Soil fertilityLand useSustainabilityWatershedsVillagesFertilizersCrop productionSugarcaneRice

Limpinuntana, V.

Patanothai, A.

Trelo-ges, V.

Vityakon, P.

English

Research Papers in Economics

International Workshop on Nutrient Balances for Sustainable Agricultural Production and Natural Resource Management in 
Southeast Asia. Bangkok, Thailand, 20-22 February, 2001 
 
Sustainability Analysis of Existing Land-use Systems in Northeast Thailand 
 
Viriya Limpinuntana
1, Vidhaya Trelo-ges
2, Patma Vityakon
2  and Aran Patanothai
1 
 
 
1 Department of Agronomy  
2 Department of Land Resources and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen 
University, Khon Kaen, Thailand. 
ABSTRACT 
Agricultural systems in Northeast Thailand have been developed on marginal sandy soils 
within an undulating landscape. Agricultural productivity has declined considerably under the 
currently adopted land use systems as indicated by declining crop yields and an increasing 
dependency  on  chemical  fertilizers.  This  has  resulted  in  skepticism  with  regards  the 
sustainability of the current the land-use systems of the region.  
 
From 1999-2001 researchers at Khon Kaen University conducted  research to evaluate the 
sustainability  of  currently  adopted  land-use  systems  using  a  nutrient  balance  model.  The 
project was funded by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) and the Thailand 
Research Fund (TRF). The specific  objectives  of the  project were to  investigate nutrient 
inputs and outputs from selected land-use systems in a micro-watershed area; investigate 
changes in  land use  and management as affected by  socioeconomic  and cultural factors; 
model the characteristics and dynamics of land degradation in a micro-watershed, and to 
identify factors affecting land degradation. It is envisaged that knowledge gained from this 
project will lead to the development of sustainable land use and management for Northeast 
Thailand. 
 
A micro-watershed at Ban Khummuang  village,  Khao Suan  Kwang  District, Khon  Kaen 
Province, was selected as the study site. Nutrient balances were determined for the major land 
uses in  the area, and for the entire micro-watershed under  investigation. Specific studies 
relating to  the  different input and  output  parameters  were also conducted. These include 
studies on (1) ground cover and placement of surface structures under current land uses in 
relation  to  soil  erosion,  (2)  rainfall-runoff  relationships,  (3)  sediment  transport,  (4) 
unconfined groundwater hydraulics, (5) subsurface flows of nutrients, (6) estimation of the 
water table in paddy systems, and (7) soil organic matter build up and dynamics under the 
selected land-use systems. A summary of the nutrient balance studies is presented in this 
paper. It should be noted that the nutrient balance analysis did not include nutrient loss from 
leaching; nutrient gain and loss from accumulated moisture and runoff or wind erosion; and 
nutrient gains from capillary water in the soil, and weathering of parent materials,  N fixation, 
and livestock manure. The results represented in this paper can therefore only be considered 
as an incomplete and estimated nutrient balance for the agricultural systems evaluated. 
￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿
￿International Workshop on Nutrient Balances for Sustainable Agricultural Production and Natural Resource Management in 
Southeast Asia. Bangkok, Thailand, 20-22 February, 2001 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
From 1999-2001 researchers at Khon Kaen University conducted  research to evaluate the 
sustainability  of  currently  adopted  land-use  systems  using  a  nutrient  balance  model.  The 
specific objectives of the project were to investigate nutrient inputs and outputs from selected 
land-use systems in a micro-watershed area; investigate changes in land use and management 
as affected by socioeconomic and cultural factors; model the characteristics and dynamics of 
land degradation in a micro-watershed, and to identify factors affecting land degradation. 
 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 
 
A micro-watershed at Khummuang village, Khao Suan Kwang District, Khon Kaen Province, 
was selected as the study site. A rapid rural appraisal was conducted to obtain information on 
landuse, and land management practices. Nutrient balances were determined for the major 
land uses in the area, and for the entire micro-watershed under investigation.  
￿
Specific studies relating to the different input and output parameters were also conducted. 
These include studies on (1) ground cover and placement of surface structures under current 
land uses in relation to soil erosion, (2) rainfall-runoff relationships, (3) sediment transport, 
(4) unconfined groundwater hydraulics, (5) subsurface flows of nutrients, (6) estimation of 
the water table in paddy systems, and (7) soil organic matter build up and dynamics under the 
selectedt land-use systems. 
 
