International Workshop on Nutrient Balances for Sustainable Agricultural Production and Natural Resource Management in Southeast Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, 20-22 February 2001: selected papers and presentations

Soil management / Soil properties / Soil fertility / Soil degradation / Crop production / Farmers / Agricultural extension / Farming systems / Sustainability / Rice / Cassava / Vegetables / Maize / Fertilizers / Decision support tools / Economic aspects

Site-Specific Nutrient Management

The concept of nitrogen gap (NG), i.e., its recognition and amelioration, forms the core of this book entitled Site-Specific Nutrient Management (SSNM). Determination of the presence of an NG between fields on a farm and/or within a particular field, together with its size, requires a set of highly reliable diagnostic tools. The necessary set of diagnostic tools, based classically on pedological and agrochemical methods, should be currently supported by remote-sensing methods. A combination of these two groups of methods is the only way to recognize the factors responsible for yield gap (YG) appearance and to offer a choice of measures for its effective amelioration. The NG concept is discussed in the two first papers (Grzebisz and Łukowiak, Agronomy 2021, 11, 419; Łukowiak et al., Agronomy 2020, 10, 1959). Crop productivity depends on a synchronization of plant demand for nitrogen and its supply from soil resources during the growing season. The action of nitrate nitrogen (N–NO3), resulting in direct plant crop response, can be treated by farmers as a crucial growth factor. The expected outcome also depends on the status of soil fertility factors, including pools of available nutrients and the activity of microorganisms. Three papers are devoted to these basic aspects of soil fertility management (Sulewska et al., Agronomy 2020, 10, 1958; Grzebisz et al., Agronomy 2020, 10, 1701; Hlisnikovsky et al., Agronomy 2021, 11, 1333). The resistance of a currently cultivated crop to seasonal weather variability depends to a great extent on the soil fertility level. This aspect is thoroughly discussed for three distinct soil types and climates with respect to their impact on yield (Hlisnikovsky et al., Agronomy 2020, 10, 1160—Czech Republic; Wang et al., Agronomy 2020, 10, 1237—China; Łukowiak and Grzebisz et al., Agronomy 2020, 10, 1364—Poland). In the fourth section of this book, the division a particular field into homogenous production zones is discussed as a basis for effective nitrogen management within the field. This topic is presented for different regions and crops (China, Poland, and the USA) (Cammarano et al., Agronomy 2020, 10, 1767; Panek et al., Agronomy 2020, 10, 1842; Larson et al., Agronomy 2020, 10, 1858)

Environmental distributions of benzo[a]pyrene in China:current and future emission reduction scenarios explored using a spatially explicit multimedia fate model

SESAMe v3.0, a spatially explicit multimedia fate model with 50 × 50 km(2) resolution, has been developed for China to predict environmental concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) using an atmospheric emission inventory for 2007. Model predictions are compared with environmental monitoring data obtained from an extensive review of the literature. The model performs well in predicting multimedia concentrations and distributions. Predicted concentrations are compared with guideline values; highest values with some exceedances occur mainly in the North China Plain, Mid Inner Mongolia, and parts of three northeast provinces, Xi'an, Shanghai, and south of Jiangsu province, East Sichuan Basin, middle of Guizhou and Guangzhou. Two potential future scenarios have been assessed using SESAMe v3.0 for 2030 as BaP emission is reduced by (1) technological improvement for coal consumption in energy production and industry sectors in Scenario 1 (Sc1) and (2) technological improvement and control of indoor biomass burning for cooking and indoor space heating and prohibition of open burning of biomass in 2030 in Scenario 2 (Sc2). Sc2 is more efficient in reducing the areas with exceedance of guideline values. Use of SESAMe v3.0 provides insights on future research needs and can inform decision making on options for source reduction

GIS applications for poverty targeted aquaculture development in the lower Mekong Basin.

