ASSESSMENT OF SOME ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSIONS OF RAIN FED AGRICULTURE IN UPPER NILE STATE SUDAN

Abstract

A substantial expansion of rain-fed farming with intensive cropping, with no fallow r with shortened fallow is widely practiced in dry lands. More pressure was exerted on arable lands due to alarming rate of population growth and the Government policy to wail food for domestic consumption as well as to meet the obligation that Sudan is the World Bread Basket The introduction of passionate and promising rainfall farming has manifested a wide range of unexpected environmental and socio-economic set back, among these were the losses of vegetation cover, losses in terms of biodiversity and genetic erosion. The study revealed that the practice of monoculture led to drastic yield deterioration after 9-10 years of continuous cultivation. The yield decline is attributed to the changes in both physical and chemical nature of the soil. The soil physical analysis revealed that the cultivated soil has greater percentage of coarse particles (coarse and fine sand) and lower percentage of fine particles (silt and clay) compared wit the uncultivated soil. However, the changes in soil texture resulted from erosion, where the fine soil particles were transported away either by water or wind, while the coarse particles remained. It is found that the chemical properties of the cultivated soil were not so poor, but the poor physical properties were enough to reduce drastically crop yields. Other factors that contributed to low yield were farm mismanagement, application of inappropriate technology and climatic factors, where the phenomena of rainfall fluctuation, dusty wind blowing, short intensive storms coupled with prolonged drought spells make crop production difficult under rainfall farming. However, the introduction of mechanized rain-fed agriculture has weakened the 3oil carrying capacity to maintain the life-supporting systems. Most of plant species that were found in the area are replaced by plants never known before, moreover the situation was aggravated by using the tractors and seed-drillers which lead to the formation of hard pans that accelerated the rainfall water run-off and reduced water infiltration. The local communities were marginalized during the distribution of agricultural Schemes, their traditional farms were confiscated and the grazing area shrinked. They were transformed from traditional farmers and animal breeders to seasonal labors. Nevertheless, farmers in the rain-fed agriculture victimized by conflicting agricultural policies and deteriorating yields. They became subject to detention and jail due to the failure to settle their debits with the financial institutions.