The land-use patterns investigated comprise eight subsystems of sugarcane planted at the end 
of the rainy season; cassava planted at the end of the rainy season; and rainfed paddy rice. 
The sugarcane subsystems used a combination of different chemical fertilizer rates, burning 
or not burning of leaves before harvesting, and planting on the upper or lower parts of upland 
fields.  Chemical  fertilizer  applications  were  the  primary  source  of  nutrient  inputs  to  the 
sugarcane subsystems., Rainfall data including N, P and K concentrations were obtained from 
secondary sources. Information on nutrient losses via eroded soil particles was obtained from 
secondary data derived from erosion plots located under similar agro-systems in Khummuang 
village. Nutrient  outputs were determined on  removed crop  products,  burned leaves, and 
eroded soil particles.  
 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
 
Nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) showed positive balances for all sugarcane 
subsystem investigated (Tables 1-8). This infers that the current rates of fertilizer application 
are excessive. Further, increasing the rate of fertilizer application resulted in increasingly 
positive nutrient balances. In the case of the burned stubble, a significant amount of N was 
lost through burning but the nutrient balance for this element was still highly positive (Tables 
2,  4,  6  and  8).  There  were  no  significant  differences  in  the  macronutrient  balances  for 
sugarcane grown on upper and lower upland fields (Tables 1-8). International Workshop on Nutrient Balances for Sustainable Agricultural Production and Natural Resource Management in 
Southeast Asia. Bangkok, Thailand, 20-22 February, 2001 
Table 1. Nutrient balance of a sugarcane subsystem: Upper field with high fertilizer rate 
(stubble, not burned). 
Nutrient balance components  Nutrients (kg ha
-1) 
Inputs  N  P  K 
15-15-15 (N: P2O5: K2O) fertilizer  93.75  40.91  77.81 
Rainfall  1.78  0.97  1.29 
Planting material  2.98  0.23  4.24 
Total input  98.51  42.11  83.34 
Outputs       
Sugarcane stems  22.62  1.78  32.24 
Eroded soil particles  1.14*  0.07  3.06 
Total output  23.76  1.85  35.30 
Balance  74.75  40.26  48.04 
* Estimated from erosion plots located under similar agro-systems Khummuang village. 
 
 
Table 2. Nutrient balance of a sugarcane subsystem: Upper field with high fertilizer rate 
(stubble, burned). 
Nutrient balance components  Nutrients (kg ha
-1) 
Inputs  N  P  K 
15-15-15 (N: P2O5: K2O) fertilizer  93.75  40.91  77.81 
Rainfall  1.78  0.97  1.29 
Planting material  2.98  0.23  4.24 
Total input  98.51  42.11  83.34 
Outputs       
Sugarcane stems  20.84  1.64  29.70 
Losses from burning  4.47  0.58  0.55 
Eroded soil particles  1.14*  0.07  3.06 
Total output  26.45  2.29  33.31 
Balance  72.06  39.82  50.03 
 
 
Table 3. Nutrient balance of a sugarcane subsystem: Upper field with low fertilizer rate 
(stubble, not burned). 
Nutrient balance components  Nutrients (kg ha
-1) 
Inputs  N  P  K 
15-15-15 (N: P2O5: K2O) fertilizer  46.88  20.46  38.91 
Rainfall  1.78  0.97  1.29 
Planting material  2.98  0.23  4.24 
Total input  51.64  21.66  44.44 
Outputs       
Sugarcane stems  16.67  1.31  23.76 
Eroded soil particles  1.14*  0.07  3.06 
Total output  17.81  1.38  26.82 
Balance  33.83  20.28  17.62 
 International Workshop on Nutrient Balances for Sustainable Agricultural Production and Natural Resource Management in 
Southeast Asia. Bangkok, Thailand, 20-22 February, 2001 
Table 4. Nutrient balance of a sugarcane subsystem: Upper field with low fertilizer rate 
(stubble, burned). 
Nutrient balance components  Nutrients (kg ha
-1) 
Inputs  N  P  K 
15-15-15 (N: P2O5: K2O) fertilizer  46.88  20.46  38.91 
Rainfall  1.78  0.97  1.29 
Planting material  2.98  0.23  4.24 
Total input  51.64  21.66  44.44 
Outputs       
Sugarcane stems  14.49  1.14  20.65 
Losses from burning  12.52  2.38  3.21 
Eroded soil particles  1.14*  0.07  3.06 
Total output  28.15  3.59  26.92 
Balance  23.49  18.07  17.52 
 
