Assessing ecological sustainability of wheat production systems: a regional case study in Khorasan Razavi, Iran
Paper Details
Assessing ecological sustainability of wheat production systems: a regional case study in Khorasan Razavi, Iran
Abstract
This study was conducted to compile an index for quantifying ecological sustainability of wheat farming system in the Taybad, Khorasan Razavi. Sustainability include social–economical indices, the amount of fertilizer and chemicals, crops and livestock production, crop residue management, the amount of irrigation water, diversity of agricultural species, mechanization level, tillage and weed management. Average score of sustainability of the wheat production system was 62. Among the studied indices, the lowest scores were related to livestock production (0.89), weed management (2.63), crop residue management (3.90), and diversity of agricultural species (4.4), respectively. The stepwise regression results showed that the most important determinants of sustainability in the wheat farming system were area under cultivation of wheat, farm income, accessibility to inputs and financial supports, diversity of applied pesticides, diversity of crop species, and accessibility to agricultural experts. The results showed that training of farmers, improved crop managements, water resource management and economic stability of farmers had priority to improve sustainability in wheat cropping systems.
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