Secondary Succession and Soil Fertility Restoration in South-Western Nigeria: III. Soil and Vegetation Interrelationships

1981 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 957 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. O. Aweto
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Secondary Succession ◽  
Fertility Restoration

scholarly journals Organic Agriculture: The logical sequence to modern chemical agriculture in the Philippine context

2010 ◽  
pp. 112-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teodoro Mendoza
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Fertility Restoration ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Yield Reduction ◽  
Logical Sequence

Organic agriculture, which is also described as less fossil fuel-dependent and agrochemical-free agriculture, is now perceived as the logical sequence to the food production systems which are dependent on agro-chemical inputs from production to processing. This paper discusses the situations and factors that should be considered in the crucial process of shifting approaches to food production systems to achieve food security in the new millennium. In the past, farmers shifted with government support to chemical agriculture to produce the food requirements of the burgeoning population. Soils are badly degraded from the use of chemical fertilizer and pest populations are so complex and crop failures associated with no application of pesticides are widely known. Withdrawal from agrochemical use will mean huge yield reduction without soil fertility restoration and any further yield decline is unacceptable both to the farmers and the consumers. The shift to organic agriculture requires soil fertility restoration, breeding/selection of seeds for organic agriculture, adoption of cultural management practices and shifting monocropping to diverse planting, integrated nutrient management and ecological pest management systems, among others. Farmers need full government support to shift to organic agriculture. Moreover, the society or the consumers need to realize that the shift to organic agriculture is for their own benefit, hence, they need to appreciate, understand, cooperate, patronize and put premium value to organic agriculture products. The superior quality of organic products should be appreciated and should be translated to higher price. Organic agriculture production should be complemented with a change in consumer preferences or consumption patterns. It should be translated into a demand that will lead to changes in the supply side thereby changing the agricultural production systems that our Filipino farmers currently adopt.

scholarly journals Soil Macrofauna: A key Factor for Increasing Soil Fertility and Promoting Sustainable Soil Use in Fruit Orchard Agrosystems

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Sofo ◽  
Alba Nicoletta Mininni ◽  
Patrizia Ricciuti
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Fertility Restoration ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Soil Macrofauna ◽  
Soil Biodiversity ◽  
Chemical Action ◽  
Fruit Orchard ◽  
Orchard Soils

Soils and crops in orchard agrosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change and environmental stresses. In many orchard soils, soil biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides are under threat from a range of natural and manmade drivers. In this scenario, sustainable soil use aimed at increasing soil organic matter (SOM) and SOM-related benefits, in terms of soil quality and fertility, plays a crucial role. The role of soil macrofaunal organisms as colonizers, comminutors and engineers within soils, together with their interactions with microorganisms, can contribute to the long-term sustainability of orchard soils. Indeed, the continuous physical and chemical action of soil fauna significantly affects SOM levels. This review paper is focused on the most advanced and updated research on this argument. The analysis of the literature highlighted that a significant part of soil quality and fertility in sustainably-managed fruit orchard agrosystems is due to the action of soil macrofauna, together with its interaction with decomposing microorganisms. From the general analysis of the data obtained, it emerged that the role of soil macrofauna in orchards agrosystems should be seriously taken into account in land management strategies, focusing not exclusively on fruit yield and quality, but also on soil fertility restoration.

scholarly journals Ecologically Safe Architecture of Agrolandscape Is Basis for Sustainable Development

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Ekaterina G. Kotlyarova ◽  
Vladimir I. Cherniavskih ◽  
Elena V. Dumacheva
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Fertility Restoration ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Basic Function ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Biological Capacity ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Central Chernozem ◽  
Landscape Basis

<p>Worldwide, about 12x10<sup>6</sup> ha of arable land are destroyed and abandoned annually due to soil erosion. This problem is very serious for Krasnogvardeiskiy district, which is most eroded district (72.7% eroded lands) in the Central Chernozem Zone (CCZ) of Russia. Under the leadership of the academician of Russian Academy of Agrarian Sciences O.G. Kotlyarova the landscape agricultural systems (LASs) were mastered throughout the Krasnogvardeisky district (132 thousand ha). Our investigations showed that the purpose for which LASs were created is reached. Obtained results showed that it is possible to prevent erosive losses and to raise soil fertility. Restoration of soil fertility is presented in terms of increasing of crops productivity-on 25%. Transformation of a landscape basis has increased the general biological capacity of territory more than twice and exchangeable biological capacity by 32%. All these facts have raised assimilability of the transformed territory that allows to consider it, unlike traditional, not as source ??<sub>2</sub> in atmosphere, and as fixed carbon tank which capacity can reach 0,71 t/ha. In turn the intensification of substances circulation leads to increasing of plant production efficiency. Excess is from 14% (productivity of labour expenses) to 43.2% (use efficiency of PAR). In intensively mastered agricultural district (arable lands more than 80%) agroecosystems have been formed, allowing besides its basic function: soil preservation, steady reception of agricultural production, to carry out also the major biospheric function - increasing biological variety, creation of a favorable inhabitancy for live organisms, including human.</p>

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