Modelling of soil nutrient budgets: an assessment of agricultural sustainability in Nepal
Abstract
Abstract. Sustaining soil fertility under agricultural intensification and expansion onto marginal lands is a significant challenge in the Nepalese Middle Mountains. In a detailed watershed study it was shown that the overall soil fertility is poor, forest soils display the poorest conditions as a result of biomass removal, and sustaining agriculture is questionable due to the transformation from traditional to multiple cropping systems. Parent material is a significant factor influencing low phosphorus status while insufficient inputs create deficiencies in total carbon, nitrogen and bases. A nutrient budget model was developed to assess inputs, redistribution and losses relative to soil fertility. Yield, input and management data obtained from farm interviews, and soil analysis data were used in the calculation of nutrient budgets. Results from modelling indicate declining soil fertility under rainfed agriculture, forest and rangelands, and marginal conditions under irrigated agriculture subject to intensive cultivation. Nutrient deficits were relatively low for irrigated rice‐wheat systems, which benefit from nutrient inputs via sediments and irrigation waters, but the introduction of triple cropping showed greater deficits. Nutrient balances were most critical under rainfed maize production where 94% of the farms were in deficit. Current shortages of organic matter make elimination of nutrient deficits problematic but improvement of composting, biological N‐fixation and fertilizer efficiency and reducing erosion were found to be potential options.
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In Nepal, soils are often moderately acidic showing low nitrogen, phosphorous and exchangeable base concentrations.
“In Nepal, soils are often moderately acidic showing low nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and exchangeable base concentrations (Brown et al., 1999;Schreier et al., 1994).”
From Biochar improves maize growth by alleviation of nutrient stress in a moderately acidic low-input Nepalese soil (2018) · cites this paper as Brown et al., 1999
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Pandit, N. R., Mulder, J., Hale, S. E., Martinsen, V., Schmidt, H. P., & Cornelissen, G. (2018) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.022 · Cited by 227 · see citing works
- Authors
- Brown, S., Schreier, H., Shah, P. B., & Lavkulich, L. M.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (NP)
- Corresponding author
- Brown, S.
- ORCID
- Brown, S.
- Venue
- Soil Use and Management
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1999-06
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 101-108
- ISSN
- 0266-0032 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-2743
- OpenAlex
- W2005142473
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 6.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Soil Use and Management (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Agricultural Science and Fertilization
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Keywords
- soil fertility, sustainable agriculture, nutrient balance, nutritional deficiency, rainfed maize, triple cropping, marginal land, forest soils, rangeland, parent material, phosphorus deficiency, organic matter, composting, nitrogen fixation, fertilizer use efficiency, soil erosion, watershed research
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