote sensing technology faces challenges such as a high imbalance of land cover types, scarcity of labeled samples, and complex and changeable coverage types of long-term remote sensing images, which have brought great limitations to the monitoring of cultivated land cover changes. In order to solve the abovementioned problems, this paper proposed a multi-scale fusion network (MSFNet) model based on multi-scale input and feature fusion based on cultivated land time series images, and further combined MSFNet and Model Diagnostic Meta Learning (MAML) methods, using particle swarm optimization (PSO) to optimize the parameters of the neural network. The proposed method is applied to remote sensing of crops and tomatoes. The experimental results showed that the average accuracy, F1-score, and average IoU of the MSFNet model optimized by PSO + MAML (PSML) were 94.902%, 91.901%, and 90.557%, respectively. Compared with other schemes such as U-Net, PSPNet, and DeepLabv3+, this method has a better effect in solving the problem of complex ground objects and the scarcity of remote sensing image samples and provides technical support for the application of subsequent agricultural UAV remote sensing technology. The study found that the change in different crop planting areas was closely related to different climatic conditions and regional policies, which helps to guide the management of cultivated land use and provides technical support for the realization of regional carbon neutrality.

Temporal and spatial characteristics of carbon emissions from cultivated land use and their influencing factors: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta region

This study focuses on the Yangtze River Delta region and employs spatial analysis and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) to explore the temporal and spatial characteristics of carbon emissions from cultivated land use and their influencing factors. The findings indicate that carbon emissions from cultivated land use in the Yangtze River Delta generally show a decreasing trend, but there has been a significant increase in Anhui Province, mainly due to government efforts to promote agricultural development. Additionally, the spatial distributions of carbon emissions from cultivated land use clearly differ in terms of proximity, with changing temporal and spatial patterns. (1) From 2005 to 2020, there were significant spatial differences in the carbon emission intensity from cultivated land use across the Yangtze River Delta. The emission intensities in the southern areas were generally higher than those in the northeastern and central regions, whereas the western areas presented lower emission intensities. (2) The carbon emission intensity from cultivated land use in the Yangtze River Delta exhibited significant spatial proximity, meaning that neighboring areas had similar emission intensities, presenting a continuous distribution pattern. Contiguous distributions were also observed in parts of northern Anhui, central Jiangsu, and southeastern Zhejiang. (3) The carbon emission intensity from cultivated land use in the Yangtze River Delta showed a trend of high-intensity reductions and low-intensity increases over time and space. The level of agricultural development, scale of farmland management, types of crops planted, income levels of rural residents, intensity of agricultural machinery input, and strength of agricultural financial support significantly impact carbon emissions from cultivated land use. The results provide important references and a theoretical basis for the management and regulation of agricultural carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Crop mapping and quantitative evaluation of cultivated land use intensity in Shandong Province, 2018–2022

AbstractIndustrialization and urbanization have intensified land‐use pressures on agroecosystems. Monitoring cultivated land use intensity (CLUI) is crucial for implementing sustainable agriculture. However, current agroecosystem management in Shandong Province lacks high‐resolution CLUI information. To address this gap, this study measured and analyzed CLUI at a 1‐km scale in Shandong Province from 2018 to 2022, using self‐produced crop maps and the human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) framework. The spatial autocorrelation model was used to analyze the spatiotemporal pattern and aggregation characteristics of cultivated land use intensity. The influencing factors of CLUI were analyzed using the propensity score matching method, which helps reduce the interference of confounding factors. The results are as follows: (1) The wheat‐maize planting pattern in Shandong Province has remained relatively stable, with a notable trend toward intensified cultivation in the western region. (2) CLUI exhibited notable spatial and temporal heterogeneity, with low and medium values predominantly located in the western region. CLUI increased from 1.13 to 1.24, exceeding the global average of 0.84. (3) CLUI showed significant spatial aggregation characteristics. In 2018, 2020, and 2022, the western region was mainly characterized by high‐high and high‐low types. In 2019 and 2021, it was mainly characterized by the low‐low type, with less prevalence of low‐high type. The center of gravity of high‐high and low‐high types shifted southwest, whereas that of high‐low and low‐low types shifted northeast. (4) Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and plastic mulch exhibited significant positive correlations with CLUI, whereas temperature and precipitation showed significant negative correlations. Favorable natural conditions can mitigate human interference, leading to lower CLUI.

