Sustainability of sloping land cultivation systems in the mid-hills of Nepal

Maintenance of soil resources is critical in the middle hills of Nepal where the majority of the population are engaged in small-scale agriculture. However, the causes of declines in soil fertility are complex and related to social change, meaning that farmers are unlikely to adopt soil conservation...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Land degradation & development 2008-09, Vol.19 (5), p.530-541
Main Authors: Acharya, G.P, Tripathi, B.P, Gardner, R.M, Mawdesley, K.J, Mcdonald, M.A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
erosion
farm income
farmers' attitudes
hills
leachates
leaching
legumes
losses from soil
mulch
mulches
Nepal
nitrogen
phosphorus
potassium
runoff
slope
small-scale farming
soil conservation
soil fertility
soil management
soil movement
soil nutrients
strip cropping
terraces
water conservation
water management
Zea mays
Zingiber officinale
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Summary:Maintenance of soil resources is critical in the middle hills of Nepal where the majority of the population are engaged in small-scale agriculture. However, the causes of declines in soil fertility are complex and related to social change, meaning that farmers are unlikely to adopt soil conservation measures if that is their sole function. In several districts of the middle hills, large, steeply sloping terraces are predominant, so constructed because terrace size is perceived as reflecting wealth and status. They contrast sharply with the flat, narrow terraces characteristic of most middle hill areas. Thus, soil and water management is particularly challenging. This research investigated the efficacy of a combination of legumes, mulch and strip crops in controlling nutrient losses in surface runoff and leachate. Losses of nutrients in leachate exceeded those in runoff by an order of 202 (N), 45 (P) and 27 (K) despite the steep slopes. There was evidence of nutrient scouring associated with soil movement downslope. Income was increased up to threefold as a result of incorporating strips of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) in the maize-based systems. The results indicate that low-input, strip crop technologies are effective in soil and water conservation through the sieve-barrier effect, while increasing farmers' income and hence have the potential to maintain the overall sustainability of this land-use system. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISSN:1085-3278
1099-145X
DOI:10.1002/ldr.858