Soil Fertility Management

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deficits in crop yield. According to Kawasaki et al. (2012), Afghanistan’s agriculture experience problems of water shortages during the latter half (summer) of planting period and wastage of water due to the aging of irrigation facilities and improper irrigation methods. Therefore, the effective use of scarce water resources is an issue of paramount importance. Correlation analysis indicated that crop yield was negatively affected by water shortage in the study area as shown in Fig.2.5 and 2.6. Hence, water shortage can cause reduce water inflow into the Qargha Reservoir. Therefore, Qargha reservoir irrigation potential negatively affected. Karez (Karez (Qanat) is a tunnel system used to extract shallow groundwater) and tube well were the major irrigation water sources in Paghman District.

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Afghanistan’s soils are mainly alkaline, adequate levels of potassium, soil pH (8.0-8.5) and calcium carbonate contents are high. Soil organic matter content in Afghaniatan ranges from 0.2 to 2.5% (Alemi, 2010). According to the of questionair survey local farmers usually used farmyard manure for soil fertility management, mainly made of cow, goat and sheep dung alongside human excreta. Chemical fertilizers were typically applied to the field as broadcasting on the soil and banding around plant roots, application of liquid form of fertilizer was not common in in the study area, it was only used in governmental and non-governmental owned farms.

Hence, local farmers use intercropping and crop rotation in the agricultural field by growing alfalfa, clover to manage soil fertility.

Fig. 2.8 Fertilizer application in the study

As of the results farmyard manure, chemical fertilizers and crop rotation were common soil fertility management practices in the study area. Among chemical fertilizers, Urea used by nearly 96% and DAP by 92% of the farmers were the major chemical fertilizers used for soil fertility enhancement in the study area as shown in Fig.

0%

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Urea DAP/MAP Potassium

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8. Potassium fertilizer was very rarely used in the sudy area, because the amount of potassium in Afghan soil is high due to soil properties (calcareous or alkaline soil).

However, Nitrogen, phosphorous, zinc and iron are the major elements being deficient in Afghanistan soils. Farmers rarely use organic fertilizers such as Chelates (combination of an organic compound with a metallic ion).

2.4.4 Soil erosion

Based on the questioner results farmers faced soil erosion as well as drought.

However, 54% of the farmers were not aware soil erosion impacts. Soil erosion is one of the issues influence soil fertility all over the country and study area, as shown in Fig.

2.9.

Fig. 2.9 Soil erosion effects

Each of crop yield and soil erosion severity was divided into five categories as perceived by the farmers as very high (1), high (2), moderate (3), low (4) and very low (5), respectively. Due to harsh or irregular topography and low land cover, Afghan soils

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Soil erosion effects

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are endangered to soil erosion. The yearly average soil loss rate of the Kabul River Basin was estimated to be 47.4 ton ha^-1 year^-1 and the gross mean yearly soil loss rate was approximately 47.4 million ton year^-1. By producing 57% of the total average annual soil loss, rangelands were the main contributor to the basin. Barren lands by contributing about 38% were the second largest contributor to the overall soil loss rate in the basin (Sahaar, 2013). Land use map of Paghman District shows that rangeland make nearly 68.07% of the total land (low land cover and steep slopes), which increase the risk of soil erosion. Approximatly, half of the entire local farmers responded that they faced soil erosion during crop production, but Majority (54%) of the responded local farmers was not aware of soil erosion effects on their cultivated lands.

Accordingly soil erosion increase the total sediment dischrge to the Qargha Reservoir, which which will considerably reduce water storage capacity of the Qargha Reservoir. Safi et al., (2016) reported that surface runoff causes a significant amount of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and carbon losses from agricultural fields. In case in study area local farmers did not realize the significance of soil erosion.

Fig. 2.10 Trends between perceived vegetable yield and soil erosion severity

y= -0.43x+ 3.86 R² = 0.056

1 2 3 4 5

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Perceived soil erosion severity

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Correlation analysis between perceived soil erosion severity and perceived crop yield showed that there is tendency for erosion to decrease crop yield and crop with an increase in soil erosion severity as shown in Fig. 2.10.

2.4.5 Agriculture extension services

Nearly 80% of the population in Afghanistan live in rural areas, and their life is dependent on agriculture activities. Agricultural education is indispensable for satisfying basic human and animal requirements, such as food, fodder, fiber, and energy, while guaranteeing long-term stewardship of natural resources and the environment.

Agricultural development in Afghanistan relies mainly on agricultural education at the national and international levels. Agricultural specialists and expert farmers apply such education. Scientific and research-based education is implemented through agricultural schools and institutions and their faculties, whereas expert farmers give traditional education through their sustainable agricultural practices. Agricultural education can be an important element for sustainable development of the agriculture sector. Proper management, institutional policies and strategies, research activities, funding, and continuous war and security issues are the biggest challenges towards agricultural education in Afghanistan. For proper agricultural development is needed to focus mainly on sustainable agriculture. Many international and local organizations and institutions are implementing agricultural education to specialists as well as farmers (Sarhadi et al., 2014). According to Catherine, (2011), as Afghan people depend stiffly on the sustainable and profitable agricultural industry for their livelihoods and also for a stable country. Building a robust extension system in Afghanistan will help strengthen its agriculture sector while serving the needs of the Afghan people. Fig. 11 shows the Agricultural extension workers visit to the field. According to Fig. 2.11 the extension workers did not visit the majority (88%) of the farmers. The reasons behind agriculture

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extension worker not visiting the farmers assume to be small number of extension workers and lack of desire. Only 7 extension workers are responsible for the whole district of 150,000 people. Thus, agriculture sector in several parts of the country remains starkly underdeveloped, farmers are uneducated and most of the farmers did not have membership of agricultural cooperative as shown in Fig. 2.12. Megan et al. (2015) stated that little or no agricultural extension support is available in Afghanistan, promoting unproductivity, hunger, and poverty. Nevertheless, as Afghanistan seeks to reconstruct itself, agriculture sector continues to hold perhaps the most significant potential in creating national stability.

Fig. 2.11 Extension worker visit the agricultural field 0

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Fig. 2.12 Percentage of farmers have a cooperative membership

Hence, to solve these problems faced in the study area proper conservation strategies and measure as well as farmers’ education on appropriate soil and water resource management is required to achieve sustainable agriculture. An Insufficient outreach of agricultural and veterinary extension services and poor accessibility of markets for input supplies and product sales are other severe constraints specifically to households in remote areas. (MAIL, 2012). The Soviet invasion was also one of the main reasons which severely affected agricultural extension sector, in terms of programs, organization, personnel, budget, methods, relations with farmers, and transfer of improved technologies (Wesa, 2002).

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