Planting halophytes increases the rhizosphere ecosystem multifunctionality via reducing soil salinity

Soil salinization poses a significant global challenge, exerting adverse effects on both agriculture and ecosystems. Planting halophytes has the potential ability to improve saline-alkali land and enhance ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). However, it remains unclear which halophytes are effective in improving saline-alkali land and what impact they have on the rhizosphere microbial communities and EMF. In this study, we evaluated the Na+ absorption capability of five halophytes (Grubovia dasyphylla, Halogeton glomeratus, Suaeda salsa, Bassia scoparia, and Reaumuria songarica) and assessed their rhizosphere microbial communities and EMF. The results showed that S. salsa possessed the highest shoot (3.13 mmol g−1) and root (0.92 mmol g−1) Na+ content, and its soil Na+ absorption, along with B. scoparia, was significantly higher than that of other plants. The soil pH, salinity, and Na+ content of the halophyte rhizospheres decreased by 6.21%, 23.49%, and 64.29%, respectively, when compared to the bulk soil. Extracellular enzymes in the halophyte rhizosphere soil, including α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, neutral phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase, increased by 70.1%, 78.4%, 38.5%, 79.1%, and 64.9%, respectively. Furthermore, the halophyte rhizosphere exhibited higher network complexity of bacteria and fungi and EMF than bulk soil. The relative abundance of the dominant phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Ascomycota in the halophyte rhizosphere soil increased by 9.4%, 8.3%, and 22.25%, respectively, and showed higher microbial network complexity compared to the bulk soil. Additionally, keystone taxa, including Muricauda, Nocardioides, and Pontibacter, were identified with notable effects on EMF. This study confirmed that euhalophytes are the best choice for saline-alkali land restoration. These findings provided a theoretical basis for the sustainable use of saline-alkali cultivated land.

Study on the multifunctional spatial-temporal evolution and coupling coordination of cultivated land: A case study of Hebei Province, China.

The rational use of cultivated land can guarantee food security and thus is highly important for ensuring social stability, economic development and national security. The current study investigated the multifunctional temporal and spatial variation characteristics of cultivated land and explored the spatial and temporal characteristics of the multifunction and coupling coordination degrees of cultivated land throughout Hebei Province. Based on the administrative division data, statistical yearbook data and land use status data of the impacted areas, a multifunctional evaluation index system of cultivated land was established. The CRITIC weight method and entropy weight method were used to determine the weight of the index, the comprehensive index model was used to determine the production, social security, ecology and landscape functions of cultivated land of Hebei Province in different periods, the coupling coordination model was used to explore the multifunctional coupling coordination degree of cultivated land in each county, and spatial autocorrelation analysis was performed to determine the correlation of the multifunctional coupling coordination degrees. From 2000 to 2020, the production, social security and landscape function of cultivated land in Hebei Province trended upward; the ecological function trended slightly downward. The multifunctional coupling coordination degree of cultivated land in Hebei Province trended significantly upward and changed from limited coordination to intermediate coordination. Furthermore, it exhibited strong agglomeration and a significant positive spatial correlation, forming a 'V'-type change rule of first decreasing and then increasing. Hebei Province exhibited remarkable spatial and temporal characteristics of the multifunction and coupling coordination degrees of cultivated land. Regions could thus customize different cultivated land functions to maximize the benefits of cultivated land use. The findings of this study may provide a scientific basis and theoretical support for sustainably using and managing cultivated land resources in areas with similar human geographical environments.

