Examining the Effectiveness of Catch Crops as a Nature-Based Solution to Mitigate Surface Soil and Water Losses as an Environmental Regional Concern

Abstract

The main goal of this research was to conduct a biophysical, economic, social, and perception-based approach to foresee the solutions that could be used to mitigate the soil loss problem cost-effectively in “La Ribera del Xúquer” district (Valencia Region, Spain). To achieve these goals, a farmer perception survey was carried out, and an assessment of the biophysical impact of catch crops on soil organic matter, bulk density, steady-state infiltration rate (double-ring infiltrometer) and runoff generation, and soil erosion (rainfall simulation experiments) was carried out in 2016. For the biophysical approach, two paired plots, i.e., catch crops vs. glyphosate herbicide treatment (in advance, control plot), were selected under clementine citrus production. The results show that soil organic matter increased from 1.14 to 1.63%, and bulk density decreased from 1.47 to 1.27 g cm−3 after 10 years of treatments using catch crops. They also facilitated higher infiltration rates from 16.7 to 171 mm h−1 and a delay in runoff generation from 149 to 654 s for control and catch crop plots. Both runoff rates (from 50.6 to 3.1%) and soil erosion (from 3.9 to 0.04 Mg ha−1 h−1) were reduced once the catch crops were deployed in the field. After surveying (2018–2019), farmers stated the use of catch crops as a speck of dirt and a cause of possible loss of reputation when used. Moreover, farmers (N = 73) would accept the catch crops as an effective nature-based alternative only if a subsidy of 131.17€ ha−1 would be paid. The survey results also demonstrated that the farmers' community would see catch crop more as a benefit for the planet's health and society. Few constraints, such as ageing of the farmers’ population, lack of education and negative perception for other management factors, are the critical detrimental factors for adopting catch crops as a nature-based solution to reduce soil and water losses. There is a need for an effective agrarian extension service to change the fate of the current agriculture and achieve sustainability by adopting new management strategies in contemporary agricultural practices.

Designing grazing susceptibility to land degradation index (GSLDI) in hilly areas

“…The GSLDI enters the category of GIS tools based on artificial intelligence employed to solve complex issues. Therefore, it suits the analysis of land degradation processes such as soil erosion that integrates numerous factors 123 , 124 . When compared to similar models focused on land degradation, the GSLDI integrates a pastoral activity (i.e., small ruminants grazing) that is the most common farming practice in certain parts of the world.…”

Land-use changes and precipitation cycles to understand hydrodynamic responses in semiarid Mediterranean karstic watersheds

“…Then, a slight increase in the agricultural lands appeared in 2012 and 2018 (2.5% and 3.1% respectively in the mentioned sub-basins). Recent studies conducted in E and SE Spain (Alonso-Sarría et al, 2016;Cerdà et al, 2021a andCerdà et al, 2021b;García-Ruiz and Lana-Renault, 2011) suggest that these recent changes in land abandonment of agricultural areas respond to climate-related factors, topographical limitations such as the occurrence of small landslides, as well as numerous socio-economic factors derived from the reduction of subsidies by the European Agricultural Policies, among others. We also hypothesize that reduction in precipitation already identified in the region (Valdes-Abellan et al, 2017) jointly with the controversy about the use of external water resources from other basins (Molina- Giménez and Melgarejo-Moreno, 2015;Sánchez-Galiano et al, 2017;Melgarejo-Moreno et al, 2019;Ricart and Rico, 2019) could be other two additional factors that are reducing the profits of rain-fed agriculture and increasing the risk of irrigated practices promoting the abandonment of the agriculture in this region.…”

“…Over the world, and especially across the Mediterranean belt, several authors have reported that river basin systems are being affected by high human pressures and immediate solutions are needed (Gassman et al, 2007;García and Cutillas, 2014;Cerdà et al, 2021a andCerdà et al, 2021b). Deforestation, land fragmentation, wetland cultivation or rapid urbanization are some examples of water catchment degradation, resulting in reduced baseflow, drying up of small streams and water wells, floods and water shortages (Andrade and Szlafsztein, 2018;Alonso-Sarría et al, 2016;Gao et al, 2020).…”

Exploring long‐term datasets of land use, economy, and demography variations in karst wetland areas to detect possible microclimate changes

“…The consequences of rapid and non‐planned changes in LUCC can manifest as land degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, species invasion, and decreased ecosystem service functioning in a given region (Shi et al, 2022; Foley et al, 2005; Hesslerova et al, 2012; Jarvie et al, 2008; Jiang, 2013; Piao et al, 2007; Pielke, 2005). Land transformation from original ecosystem status to agricultural, industrial or urbanized uses can have critical consequences (Ceccarelli et al, 2014; Cerdà et al, 2021; Rodrigo‐Comino et al, 2021). Recent investigations suggest that karst ecosystems are extremely fragile, once degradation happens, they are unlikely to recover in the short term (Chen et al, 2020).…”