Dryland agriculture refers to agricultural production systems established in regions where crop and livestock production depend primarily on limited and variable precipitation, with little or no access to reliable irrigation. These systems are commonly found in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid environments, where water availability is a major constraint on soil processes, crop growth, and agricultural productivity [1][2]. Their management focuses on conserving soil moisture, improving rainfall-use efficiency, maintaining soil fertility, and reducing land degradation through practices such as conservation tillage, residue retention, mulching, crop rotation, intercropping, and drought-adapted crop varieties [1][3]. Soil characteristics, including texture, organic matter content, infiltration capacity, and water-holding capacity, strongly influence the effectiveness of these practices and the stability of crop yields [2][4]. Dryland agriculture therefore involves the integrated management of soil, water, and crops to sustain production under water-limited conditions while maintaining soil health and the long-term productive capacity of agricultural land.
- soil water conservation
- soil management
- crop yield
- water use efficiency
- rainfed farming
- conservation tillage
- soil fertility
References
- N. Van Duivenbooden; M. Pala; C. Studer; C.L. Bielders; D.J. Beukes; Cropping systems and crop complementarity in dryland agriculture to increase soil water use efficiency: a review. NJAS Wagening. J. Life Sci. 2000, 48, 213-236, 10.1016/s1573-5214(00)80015-9.
- J.B. Passioura; J.F. Angus. Improving Productivity of Crops in Water-Limited Environments; Elsevier: Amsterdam, NX, Netherlands, 2010; pp. 37-75. [CrossRef]
- Muhammad Adil; Fenglin Lv; Tingting Li; Yi Chen; Isma Gul; Heli Lu; Siqi Lu; Lin Qiu; Long‐term effects of management practices on soil water, yield and water use of dryland wheat: A global meta‐analysis. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 2024, 75, e13541, 10.1111/ejss.13541.
- Ismail I. Garba; Lindsay W. Bell; Alwyn Williams; Cover crop legacy impacts on soil water and nitrogen dynamics, and on subsequent crop yields in drylands: a meta-analysis. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 2022, 42, 1-21, 10.1007/s13593-022-00760-0.