Will industrial structure changes promote or reduce non-grain production? Evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt

Non-Grain Production (NGP) on cropland emerges from complex interactions of human activities and environmental changes, posing an important threat to China's national food security. Exploring the driving forces of NGP and impact patterns is crucial to improve existing cropland protection policies. This study analyzes the relationship between the change of industrial structure and NGP in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB)from 2000 to 2019 by using a spatial econometric model and a threshold effect model. Through the exploration of spatiotemporal evolution, the complex relationship between the change of industrial structure and the non-grain conversion of cultivated land is revealed. The results show that the change of industrial structure in the YREB affects the transformation of cultivated land use to a certain extent, and there is an obvious spatial spillover effect. At the same time, through the application of the threshold effect model, the threshold points affecting the relationship between industrial structure change and NGP conversion are found, which guides the formulation of relevant policies. Based on the research results, policy recommendations with regional differences are put forward to promote the coordinated development of land use protection and food security. Our study has important theoretical and practical significance for in-depth understanding of sustainable development and food security in the YREB and similar regions.

Taxonomic and functional composition of arthropod assemblages across contrasting three different land use systems

Soil microarthropods play a crucial role in agricultural ecosystems and are necessary for the upkeep of fertile and productive soils. Limited knowledge exists regarding the composition of soil microarthropod communities in changing agricultural and impervious land use systems. Hence, we conducted a comparative analysis of the soil microarthropod diversity in shifting cultivation and impervious land areas, as well as the surrounding natural forest ecosystem in Aizawl, Mizoram, northeast India. Additionally, we evaluated the influence of shifting cultivation and impervious land use regimes on the diversity of these microarthropods. The investigation was done between 2022 and 2023. Soil and litter samples (n=50) were gathered from three distinct land use systems. The soil microarthropods were extracted using the Berlese funnel method. Microarthropod taxa were identified down to the most specific taxonomic level feasible. The variety of soil microarthropods was significantly affected by the practice of shifting cultivation and in the impervious land areas, in comparison to the natural forest system. The soil chemical profiles were notably altered in the shifting agriculture and impermeable land use systems, indicating their detrimental effects on soil microarthropod diversity. This study presented the startling information on the diversity of soil microarthropods and their relationship with the land-use systems in Mizoram, a region in northeast India.

Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Multi-Scenario Simulation of Non-Grain Production on Cultivated Land in Jiangsu Province, China

Cultivated land plays a crucial role as the basis of grain production, and it is essential to effectively manage the unregulated expansion of non-grain production (NGP) on cultivated land in order to safeguard food security. The study of NGP has garnered significant attention from scholars, but the prediction of NGP trends is relatively uncommon. Therefore, we focused on Jiangsu Province, a significant grain production region in China, as the study area. We extracted data on cultivated land for non-grain production (NGPCL) in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2019, and calculated the ratio of non-grain production (NGPR) for each county unit in the province. On this basis, Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and spatial autocorrelation analysis tools were utilized to uncover the spatio-temporal evolution of NGP in Jiangsu Province. Finally, the Patch-Generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model was utilized to predict the trend of NGP in Jiangsu Province in 2038 under the three development scenarios of natural development (NDS), cultivated land protection (CPS), and food security (FSS). After analyzing the results, we came to the following conclusions:(1) During the period of 2000–2019, the NGPCL area and NGPR in Jiangsu Province exhibited a general decreasing trend. (2) The level of NGP displayed a spatial distribution pattern of being “higher in the south and central and lower in the north”. (3) The results of multi-scenario simulation show that under the NDS, the area of NGPCL and cultivated land for grain production (GPCL) decreases significantly; under the CPS, the decrease in NGPCL and GPCL is smaller than that of the NDS. Under the FSS, NGPCL decreases, while GPCL increases. These results can provide reference for the implementation of land use planning, the delineation of the cultivated land protection bottom line, and the implementation of thee cultivated land use control system in the study area.

