Land degradation unmasked as the key constraint in sunflower (Helianthus annus) production: Role of GIS in revitalizing this vital sector

Abstract

In Tanzania, land degradation has been ranked as the top environmental problem for more than 62 years after independence. Land degradation is a catalyst for poverty increment in rural people’s livelihoods by contributing up to a 48% increase in poverty of this population. This paper highlights land degradation as a key constraint to sunflower production while looking at the potential role of Geographic Information System (GIS) in revitalizing the sector. The review focuses on Tanzania, where sunflower production is done mainly by smallholder farmers as a cash crop and a source of vegetable oil. Sunflower production is threatened by land degradation in the form of nutrient mining that decreases the fertility of the soil, hence lowering its potential. Such degradation is mainly contributed to by continuous crop cultivation without replenishment of the soil fertility, crop removal after harvesting, and low fertilizer input. This calls for the adoption of modern systems of utilizing GIS, in assessing the suitability potential of the land giving the best decision in managing and adopting the right soil management practices for increasing and sustaining the productivity of the farmland concerning sunflower production in Tanzania.

Keywords:

• Tanzania
• declining soil fertility
• integrated soil fertility management
• land suitability assessment
• GIS-based land evaluation

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Agriculture is considered the backbone of the Tanzanian economy with the highest growing rural population. More than 80% of its citizens depend on agriculture as the main production activities and natural resources as a crucial way for their survival, and this large population is located in rural areas. In Tanzania, the demand for edible oil continues to increase annually for both domestic consumption and industrial uses. Among the edible oil crops, sunflower is the main source of edible oil, thus playing a central role in the supply of edible oil. Thus, improving productivity in edible oil production could reduce the large edible oil deficit that resulted from the increasing demand, and thus reduce its importation. Enhancing agricultural productivity could lead to an increase in domestically produced edible oil. Such an intervention would help in meeting both factory and small-scale processors’ demand for raw materials for edible oil production. This will be an implication of alleviating the poverty of the people.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Researchers Supporting Project King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [RSPD2023R751].

Notes on contributors

Emmanuely Z. Nungula

Emmanuely Nungula is an MSc candidate with a research interest in GIS and soil fertility management.

Jayne Mugwe

Jayne Mugwe and Harun Gitari are dedicated lecturers at Kenyatta University with expertise in Integrated Soil Fertility Management.

Boniface H. J. Massawe

Boniface Massawe and Anne Karuma are GIS and pedologist specialists based at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania, and the University of Nairobi, Kenya, respectively.

Anne N. Karuma

Boniface Massawe and Anne Karuma are GIS and pedologist specialists based at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania, and the University of Nairobi, Kenya, respectively.

Sagar Maitra

Sagar Maitra and Naeem Khan are Systems agronomists based at the Centurion University of Technology and Management, India, and the University of Florida, USA, respectively.

Mahmoud F. Seleiman

Mahmoud Seleiman and Turgay Dindaroglu are agronomists from King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

Turgay Dindaroglu

Mahmoud Seleiman and Turgay Dindaroglu are agronomists from King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

Naeem Khan

Sagar Maitra and Naeem Khan are Systems agronomists based at the Centurion University of Technology and Management, India, and the University of Florida, USA, respectively.

Harun I. Gitari

Jayne Mugwe and Harun Gitari are dedicated lecturers at Kenyatta University with expertise in Integrated Soil Fertility Management.