Soil salinization is a significant environmental challenge prevalent in arid and semi-arid regions, causing adverse effects on crop yields and jeopardizing household food security. Previous research has examined the influence of institutional dynamics and the adoption of sustainable land management practices in bolstering agricultural output, and some have investigated the interplay among socioeconomic determinants, institutional frameworks, and the uptake of climate-resilient and sustainable methodologies, or the association between soil health and agricultural productivity. Yet, there has been a lack of studies that considered this relationship altogether and their role in enhancing soil fertility. We investigate the relationship among socioeconomic and institutional factors, adoption of sustainable land management practices, and the resulting changes in soil fertility between 2016 and 2019 within the context of mixed crop-livestock farms in the three irrigated agroecological zones of Punjab, Pakistan. A household survey was conducted in 2019 to complement soil attributes data collected by the Government of Punjab in 2016. Households that implemented sustainable land management practices between 2016 and 2019 were analysed to investigate the effect of various factors on soil fertility, including the adoption of sustainable land management practices and their influence on soil fertility dynamics. A structural equation model was employed to examine the relationship among exogenous variables, moderating variables, and endogenous variables, to explain their collective influence on soil fertility between the two periods. The key findings highlight the significant role of institutional factors, including access to formal information channels such as extension services, demonstration trials, and credit facilities, alongside secure land rights, in predicting the adoption of sustainable land management practices such as gypsum application, laser land leveling, farmyard manuring, and agroforestry. Furthermore, specific SLM practices, particularly agroforestry featuring intercropping with spp. and farmyard manure application, exhibited positive impacts on change in soil organic matter, albeit with agroforestry showing a negative influence on soil phosphorus levels. The adoption of gypsum and LLL displayed positive effects on soil phosphorus levels over time, contrasting with LLL's adverse impact on soil organic matter. Our findings suggest that soil fertility benefits from policies enacted through public-private partnerships that lead to improved access to sustainable land management information, reduced credit barriers, establishment of local soil testing facilities, and expedited land entitlement processes. These findings highlight the critical role of collaborative partnerships and institutional arrangements in enhancing agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.

中文翻译：

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巴基斯坦旁遮普邦作物-畜牧业混合耕作系统的土壤肥力：制度因素和可持续土地管理实践的作用


土壤盐碱化是干旱和半干旱地区普遍存在的重大环境挑战，对农作物产量造成不利影响并危及家庭粮食安全。先前的研究已经考察了制度动态和采用可持续土地管理实践对提高农业产量的影响，有些研究还调查了社会经济决定因素、制度框架以及气候适应和可持续方法的采用之间的相互作用，或者两者之间的关联土壤健康和农业生产力。然而，缺乏研究全面考虑这种关系及其在提高土壤肥力方面的作用。我们以巴基斯坦旁遮普邦三个灌溉农业生态区的混合作物-畜牧农场为背景，调查了 2016 年至 2019 年社会经济和制度因素、可持续土地管理实践的采用以及由此产生的土壤肥力变化之间的关系。 2019 年进行了一项家庭调查，以补充旁遮普邦政府 2016 年收集的土壤属性数据。对 2016 年至 2019 年期间实施可持续土地管理做法的家庭进行了分析，以调查各种因素对土壤肥力的影响，包括采用可持续土地管理做法土地管理实践及其对土壤肥力动态的影响。采用结构方程模型检验外生变量、调节变量和内生变量之间的关系，解释它们对两个时期土壤肥力的共同影响。 主要发现强调了制度因素的重要作用，包括获得正式信息渠道，如推广服务、示范试验和信贷便利，以及有保障的土地权，在预测采用可持续土地管理实践（如石膏应用、激光土地）方面发挥着重要作用。平整、农家施肥和农林业。此外，具体的可持续土地管理实践，特别是以间作为特色的农林业。农林业和农家肥的施用对土壤有机质的变化表现出积极的影响，尽管农林业对土壤磷水平产生了负面影响。随着时间的推移，石膏和 LLL 的采用对土壤磷水平产生了积极影响，而 LLL 对土壤有机质产生了不利影响。我们的研究结果表明，土壤肥力受益于通过公私伙伴关系制定的政策，这些政策可以改善可持续土地管理信息的获取、减少信贷障碍、建立当地土壤测试设施并加快土地权利进程。这些发现凸显了合作伙伴关系和制度安排在提高农业生产力和环境可持续性方面的关键作用。