Are Agroecosystems Sustainable in Semiarid Regions?

Stewart, B. A.; Robinson, Clay

doi:10.1016/s0065-2113(08)60604-5

Cited by 54 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Approximately 12-20% of the precipitation in the fallow period was only retained at the time of sowing in the following year (Steward and Robinson, 1997). Often its effectiveness could not be observed if stubbles were not retained (O'Leary and Connor, 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crop yield and water use efficiency in semi-arid region of Turkey

Çayçı

Heng

Öztürk

et al. 2009

Soil and Tillage Research

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crop yield and water use efficiency in semi-arid region of Turkey

Çayçı

Heng

Öztürk

et al. 2009

Soil and Tillage Research

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“…The extent to which any land area can be degraded by cultivation or recover from degradation (i.e., resilience) depends on the particular ecosystem. Threats to sustainability are particularly acute in semi-arid and arid areas of the world (Stewart and Robinson 1997) because of limited moisture and soil erosion from both wind and water. In addition to climatic constraints, the sustainability of any cropping system depends on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Changes in Soil Organic Matter and Biomass and Labile Forms of Carbon as Influenced by Crop Rotations

Ryan

Masri

Singh

2009

Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis

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Recent concerns about the role of carbon (C) in climate change and the implications about soil organic matter (SOM) for sustainable use of soils have underlined the need to examine the role of SOM in cropping systems, particularly in fragile ecosystems. Accordingly, we examined the changes that occur in total SOM and in its more reactive fractions, labile and biomass C, within a long-term, cereal-based crop rotation trial. The rotations were wheat (Triticum turgidum var durum) grown after vetch (Vicia sativa), medic (Medicago sativa), chickpea (Cicer arietinum), lentil (Lens culinaris), fallow, a summer crop, melon (Citrullus vulgaris), and after wheat (i.e., continuous wheat). Secondary treatments involved nitrogen (N) fertilizer application and variable grazing intensity. Uncropped microplots were established in the main rotation plots, and in the fallow and medic ones with variable grazing. Total SOM and labile and microbial biomass C were periodically measured in the rotations throughout the cropping season. Medic and vetch were highest in the three C forms, with fallow always lowest. All forms changed with sampling time throughout the season. Organic matter decreased from 1.48% in February to 1.15% in August after cropping. Although labile C followed a similar pattern, with a large falloff between the May and August sampling, biomass C increased initially, remained stable for a few months, and decreased at the last two samplings. Although all three C forms were highest in the zero-grazing in the fallow and medic rotations, the effect of grazing was not significant. Thus, although organic C can be built up in the soil to varying extents

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“…Sustainability of food production on a long-term basis cannot be achieved where soil degradation proceeds (Stewart and Robinson 1997). UNEP (1997) estimated that 1 billion ha in the world, or 20% of the total susceptible drylands to desertification, defined as the lands in arid, semiarid and dry humid climatic zones, are currently being degraded by human activities.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%