Shakirah Nakasagga

By Michael Aide, Samantha Siemers Indi Braden, Sven Svenson, Shakirah Nakasagga, Kevin Sargent, Miriam Snider and Marissa Wilson

Hydric soils and prior converted soils are frequently used for agricultural production. Agriculture production and their associated agribusinesses are the chief economic sector; thus, agriculture is critical for rural prosperity. However, the continuous production of grain crops increases the risk of disease and insect outbreaks, which may lead to soil nutrient exhaustion or substantial usage of annual fertilizer amendments, loss of soil carbon, and soil structure degradation attributed primarily to tillage, decrease in biodiversity, and increased soil compaction. At the David M. Barton Agriculture Research Center at Southeast Missouri State University, our focus has been to support profitable agriculture production and environmental stewardship. We have developed a decade-long research program specializing in subsurface controlled irrigation with the gradual development of edge-of-field technologies. We further developed a constructed wetland to address nutrient pollution concerns with confined feeding operations. Pastures associated with the confined feed facility and the constructed wetland have initiated a soil health program. Our evolution has now permitted the David M. Barton Agriculture Research Center to become a regional center to showcase the relationships that support both profitable agriculture and environmental stewardship.

Part of the book: Wetlands

By Michael Aide, Arusha Ijaz, Shakirah Nakasagga and Indi Braden

Rice production systems are central to global food security, supplying a major share of calories for more than half of the world’s population. However, rice production faces increasing pressure from environmental constraints, worsening soil health, water scarcity, labor constraints, input costs and climate variability. Sustainability in agriculture requires integrated approaches that specifically address agricultural productivity, food quality, environmental stewardship, economic viability, and social advancement. However, sustainability concepts in the rice sector are fragmented across agronomy, ecology and economic disciplines and lack a cohesive framework that links all the environmental, economic, and social goals. This review synthesizes recent advances in rice sustainability across biological, environmental, technological, and socioeconomic dimensions. This chapter first analyzes trends in rice production in the USA and then presents a structured narrative review that proposes 13 sustainability objectives aligned with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, with a primary emphasis on United States rice production systems. For each sustainability objective, we look at peer-reviewed studies globally that have agronomic, managerial, technological and policy insights relevant to US agriculture. The proposed sustainability objectives are derived from an assessment of contemporary rice production systems, recognizing existing farming practices that support environmental stewardship while identifying areas where innovations in agronomic management, resource use efficiency, technological adoption, and agricultural policy can further advance the long-term sustainability of rice production. Each country must priortize the 13 sustainability goals, according to their environmental conditions, economic structures, technological availability and social needs to optimize their advancement towards long-term sustainability in rice production systems.

Part of the book: Rice Farming - Food Security, Socioeconomic Development, and Sustainability [Working title]