Table 5. Nutrient balance of a sugarcane subsystem: Lower field with high fertilizer rate 
(stubble, not burned) 
Nutrient balance components  Nutrients (kg ha
-1) 
Inputs  N  P  K 
15-15-15 (N: P2O5: K2O) fertilizer  93.75  40.91  77.81 
Rainfall  1.78  0.97  1.29 
Planting material  2.98  0.23  4.24 
Eroded soil particles (from upper fields)  15.44*  0.07  3.06 
Total input  113.95  42.18  86.40 
Outputs       
Sugarcane stems  23.42  1.84  33.37 
Eroded soil particles  0.81  0.07  3.06 
Total output  24.23  1.91  36.43 
Balance  89.72  40.27  49.97 
 
Table 6. Nutrient balance of a sugarcane subsystem: Lower field with high fertilizer rate 
(stubble, burned). 
Nutrient balance components  Nutrients (kg ha
-1) 
Inputs  N  P  K 
15-15-15 (N: P2O5: K2O) fertilizer  93.75  40.91  77.81 
Rainfall  1.78  0.97  1.29 
Planting material  2.98  0.23  4.24 
Eroded soil particles (from upper fields)  15.44*  0.07  3.06 
Total input  113.95  42.18  86.40 
Outputs       
Sugarcane stems  22.42  1.77  31.96 
Eroded soil particles  0.81  0.07  3.06 
Losses from burning  19.40  3.69  4.98 
Total output  42.63  5.53  40.00 
Balance  71.32  36.65  46.40 
 International Workshop on Nutrient Balances for Sustainable Agricultural Production and Natural Resource Management in 
Southeast Asia. Bangkok, Thailand, 20-22 February, 2001 
Table 7. Nutrient balance of a sugarcane subsystem: Lower field with low fertilizer rate 
(stubble, not burned). 
Nutrient balance components  Nutrients (kg ha
-1) 
Inputs  N  P  K 
15-15-15 (N: P2O5: K2O) fertilizer  46.88  20.46  38.91 
Rainfall  1.78  0.97  1.29 
Planting material  2.98  0.23  4.24 
Eroded soil particles (from upper fields)  15.44*  0.07  3.06 
Total input  67.08  21.73  47.50 
Outputs       
Sugarcane stems  16.87  1.33  24.04 
Eroded soil particles  0.81*  0.07  3.06 
Total output  17.68  1.40  27.1 
Balance  49.40  20.33  20.4 
 
 
Table 8. Nutrient balance of a sugarcane subsystem: Lower field with low fertilizer rate 
(stubble, burned). 
Nutrient balance components  Nutrients (kg ha
-1) 
Inputs  N  P  K 
15-15-15 (N: P2O5: K2O) fertilizer  46.88  20.46  38.91 
Rainfall  1.78  0.97  1.29 
Planting material  2.98  0.23  4.24 
Eroded soil particles (from upper fields)  15.44*  0.07  3.06 
Total input  67.08  21.73  47.50 
Outputs       
Sugarcane stems  16.07  1.27  22.91 
Eroded soil particles  0.81*  0.07  3.06 
Losses from burning  13.80  2.63  3.54 
Total output  30.68  3.97  29.51 
Balance  36.40  17.76  17.99 
 
