Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
tAble 18.12
Per hectare use of fertilizer in different Regions of the world
Region
1961/62 1979/81 1997/99 2015 2030
------------------------- kg/ha of cropland-----------------------
Sub-Saharan Africa
1
7
5
7
9
Latin America and the Caribbean
11
50
56
59
67
Near East & North Africa
6
38
71
84
99
South Asia
6
36
103
115
134
East Asia
10
100
194
244
266
World
25
80
92
—
—
Source:
Adapted from Bruinsma, 2003.
African Sahel and in semiarid and arid regions of South Asia, Central Asia, and
North Africa. The strategy is to conserve every drop of rain where it falls through
minimization of losses by runoff and evaporation. Important RMPs for conserving
soil water include mulching (crop residues, plastic) to reduce losses by evaporation,
land forming and contour planting to reduce runoff, storing water in reservoirs and
recycling, having a mixed/relay cropping system to utilize water from the subsoil or
growing a short-duration crop on residual soil moisture, and providing the essential
nutrients to enhance biomass production. The focus of soil and crop management is
to decrease losses by runoff (red) and evaporation (blue) and increase green (transpi-
ration) components of the hydrologic cycle.
Irrigated agriculture is a major factor responsible for a high and stable yield in
India, China, Pakistan, and Egypt. However, only 5 to 10% of the irrigable crop-
land area in sub-Saharan Africa is presently irrigated (Table 18.13). Even the future
tAble 18.13
global and Regional Irrigated cropland Area
Regional
1963 1980 1998 2015 2030
--------------------------------------10
6
ha -------------------------------
Sub-Saharan Africa
3
4
5
6
7
Near East, North Africa
15
18
26
29
33
Latin America & the Caribbean
8
14
18
20
22
South Asia
37
56
81
87
95
India
25
39
58
63
70
East Asia
40
59
71
78
85
China
30
45
52
56
60
World
142
210
271
—
—
Source:
FAO, 2001, 2005; Bruinsma, 2003.
