8
secondary salinization may decline as ground water levels fall in line with reduced
rainfall (Karmakar et al. 2016). Moreover, salinization can also be a consequence of
expected climate change, as the rise of sea level and sea water intrusion occur
(Várallyay 2010). Climate change can affect soils build up due to an increase of the
evapotranspiration through the increase in air temperature (Várallyay 2004). Higher
rate of evapotranspiration will increase capillary transport of water and solutes from
the groundwater to the root zone. The degradation cause by climate change was
summarized by Várallyay (2010) in increasing soil erosion and that should be balanced by the increasing soil conservation effect of more dense and permanent
vegetation.
Avoiding soil degradation under climate change through technologies and farm
practices that maintain ground cover to minimize erosion and nutrient runoff will be
important (Karmakar et al. 2016). Efficient water management under climate change
can reduce soil erosion, thus soil degradation. Sojka et al. (2007) indicated that
water management practices, such as monitoring crop water use, increasing application efficiency, timing considerations based on crop needs, soil water storage capacity, as well as water application method and intensity can play a major role in
reducing soil erosion under furrow irrigation practice. Furthermore, intercropping
with legumes can be an excellent practice for controlling soil erosion and sustaining
crop production (Dwivedi et al. 2015). Deep roots of legume crops penetrate far into
the soil and use moisture and nutrients from deeper soil layers, whereas shallow
roots of cereal crops fix the soil at the surface and thereby help to reduce erosion
(Machado 2009). Growing legumes with cereals results in nitrogen fixation in the
soil and consequently increase in soil organic content (Hauggaard-Nielsen
et al. 2006).
Precision agriculture techniques will enable reduced use of agri-chemicals and
water that match supply with demand and limit losses (Cole et al. 2018). Crop rotation can play an important role in reduction of greenhouse gases fluxes from the soil
by more efficient management of carbon and nitrogen flows in agricultural ecosystems (Cerri et al. 2004). An emerging approach to reducing fertilizer requirements
is by reconstituting the nitrogen fixing function in plant cells. This approach relies
on using synthetic biology for direct engineering of nitrogenase into the mitochondrial matrix of plants (Allen et al. 2017).
It is noticeable now that climate change is unavoidable and farmers are already
living with its impacts. Farmers practice adaptation to climate change through simple measures, namely changing sowing date, implementing intercropping systems,
and changing irrigation schedule (Ouda and Zohry 2018b). However, more transformative changes to farming systems will be required, namely changes to business
structure, portfolio management, off-farm investments and geographical diversification (Robertson and Murray-Prior 2016). Advance innovations for increasing photosynthetic potential (Parry et al. 2011), radiation use efficiency or modifying
canopy architecture (Robertson and Murray-Prior 2016) could applied to increase
yield potential, thus reduce food insecurity.
S. Ouda and A. E.-H. Zohry
secondary salinization may decline as ground water levels fall in line with reduced
rainfall (Karmakar et al. 2016). Moreover, salinization can also be a consequence of
expected climate change, as the rise of sea level and sea water intrusion occur
(Várallyay 2010). Climate change can affect soils build up due to an increase of the
evapotranspiration through the increase in air temperature (Várallyay 2004). Higher
rate of evapotranspiration will increase capillary transport of water and solutes from
the groundwater to the root zone. The degradation cause by climate change was
summarized by Várallyay (2010) in increasing soil erosion and that should be balanced by the increasing soil conservation effect of more dense and permanent
vegetation.
Avoiding soil degradation under climate change through technologies and farm
practices that maintain ground cover to minimize erosion and nutrient runoff will be
important (Karmakar et al. 2016). Efficient water management under climate change
can reduce soil erosion, thus soil degradation. Sojka et al. (2007) indicated that
water management practices, such as monitoring crop water use, increasing application efficiency, timing considerations based on crop needs, soil water storage capacity, as well as water application method and intensity can play a major role in
reducing soil erosion under furrow irrigation practice. Furthermore, intercropping
with legumes can be an excellent practice for controlling soil erosion and sustaining
crop production (Dwivedi et al. 2015). Deep roots of legume crops penetrate far into
the soil and use moisture and nutrients from deeper soil layers, whereas shallow
roots of cereal crops fix the soil at the surface and thereby help to reduce erosion
(Machado 2009). Growing legumes with cereals results in nitrogen fixation in the
soil and consequently increase in soil organic content (Hauggaard-Nielsen
et al. 2006).
Precision agriculture techniques will enable reduced use of agri-chemicals and
water that match supply with demand and limit losses (Cole et al. 2018). Crop rotation can play an important role in reduction of greenhouse gases fluxes from the soil
by more efficient management of carbon and nitrogen flows in agricultural ecosystems (Cerri et al. 2004). An emerging approach to reducing fertilizer requirements
is by reconstituting the nitrogen fixing function in plant cells. This approach relies
on using synthetic biology for direct engineering of nitrogenase into the mitochondrial matrix of plants (Allen et al. 2017).
It is noticeable now that climate change is unavoidable and farmers are already
living with its impacts. Farmers practice adaptation to climate change through simple measures, namely changing sowing date, implementing intercropping systems,
and changing irrigation schedule (Ouda and Zohry 2018b). However, more transformative changes to farming systems will be required, namely changes to business
structure, portfolio management, off-farm investments and geographical diversification (Robertson and Murray-Prior 2016). Advance innovations for increasing photosynthetic potential (Parry et al. 2011), radiation use efficiency or modifying
canopy architecture (Robertson and Murray-Prior 2016) could applied to increase
yield potential, thus reduce food insecurity.
S. Ouda and A. E.-H. Zohry