Study on the Construction of Evaluation System of Cultivated Land Intensive Use in Different Spatial Scales

The sustainable intensive use of cultivated land(SIUCL) is a strategic demand to change theway of agricultural development and promote the construction of ecological civilization. The comparative analysis of different scales and the scale transformation, extension and integration has an important influence on the sustainable and intensive use of cultivated land. This paper summarizes the construction principles of the evaluation system, and combs the evaluation of cultivated land intensive use at different spatial scales. The results show that (1) The studies on the intensive use of cultivated land at the macro-scale are the most which mainly include provinces, urban agglomerations, watersheds, economic zones, etc.. The evaluation system of intensive use of cultivated land at the macro-scale has gradually expanded from the evaluation of input intensity and output benefit to the evaluation of input intensity, output benefit, utilization degree and sustainability status. (2) The studies on the intensive use of cultivated land at the median-scale are mainly include small and medium-sized cities, counties, etc.. The evaluation indexes of intensive use of cultivated land at the median-scale includes input intensity, output effect, utilization level and sustainable utilization status, which is consistent with macro-scale studies. But all the indicators are more comprehensive. (3) The studies on the intensive use of cultivated land at the micro-scale are mainly include towns, villages, farmers, plots, etc.. Among them, in the evaluation system of cultivated land intensive use at the farmer scale, the selection of indicators is very different from that of macro-scale and median-scale studies. Most of the data come from farmer interviews, questionnaires, etc.

Progress and Prospects of Non-Grain Production of Cultivated Land in China

Cultivated land is essential for grain production. As a major agricultural country, China’s non-grain use of cultivated land not only affects national food security and sustainable agricultural development but also impacts the quality of cultivated land and farmers’ livelihoods. This study used bibliometrics to visualize and analyze 413 articles from the China Knowledge Network (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS) databases concerning non-grain production of cultivated land (NGPCL). The results reveal the following: (1) The number of annual publications in this area has increased from 2009 to 2023 with the focus of NGPCL research shifting from describing the phenomenon to analyzing its driving mechanisms and then to exploring spatial patterns and governance. (2) The spatial distribution of research institutions is marked by the convergence of multiple entities with the central and eastern regions of China being pivotal research areas and transnational collaborative research becoming increasingly visible. (3) High-frequency keywords include NGPCL, food security, and farmland transfer, focusing on the historical context, effects, driving mechanisms and preventative strategies related to NGPCL. There is a notable evolutionary relationship between farmland transfer and NGPCL themes. (4) Future research should broaden the geographical scope and assess NGPCL trends from global, regional, and multiscale perspectives. Efforts should be made to enhance data accuracy and conduct spatial and temporal simulations, trend analyses, and risk assessments. Furthermore, policy design should consider the structure of human–land relationships to support sustainable agricultural development. This study provides an important reference for deepening and broadening the field of NGPCL.

Agricultural Productive Services and Ecological Efficiency of Cultivated Land Use: Evidence from Hunan Province, China

Agricultural Productive Services and Ecological Efficiency of Cultivated Land Use: Evidence from Hunan Province, China

Soil Fertility Assessment and Mapping under Different Land Use Types along Toposequence at Danka Watershed in Dinsho Districts of Bale Highland Oromia, Southeastern Ethiopia

Soil fertility assessment and mapping bases, to increase fertilizer usage efficiency, decision-makers, planners, and soil management in undulating slopes farming of Ethiopian highlands like Bale Highland. The study aimed to assess and map soil fertility status along toposequence under different land use types at the Danka watershed of Dinsho District Bale Highland, Southeastern Ethiopia. Following the initial reconnaissance field survey, 54 composite soil samples were prepared from the three land use types (natural forest, grazing, and cultivated) at three slope positions lower (0 - 10%), middle (10 - 15%), and upper (15 - 30%) at a soil depth of 0 to 20 cm. Finally, the laboratory results were interpolated using the IDW interpolation technique in ArcGIS software 10.5 for the soil fertility status map and further analyzed using R software 4.1.1 Version for mean separation. The study findings indicate that the soil texture class of the study was loam to clay loam, clay loam, and clay to clay loam at the upper, middle, and lower slope positions, respectively. The finding revealed that the values varied from 5.81 – 6.66, 2.07 – 6.25%, 0.13 – 0.71%, 2.83 – 17.56 gm/kg, and 14.04 -38.80 cmol (+)/kg) for the soil pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and CEC, respectively. In this study, most of the soil fertility status of the Danka watershed was as follows: natural forest > grassland > cultivated land use types and lower slope > middle slope > upper slope positions. In conclusion, the main factors contributing to the area's declining soil fertility status were monocropping, total crop residue removal, soil erosion, nutrient leaching, and inadequate soil management. The results of the current study offer the basis for the work of farmers, planners, decision-makers, and other agriculture-related stakeholders. Integrated soil fertility management with biophysical soil conservation measures is advisable for cultivated land at all slope positions. Further, a study on slope position-based crop response fertilizer rating for agricultural precision and ensuring food security is recommended in undulating fields of the Danka watershed.

