An Evaluation Of Farm Management Strategies Under Drought Conditions

Drought is an insidious hazard of nature. It originates from a deficiency of precipitation that results in a water shortage for some activity or some group. Africa has suffered the most dramatic impacts from drought during the past several decades the recent droughts in the southern and eastern portions of the continent are testimony to that fact. However, the vulnerability of all nations to extended periods of water shortage has been underscored again and again during this same time period. In the past decade alone, droughts have occurred with considerable frequency and severity in most of the developed and developing world. Significant parts of North and South America, Australia, Europe, and Asia have been plagued recently by extended periods of severe drought, often resulting in far-reaching economic, social, and environmental consequences. In the western United States, for example, vast areas are facing the prospects of a sixth or seventh consecutive year of drought in 1993. Concern by members ofthe scientific and policy communities about the inability of governments to respond in an effective and timely manner to drought and its associated impacts exists worldwide. Numerous "calls for action" for improved drought planning and management have been issued by national governments, professional organizations, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and others. The United Nations' International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (lDNDR) is yet another example of an international call for action to reduce the impacts that result from drought and other natural hazards.

At last, integrated management of drought on farms is dealt with in one comprehensive book. Although drought is a highly variable, near-universal natural phenomenon which has repercussions on a country's water and food supplies and many other sectors of the economy, there are many ways of avoiding, resisting and mitigating the effects of drought. Pro-active preparedness entails using the principles of risk management to upgrade the drought resistance of a farm systematically, and to have auxiliary contingency plans at the ready for use during unusually long droughts. The book provides tools for these strategies as it covers the management of water, soils, crops, rangeland, fodder and livestock, and many other drought-related topics. Audience: This book will be an important source of information for university and college staff and students in agricultural sciences, water and land use, environmental management, geography and risk management, and also farmers, agricultural advisors and policy makers.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the multiple strategies that plants have developed to cope with drought, one of the most severe environmental stresses. Experts in the field present 17 chapters, each of which focuses on a basic concept as well as the latest findings. The following major aspects are covered in the book: · Morphological and anatomical adaptations · Physiological responses · Biochemical and molecular responses · Ecophysiological responses · Responses to drought under field conditions The contributions will serve as an invaluable source of information for researchers and advanced students in the fields of plant sciences, agriculture, ecophysiology, biochemistry and molecular biology.

Australia is the only country on the planet that has a non-annual climate cycle and this poses real challenges for an agricultural sector based on practices which were developed for the relative predictability of a European climate. Since 1989 official Government policy in Australia has moved towards acceptance of this reality and rejected the notion that drought is a natural disaster in favour of a policy approach based on risk management.

Natural hazard induced disasters (NHID), such as floods, droughts, severe storms, and animal pests and diseases have significant, widespread and long lasting impacts on agricultural sectors around the world. With climate change set to amplify many of these impacts, a “business as usual” approach to disaster risk management in agriculture cannot continue if we are to meet the challenges of agricultural productivity and sustainability growth, and sustainable development. Drawing from seven case studies – Chile, Italy, Japan, Namibia, New Zealand, Turkey and the United States – this joint OECD?FAO report argues for a new approach to building resilience to NHID in agriculture. It explores the policy measures, governance arrangements, on?farm strategies and other initiatives that countries are using to increase agricultural resilience to NHID, highlighting emerging good practices. It offers concrete recommendations on what more needs to be done to shift from coping with the impacts of disasters, to an ex ante approach that focuses on preventing and mitigating the impacts of disasters, helping the sector be better prepared to respond to disasters, and to adapt and transform in order to be better positioned for future disasters.

This volume include over 30 chapters, written by experts from around the world. It examines drought and all of the fundamental principles relating to drought and water scarcity. It includes coverage of the causes of drought, occurences, preparations, drought vulnerability assessments, societal implications, and more.

Using accessible farming practices to meet the growing demands on agriculture is likely to result in more intense competition for natural resources, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and further deforestation and land degradation, which will in turn produce additional stress in the soil-water-plant-animal continuum. Stress refers to any unfavorable force or condition that inhibits customary functioning in plants. Concurrent manifestations of different stresses (biotic and abiotic) are very frequent in the environment of plants, which consequently reduces yield. Better understanding stress not only changes our perspective on the current environment, but can also bring a wealth of benefits, like improving sustainable agriculture and human beings’ living standards. Innovative systems are called for that protect and enhance the natural resource base, while increasing productivity via ‘holistic’ approaches, such as agroecology, agro-forestry, climate-smart agriculture and conservation agriculture, which also incorporate indigenous and traditional knowledge. The book ‘New Frontiers in Stress Management for Durable Agriculture’ details the current state of knowledge and highlights scientific advances concerning novel aspects of plant biology research on stress, biotic and abiotic stress responses, as well as emergent amelioration and reclamation technologies to restore normal functioning in agroecology.