Reversing degradation
Land degradation is a broad term and refers to the way in which the quality and productive capacity of the soil can be temporally or permanently undermined. It includes such processes of physical, chemical and biological deterioration as the loss of organic matter, the reduction of vegetative cover and biodiversity as well as a general decline in soil life and fertility.
Degradation also results in soil compaction and erosion, a reduction in its water holding capacity and increased salinization in areas where irrigation has been poorly managed or where there is toxic chemical pollution.
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4 - 5written by ILEIA editorial teamLand degradation is a broad term and refers to the way in which the quality and productive capacity of the soil can be temporally or permanently undermined. It includes such processes of physical, chemical or biological deterioration as the loss of organic matter, the reduction of vegetative cover and biodiversity, as well as a general decline in soil fertility and life. Degradation also results is soil compatation and erosion, a reduction of its water holding capacity and increased salininization.
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6 - 8Smallholder farmers in South Africa discovered that the crops they planted on a farm they had bought under a community purchase scheme developed very poorly. Growth was stunted and there were many deformities. With the help of researchers they discovered that their soil was infested with root-knot nematodes and they set about looking for farmerfriendly ways of tackling this pest. In doing so they started to experiment with different types of crops and cropping patterns.
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9 - 9Intensive grazing of vast areas has been degrading land in Uruguay for a long time. In 1959 the government, technicians, NGOs and farmer unions started to discuss the problem. A plan for the development of agriculture was set up to improve productivity in the short and long terms. Special emphasis was given to the development of pasture-crop rotations. An important component has been that of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), which has had positive results.
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10 - 11written by Jon HellinSteeplands are cultivated throughout the tropics and, as a result, soil erosion is often a common problem. This article explains why, when working with farmers, it is important to concentrate on the enhancement of soil quality rather than on controlling soil erosion. Farmers are not always conscious of soil erosion taking place. However, they are very sensitive to any change in soil productivity. In such situations an indirect approach that combines conservation technologies and agronomic practices may be the most successful way of ensuring improvements in soil quality and checking erosion.
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12 - 13written by Sue Edwards , Million BelayLand degradation is one of the most serious problems facing Ethiopia today. In order to improve crop yield in the region, the Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Tigray (BoANR) adopted the Sasakawa Global (SG) 2000 package, which is based on high input demanding varieties and chemical fertilisers. Since 1996, the Institute for Sustainable Development started a project in four selected rural farming communities in Tigray, aiming to establish productive agricultural systems. Its results were then compared with the performance of the SG package in neighbouring villages.
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14 - 15written by William Critchley , Marit B. BrommerTerracing land for rainfed agriculture has long been the basic response of farmers to the problems of cropping in hilly and erosion-prone conditions. A comparative study of conservation strategies amongst traditional small scale terrace farmers in Uganda, South Africa the Indian Himalayas and upland Java has demonstrated striking similarities in their approach and techniques. The main objective of the survey was to understand how different groups of farmers perceived erosion and countered its negative effects.
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16 - 18written by Roland BunchWith 20 years of experience with green manures and cover crops around the world, the author discusses here the main conditions for adopting these systems. The conclusions presented in this article are based on experiences with 140 different systems, involving 41 species. Sixty percent of these systems have basically been developed by farmers themselves, which shows how appropriate these systems are for farmers and how interested farmers are in them.
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19 - 20Leguminous plants must rate among the most bountiful and perfect gifts of nature. Legumes provide a large number of products, and at the same time they enhance soil fertility. The products range from beans and pulses that are the principal source of protein for the majority of the world's poor, to vegetable oil, animal fodder, poles and fuel wood. But legumes also need good conditions to grow. Degraded soils are, by definition, inhospitable environments for plants.
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19 - 20written by Peter DoelmanEvery gram of earth contains over one billion organisms of over 10 000 different species. These little creatures are soil-friendly, beneficial microbes that eat organic material and excrete minerals such as nitrates and phosphates in a continuous recycling process that has a direct effect on plant quality and productivity. Microbes are responsible for 90% of biological recycling.
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21 - 21written by Paul Bassey Okon , Uche Cyprian AmaluThe most devastating weeds are usually found on farmlands degraded of fertility and they can make or break a farm and lead to a total loss of yield. Two types of grasses have wreaked havoc on farms in Nigeria: spear grass (Imperata cylindrica) and running carpet grass (Axonopus compresus). Local farmers in southern Nigeria know that a number of broad-leaf weeds are capable of suppressing and, in time, replacing other weeds.
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22 - 23written by Blesilda M. CalubIn the hilly communities of Western Batangas, in south western Luzon, in the Philippines, farm households depend largely on the sale of livestock as a source of income, and farmers are therefore highly concerned about the available fodder supply. From 1997 to 2002, a project on the somestication of indigenous fodder trees and shrubs was undertaken to address the problems commonly found.
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24 - 25written by Peter RiggsSince the early 1990s, China’s wealthy Guangdong Province has been trying to increase the sustainability of its rural sector. Its principal motivation was the need to keep its agricultural products competitive in both the domestic and export markets. However, other issues have also been taken into consideration including land rehabilitation, the quality of local water supply and the stabilization of rural livelihoods and cultures. This article explores the factors that have contributed to the success of these initiatives.
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26 - 27The decline of soil fertility on smallholder farms is probably the main bio-physical cause of falling food production in sub Sahara Africa. One approach to halting this decline is Integrated Nutrient Management, INM. In Kenya, INM is being used to make the best ise of local resources and to optimise the effects of external inputs. The INMASP project is using the FFS approach in working woth farmers to develop technologies that can contribute to ensuring reasonable levels of soil fertility and improve food security in the major farming systems in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.
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28 - 29As a response to desertification and long periods of drought in Northern Nigeria in the 1970s, the Kano State Forestry Department designed a programme of land rehabilitation using shelterbelts. It soon became clear, however, that the shelterbelts had design errors and had many disadvantages. Farmers had not been consulted when they had been established and this added to their sense of dissatisfaction with the measures implemented. In this article the authors use the Nigerian experience to stress the importance of actively involving farmers as well as researchers and policy makers in soil management and rehabilitation programmes.
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30 - 31written by Sushila OjhaThe great Thar desert covers much of Rajasthan. 1987 saw of the worst droughts of the century and the irrigation system in the area was unable to deliver enough water for agriculture. URMUL, an NGO working in Rajasthan for the integrated development of the cattle reares, realised the need to try an improvement. A canal, one of the results of URMUL\'s intervention, has brought change and raised the living standards in the area, but more needs to be done.
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36 - 36The subject of a recent CTA seminar, where researchers, policy makers, communication specialists and representatives on NGOs and farmers discussed how information on oil fertility management could be more effectively used.
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