Effects of Slope Position on Soil Physicochemical Properties of Cultivated Land Use Type in Danka Watershed of Dinsho District, Bale Highland, Oromia, Southeast Ethiopia

Quantify and understand soil nutrient loss under different undulating topography farming bases for site-specific management and targeted fertilizer application rates. The study aimed to assess the effect of slope positions on soil physicochemical properties at the Danka watershed of Dinsho District Bale Highland, Southeastern Ethiopia. Consequent to the reconnaissance survey, soil samples were taken from the cultivated land use type in three replications at three different soil depths (0-0, 20-40, and 40-60 cm) and three slope positions (upper, middle, and lower), analyzed follow standard laboratory procedure and further analyzed using R software 4.1.1 version. The results showed soil physicochemical properties were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) influenced by the interaction between slope positions and soil depth. The results of soil physical properties varied from 1.29 -1.73 g cm-3, 2.47 – 2.74 g cm-3, 47.80 - 36.75%, 10.78 – 15.11%, 12.76 – 18.16%, and 4.06 – 8.16% bulk density, particle density, total porosity, FC, PWP, and AWHC, respectively. Selected soil chemical properties varied from 5.91 - 6.45, 0.64 - 3.20%, 0.04 - 0.25%, 1.14 - 5.60 gm/kg, and 10.24 - 37.24 cmol (+)/kg) soil pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and CEC, respectively. The values of exchangeable bases were concentration increased from the upper slope position toward the lower slope position and with increased soil depth. Soil micronutrients were increased with increased slope and decreased with increased soil depth. The lowest slope position had relatively better soil nutrient contents than other slope positions. It is advised that integrated soil fertility management, biophysical soil and water conservation, and slope-based, site-specific fertilizer rating for advance agricultural precision and ensure food security.

Design of drainage channel for effective use of land on fully mechanized sugarcane plantations: A case study at Bone Sugarcane Plantation

Abstract Drainage in sugarcane cultivation in high-rainfall areas is of paramount importance because it affects sugarcane plants from planting, maintenance, and production. Poor drainage can damage plants and reduce productivity. This study was conducted at Bone Sugarcane Plantation, which typically has high annual rainfall; thus, drainage is necessary. The existing drainage channel cannot drain all surface runoff quickly and causes problems to sugarcane plants. Therefore, a study was conducted with the aim of designing the shape and size of drainage channels that can drain surface runoff quickly, have a strong structure, allows for an effective use of cultivated land by reducing headland for tractor turning, and maintains appropriate soil moisture. The research began by determining the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil using the Falling Head method. Surface runoff discharge was calculated using rational equations to determine the dimensions of the drainage channel. Rainfall intensity was determined from Intensity Duration Frequency curve which was constructed using Manonobe method. The results showed that the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil was 3.54 × 10−3 cm/s which is suitable with surface drainage. Rainfall intensity is estimated to be 201.33 mm/hour. The shape and dimensions of the drainage channel are parabolic with the largest width and depth of 1.70 m and 0.90, respectively. This study provides a practical method to solve drainage problems in sugarcane fields that apply full mechanization. In addition, the practical analysis used in this study can be adapted to analyze the design of drainage channel for other plantations or regions with similar constrains.