For cassava production, N and K showed negative balances while the balance for P was 
slightly positive (Table 9). This indicates that the current rates of fertilizer application are 
inadequate  and  further  research  is  required  to  determine  optimum  rates  of  fertilizer 
application in relation to maximizing crop production. For rice production, N and P had 
positive balances while the balance for K was highly negative as the farmers did not add K 
fertilizer (Table 10). Apparently, K input is insufficient to cover the losses incurred from 
plant removal in the cassava and rice production systems investigated. All macronutrient 
balances were higher for sugarcane when compared to cassava and rice as the sugarcane 
received a higher fertilizer rate.  
 International Workshop on Nutrient Balances for Sustainable Agricultural Production and Natural Resource Management in 
Southeast Asia. Bangkok, Thailand, 20-22 February, 2001 
 
Table 9. Nutrient balance of cassava crop planted at the end of the rainy season. 
Nutrient balance components  Nutrients (kg ha
-1) 
Inputs  N  P  K 
15-15-15 (N: P2O5: K2O) fertilizer  28.13  12.27  23.34 
Rainfall  1.78  0.97  1.29 
Planting material  1.47  0.20  2.67 
Total input  31.38  13.44  27.30 
Outputs       
Cassava roots  31.88  4.39  58.00 
Cassava stems  15.69  1.33  12.63 
Eroded soil particles  6.42*  0.07  3.06 
Total output  53.99  5.79  73.69 
Balance  -22.61  7.65  -46.39 
 
 
Table 10. Nutrient balance for rainfed rice planted in a paddy field. 
Nutrient balance components  Nutrients (kg ha
-1) 
Inputs  N  P  K 
16-20-0 (N: P2O5: K2O) fertilizer  25.00  13.64  0.00 
Rainfall  1.78  0.97  1.29 
Planting material  0.31  0.07  0.49 
Total input  27.09  14.68  1.78 
Outputs       
Rice grain  15.00  1.68  41.81 
Rice straw  12.28  0.50  19.44 
Total output  27.28  2.18  61.25 
Balance  -0.19  12.50  -59.47 
 
However, it should be noted that the nutrient balance analysis did not include nutrient loss 
from leaching; nutrient gain and loss from accumulated moisture and runoff or wind erosion; 
and nutrient gains from capillary water in the soil, weathering of parent materials, N fixation, 
and livestock manure. The results represented in this paper can therefore only be considered 
as an incomplete and estimated nutrient balance for the agricultural systems evaluated. 
 
It has been hypothesized that the total nutrient loss from the whole watershed might not be 
equal to the sum of the loss from individual farm plots. Observation of the surface structures 
within  the  agricultural  systems  investigated  indicates  that  a  proportion  of  the  potential 
nutrient loss associated with surface runoff (soil particles and water) may be retained before 
reaching the next plot thus preventing complete loss from the system. Such surface structures 
include tillage generated furrows and small scale surface depressions caused by weeding, 
natural and/or man made levees/dikes, and grass strips.  
 
Visual  observation  of  the  ground  cover  and  amount  of  soil  loss  generated  by  erosion 
suggested that cassava planted in the middle of the rainy season lost more soil particles, 
implying more nutrient losses, as opposed to cassava or sugarcane planted at the end of the 
rainy season (observations not quantified by field derived data).  International Workshop on Nutrient Balances for Sustainable Agricultural Production and Natural Resource Management in 
Southeast Asia. Bangkok, Thailand, 20-22 February, 2001 
CONCLUSIONS 
 
Discussions with farmers revealed that they were aware of the influence of nutrient inputs 
and outputs on soil fertility. To a certain extent, farmers address nutrient balance components 
to maintain soil fertility through the use of chemical fertilizers.. However, due to land-use 
pressure,  farmland  in  Northeast  Thailand  is  increasingly  associated  with  declining  soil 
fertility  that  is  currently  addressed  by  the  excess  application  of chemical  fertilizers.  The 
maintenance of farmland soil fertility requires higher costs or an extended fallow period for 
the  land  to  recover.  The  incomplete  estimated  nutrient  balances  presented  in  this  paper 
indicated that further studies are required to determine optimum rates of fertilizer application 
in relation to maximizing crop production. 
￿

Sustainability analysis of existing land-use systems in northeast Thailand

http://publications.iwmi.org/pdf/H036280.pdf

Sustainability analysis of existing land-use systems in northeast Thailand

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