In the lower Mekong Basin, marginal socio-economic conditions prevail amongst rural small scale farming households which heavily depend on highly seasonal, rain-fed farming systems for their livelihood. Persistent rural poverty is aggravated by frequently occurring droughts and floods. A yearly flood-drought cycle, while essential to their household economy based on rice and fisheries, renders rural poor livelihoods vulnerable to recurrent periods of food insecurity. This research demonstrates how a combination of publicly accessible Remote Sensing imagery and disaggregated poverty maps, within a comprehensive rural development framework, can provide an effective method to target pro-poor aquaculture development interventions at the local level. An agro-ecosystems analysis is performed in order to capture the seasonal dynamics of water- and aquatic resource exploitation. A holistic farming systems approach emphasises the potential of ponds in integrated rural smallholder systems to reduce poverty and vulnerability under rain fed conditions. A Geographic Information System (GIS), an efficient spatial inventory tool and decision support system in resolving real world problems, is used to identify where rural poor households can potentially benefit from the integration of aquaculture into existing production systems. A time series of satellite derived vegetation index data reveals distinct agro-ecosystem seasonality over large parts of the study area, which is indicative for farming systems under rain fed conditions. The developed methodology is capable of identifying functionally different agro-ecosystems. Socio-economic indicators for Cambodian parts of the lowland areas point to widespread rural poverty and vulnerability to recurrent food insecurity, which is directly related to agro-ecosystems seasonality and annual climate variability. Dependence of farming households on low productivity rain fed rice agro-ecosystems in Cambodia’s southern provinces is in stark contrast to the highly productive farming systems directly bordering it, in the freshwater fluvial zone of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. A rapid increase in rice productivity in this densely populated area went hand-in hand with a considerable reduction in rural poverty. In this flood-prone but fertile area, resource competition and falling market prices of rice may have prompted the development of a range of integrated farming systems. The incorporation of ponds on farm in these systems facilitates reuse of nutrients from farm by-products for low-input aquatic resource production. In Northeast Thailand, crop production and low-input aquaculture have been successfully integrated along a tradition of water- and living aquatic resources management in farmer managed systems under resource poor conditions. A spatially linked commune level rural development database for Sisaket province in Northeast Thailand provides a useful framework for planning of aquaculture development through systems that are appropriate and relevant to local socio-economic and agro-ecological conditions. It was concluded that the socio-economic and agro-ecological context of rural poverty in Southeast Cambodia offers scope for similar pathways to improve rural wellbeing and reduce vulnerability to poverty and food insecurity by integrating aquatic resources development in pond based systems as part of an interdisciplinary approach towards rural development

Geospatial approach to study the spatial distribution of major soil nutrients in the Northern region of Ghana

Open Access Journal; Published online: 10 July 2016Spatial distribution of soil nutrients is not normally considered for smallholder farms in Ghana resulting in blanket fertilizer application which leads to low efficiencies of some applied nutrients. This study focuses on applying geospatial analyses to map 120 maize farms in 16 districts of the Northern region of Ghana to identify nutrient distribution. Soil samples were taken from these 120 locations and analysed for contents of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Spatial models of the contents were generated through geostatistical analysis to map the status of N, P and K nutrients across the locations. Study results indicated that proportion of area deficient in N is 97%, P is 72% and K is 12%. Distribution pattern for N and K nutrients were clusters of low or high contents at specific locations; and that of P was random. Outcome of this study could enhance site-specific nutrient recommendation in Ghana

Deserts and Desertification

A desert is an ecosystem in an arid zone in which sand dunes cover the land and sandstorms often occur. Although desert vegetation is sparse, it plays an important role in ecosystem structure and function. Desertification is one of the most severe environmental problems today. Land desertification can be controlled through many measures, such as eco-villages, eco-agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and the combination of engineering and biology. This edited volume provides new insights into the pattern of desert ecosystems and the progress of desertification control. It is a useful resource for researchers in ecology, forestry, and land desertification control

Chinese cropping systems are a net source of greenhouse gases despite soil carbon sequestration

This work was funded by National Basic Research Program of China (2014CB953800), Young Talents Projects of the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IUEMS201402), National Natural Science Foundation of China (41471190, 41301237, 71704171), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2014T70144) and Discovery Early Career Researcher Award of the Australian Research Council (DE170100423). The work contributes to the UK-China Virtual Joint Centres on Nitrogen “N-Circle” and “CINAg” funded by the Newton Fund via UK BBSRC/NERC (grants BB/N013484/1 and BB/N013468/1, respectively).Peer reviewedPostprintPostprin

Proceedings of the National Conference on Water, Food Security and Climate Change in Sri Lanka, BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 9-11 June 2009. Vol. 2. Water quality, environment and climate change

This is the second volume of the proceedings of the National Conference on ‘Water for Food and Environment’, which was held from June 9 –11, 2009 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH). The volumes 1 and 3 have been produced as separate documents of this report series. In response to a call for abstracts, 81 abstracts were received from government institutes dealing with water resources and agriculture development, universities, other freelance researchers and researchers from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Forty seven of the eighty-one abstracts that were submitted were accepted for compiling full papers. In the past couple of years the sharp increase in food prices worldwide has raised serious concerns about food security, especially in developing countries. To effectively address these concerns a holistic approach is required that encompasses improved agricultural water productivity, adaptation to climate change, targeted and appropriate institutional and financial measures, and a consideration of environmental issues. The main purpose of the conference was to share experiences in these areas and to find opportunities to improve farmers’ incomes and food production, and to promote environmentally sustainable practices in Sri Lanka in the face of growing water scarcity and the challenges of climate change.Wetlands, / Environmental flows / Assessment / Water allocation / Case studies / Rivers / Farming systems / Models / Groundwater / Aquifers / Domestic water / Rainfed farming / Climate change / Wastewater irrigation / Rice

Land Quality and Landscape Processes

This monograph contains a selection of scientific papers presented on the conference on Land Quality and Landscape Processes, hold in Keszthely, Hungary. It covers topics related to various aspects of land quality including : concepts of assessment; evaluation of biomass productivity ; bioindicators of land quality ; quality assessment of degraded land ; land use related data processingJRC.H.5-Land Resources Managemen