Impact of Climate Change on Dryland Agricultural Systems: A Review of Current Status, Potentials, and Further Work Need

Abstract

Dryland agricultural system is under threat due to climate extremes and unsustainable management. Understanding of climate change impact is important to design adaptation options for dry land agricultural systems. Thus, the present review was conducted with the objectives to identify gaps and suggest technology-based intervention that can support dry land farming under changing climate. Careful management of the available agricultural resources in the region is a current need, as it will play crucial role in the coming decades to ensure food security, reduce poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. Technology based regional collaborative interventions among Universities, Institutions, Growers, Companies etc. for water conservation, supplemental irrigation, foliar sprays, integrated nutrient management, resilient crops-based cropping systems, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture (modeling and remote sensing) are needed to support agriculture of the region. Different process-based models have been used in different regions around the world to quantify the impacts of climate change at field, regional, and national scales to design management options for dryland cropping systems. Modeling include water and nutrient management, ideotype designing, modification in tillage practices, application of cover crops, insect, and disease management. However, diversification in the mixed and integrated crop and livestock farming system is needed to have profitable, sustainable business. The main focus in this work is to recommend different agro-adaptation measures to be part of policies for sustainable agricultural production systems in future.

Keywords: Climate change; Cropping systems; Diversification; Management options; Precision agriculture.

Fig. 1

The four main elements of framing systems research (FSR) (A FSR sensu stricto, B On farm farming system research, C New farming systems development (NFSD) and D Systems Modelling [ Modified from Simmonds, (2008)]

Fig. 2

Factors used to translate worldview concept into conceptualizing research and practical inquiry

Fig. 3

Set of interacting factors (Environment, farmers and farm) for farming systems analysis

Fig. 4

Elevated CO₂ and temperature interactive effect on WUE (Upward arrows show higher impact while downward arrows show lower impact)

Fig. 5

Elevated CO₂ and drought interactive effect on WUE

Fig. 6

Interactive effect of elevated CO₂, temperature, and drought on soil organic carbon

Fig. 7

Levels of diversification both on-farm and off-farm (Duong et al., 2021)