Land Economics

Land economics deals with the efficiency of the use of land, soil conservation and irrigation practices. Crop produc­tion greatly depends on land and its productivity.

The cropland  varies greatly  both from  one region to another and within each  region.   Soils are the most important nat­ural resources. Farming destroys them  to some extent, removing, the essential plant-food elements and exposing soils to the effects of erosion. The   latter is the result of the action of  wind and water. Erosion lowers productive value through the   loss of the soil itself and removal of nutrients and organic material. The net effects are: higher cost of tillage and lower income.

Better land use means first of all soil conservation. It includes measures for controlling  erosion, proper rotations to increase the organic matter, the application of fertilizers and manure, proper tillage methods as well as drainage and irri­gation  practices.

The better the soil, the higher the yield. But yields are known to be affected by many other factors as well. Among them  there are: high-quality seeds of the crops adapted to the climatic and soil condition of the region, application of  fertilizers, good preparation of the land, proper rotations, drain­age and irrigation where needed, timely planting, cultivating and harvesting.

Crops being well adapted to the region, better and more economical yields are obtained. Crops should be produced where physical conditions are most favourable for their growth. Thus, it is necessary to study the main physical needs of the crops to be grown.

Proper varieties should be chosen to get high yields. The proper selection of high-producing, good-quality varieties is an important part of high production efficiency.

Of all agricultural practices affecting yields seedbed prep­aration has been found to be the most important. Ploughing is the first step in seedbed preparation. Due to this operation the soil is loosened, better conditions for the crop being pro­vided. The right kind of preparing a seedbed is to get a fine, moist and mellow soil.

Good crop rotations are known to keep up the productivity of the soil. A rotation usually includes: a grass-farming crop, especially one that includes legumes to add nitrogen and in­crease the organic matter of the soil; a cereal and a cultivat­ed crop, at which time manure and fertilizers can be applied. Well-planned rotations increase yields because of their conserv­ing and improving the soil. They increase the supply of or­ganic matter, which has such a good effect on the physical condition of the soil. Crop rotations proved to be highly ef­fective in controlling weeds and diseases.