Scientia Agricola · 2007 · 259 citations · 64 references
EngineeringLand UseSoil Organic MatterAgricultural EconomicsSoil ManagementSoil ConservationSustainable AgricultureSustainable Crop ProductionClimate-smart ProductionPublic HealthSoil SustainabilityClimate-smart AgricultureSoil Fertility ManagementTropical AgricultureClimate ChangeCarbon SequestrationBiogeochemistryAgricultural ResilienceIntensive Land UseClimate Change VulnerabilityCrop ManagementAgricultureDeforestationOrganic MatterAgricultural Emissions
Intensive land use without conservative practices depletes soil organic matter, increases greenhouse gas emissions, erodes soil, reduces nutrient availability and water retention, thereby harming crop productivity and soil‑plant‑atmosphere sustainability. The study aims to evaluate how best management practices can mitigate the negative impacts of intensive land use on soil health and crop productivity. Best management practices, such as conservation tillage, can reverse soil organic matter loss by increasing organic inputs and reducing decomposition, and changes can be verified through soil desegregation and structural analysis.
The intensive land use invariably has several negative effects on the environment and crop production if conservative practices are not adopted. Reduction in soil organic matter (SOM) quantity means gas emission (mainly CO2, CH4, N2O) to the atmosphere and increased global warming. Soil sustainability is also affected, since remaining SOM quality changes. Alterations can be verified, for example, by soil desegregation and changes in structure. The consequences are erosion, reduction in nutrient availability for the plants and lower water retention capacity. These and other factors reflect negatively on crop productivity and sustainability of the soil-plant-atmosphere system. Conversely, adoption of "best management practices", such as conservation tillage, can partly reverse the process - they are aimed at increasing the input of organic matter to the soil and/or decreasing the rates at which soil organic matter decomposes.
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