Sustainable Land Use Planning Model in Rural Basins

Soil erosion is a common problem that complicates watershed management in Turkey and around the world. The main objective of soil conservation work carried out in basins is to ensure sustainable watershed management. The first operation is to define the current situation in the basin. The initial and fundamental objective of erosion estimation based on existing data is generally deciding how to overcome the problem. However, the treatments carried out in most soil conservation studies are similar to each other. Any common, known, or defined methodology about erosion problems in watersheds has not been improved—until now. Considering this problem, the Sustainable Land Use Planning (SLUP) model was developed to determine soil conservation precautions, to set priorities for decision makers and to produce a common solution for rural watershed in Turkey. While the estimated average soil loss was determined to be 7.66 t ha−1 per year, some land use changes were proposed and land use management priorities were set in the direction of the model results to gain sustainable management in the Çelikli basin. At the end of the study, it was showed that the soil loss can be reduced about the rate of 91.2% applying the SLUP model

Land Degradation in the Çelikli Basin, Turkey

The relationship between soil degradation and wheat yield was analyzed in the Çelikli basin, Turkey. Geographic information system (GIS) and factor analysis techniques were used for evaluations. Wheat yield has changed between 600 and 3780 kg ha−1. Soil penetration resistance (PR) was below 2 MPa in 34.92% of the topsoils and was over 2 MPa in the entire of subsoils. The soil loss changed from 0 to 152.8 ton ha−1 year−1. Soils in the study area were generally low in plant-available water (PAW) content. Compared to P, K content was sufficient in top and subsoils in most of the study area. The results showed that B and Zn contents were low, and Cu, Mn, Fe, and Cd contents were adequate. Boron content was less than 0.5 mg kg−1 in 85.5% of the cultivated and 82.9% of the grassland, and Zn was less than 0.5 mg kg−1 in 99.7% of the study area. Low organic matter, low water-holding capacity, high penetration resistance, and deficiency of some macro- and micronutrients were the most important limiting factors of wheat yield. Crop rotation and P, B, and Zn application can help restore soil productivity in cultivated areas of the study area

Sustainable and Effective Management Strategies in Cotton Cultivation

Cotton, which is one of the leading fiber and oilseed crops, consumes 16% of the total pesticides and about 24% of insecticides in the world. In arid climatic regions such as Turkey, most of the plant water consumption is met by surface irrigation methods, while a significant part of it infiltrates deep. During cultivation, a significant portion of pesticides and chemical fertilizers are consumed incorrectly, or unconsciously due to socioeconomic and cultural reasons such as the lack of education of farmers and low economic income. For this reason, it is necessary to understand the correct cultivation techniques from planting to harvest and to manage critical periods in practice. Owing to this, it is necessary to re-evaluate and sustain high-productivity and quality cotton cultivation together with human and environmental requirements. Especially for this purpose, the charts and figures prepared to give direction to experts are a tool for a correct and complete understanding of the topics covered. Considering the objectives and needs of agricultural production, the analysis of the most critical issues required for cotton cultivation from a different perspective will be an important stage for the next steps

Evaluation of Soil Erosion and Sustainable Land Use Management in the Sarısu Basin

Land use management requires controlling natural resources for sustainability. Soil erosion related to improper land use is a major issue around the world. Land degradation may harm the health of ecosystems. Defining the soil loss in a basin is the starting point in the restoration of soil quality for crop production. Reducing soil losses to a tolerable rate is one of the primary objectives for sustainability and soil conservation. Central Anatolia is under considerable risk due to an increase in the cultivation of marginal lands for food production. Cultivated lands have already been reached the final limits throughout the last 50 years. Moreover, forests and considerable areas of pasture have recently been converted to ploughed fields due to agricultural expansion. This study was conducted in the Sarısu basin to evaluate soil losses and land use management for sustainability. The Universal Soil Loss Equation model and Geographic Information System techniques were used to estimate the soil losses. The mean potential soil loss of the basin was calculated to be 1.88 t ha-1 per year with the Universal Soil Loss Equation model. These results are comparatively small when compared to the average value for Turkey of 13 t ha-1 yearly. Our calculated results are closer to the value for the Sakarya river basin, which is approximately 2.77 t ha-1 y-1. In this study, land usages in the Sarısu basin were evaluated in terms of soil losses, tolerable soil loss rates and soil conservation precautions