A recipe for sustainable agriculture in drylands

Abstract

About 47% of the earth's land area is classified as dryland, wherein the farming system is characterized by an annual rainfall of approximately 300 - 500mm, with much of the rainfall in the spring and early summer. The low rainfall, which is not only insufficient but irregular, constitutes a major challenge to profitable farming in dry areas. Meeting this challenge in the years ahead will require a more sustainable product per unit area of land, conservation and rational use of natural resources, protection of the environment, improved management practices, cost-effective technologies, and favorable government policies and incentives for farmers to increase their productivity. In this review, we discuss the major ingredients essential for sustainable dryland agriculture which include: efficient use of water, seeding at rates corresponding to the soil water supply, management practices that minimize water loss and soil erosion, managing soil fertility and organic matter, selection of suitable crop species and management of pests. We conclude that an approach integrating scientific technologies with indigenous farming methods offers the best hope for sustainable agriculture in the drylands of the world.