Anil, K. and Sachan, B.S. and Prasad, K. (2012) An empirical study of land degradation its magnitudes and casualities. Trends in Biosciences, 5 (1). pp. 47-50.
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Abstract
A modest attempt has been made to study the impact of water and fertilizer intensive agriculture on land degradation, in the specific context of the situation in D.P., where such a technology is known to be the predominant one while the increases in crop production in this region have received considerable attention, possible negative effects of the new technology have by and large, gone unnoticed. Alternatively, it has led to exaggeration of the possible dreading effect of this technology in some circles. The present paper is an attempt in this direction in the context of D.P. It shall postulate that the steady decrease in water logging can be attributed to the changes in level of water flow and use in the region, and salinity to the simultaneous use of heavy doses of fertilizer. The variable, volume of canal water per hectare of cultivated area, number of tube wells per thousand hectares of cultivated area and rainfall capture the moisture related factors and level of fertilizer use per hectare of cropped area captures the fertilizer effect. Two models shall be postulated to explain the variations in water logging and salinity, both over time and between districts. These shall be the ordinary least squares and the weighted least squares based on linear probability model for the year cross-section analysis and pool data for three sets of years (1986–87 to 88–89, 1994–95 to 1996–97 and 2003–04 to 2005–06 respectively) after estimating district level data, on the following four sets’ of variables. Land degradation includes waterlogged and saline land. Recent studies indicate that high levels of salinity are found to occur in regions where fertilizer consumption is high. Consumption of fertilizer per hectare of cropped area is included as one of the explanatory variables in the model to capture this impact. In order to see what impact this increase had on the water balance and hence on the problems of water logging and salinity. The results of both the ordinary least squares and the weighted least squares specifications are reasonably acceptable. All the explanatory variables appear with the expected signs. Which the variables, rainfall volume of canal water and level of fertilizer use, land to increases in land degradations, the number of tube-wells per thousand and hectares decreases land degradation due to water logging and salinity. In the ordinary least squares specification, the variables, volume of canal water per hectare, and fertilizer use, per hectare are significant at the 10 per cent level. Our results show that the new agricultural technology characterised, by water and fertilizer intensive agriculture have had second round effects. Remedial measures that help to limit the negative environmental impact to the minimum should be planned for ideally, water resource planning in a river basin should be based on long run estimates of availability of water and land.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Land degradation, canal water, tube bell, fertilizers. |
| Author Affiliation: | C.S.A. University of Agriculture Technology, Kanpur |
| Subjects: | Atmosperic Science > Meterology Soil Science and Microbiology Statistics and Experimentation |
| Divisions: | General |
| Depositing User: | Mr. SanatKumar Behera |
| Date Deposited: | 27 Jun 2012 13:12 |
| Last Modified: | 27 Jun 2012 13:13 |
| Official URL: | http://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijo... |
| URI: | http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/6301 |
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