Sustainable Farming Practices and Their Impact on Crop Yields in Semi-Arid Regions of Pakistan

Abstract

Sustainable farming practices (SFPs) are being considered as important to improve agricultural productivity, resource-use efficiency, and climatic resilience, especially in semi-arid areas where usual farming systems tend to deteriorate natural assets and constrain production. The paper explores how SFPs namely conservation tillage, precision irrigation, crop rotation, and organic fertilization affect crop productivity, soil health, water-use efficiency, and profitability of farms in semi-arid districts of Bahawalpur, Layyah and Umerkot in Pakistan. Data will be measured using a mixed-methods design 150 farms (75 SFPs adopters and 75 conventional) across three cropping seasons (20222025), triangulated with qualitative farmer interview insights. Findings imply that the adoption of SFP yielded substantial benefits of 37, 28, and 33 percent in wheat, cotton, and sorghum, respectively, along with the enhancement of soil organic carbon and nutrient content and water-use efficiency (by as much as 72 percent). Also, SFP farms realized 3341% greater net returns and less reliance on artificial inputs and increased long-term soil fertility. There were also increased reports of crop tolerance to drought and heat stress by the farmers. These results highlight the transformational potential of SFPs in tackling the combined crises of food security, resource scarcity, and climate change in semi-arid regions of Pakistan. These practices will require policy and institutional support, as well as improved extension services and financing schemes to expand and support a more resilient and sustainable future of agriculture.

Keywords:  Sustainable farming practices, semi-arid agriculture, crop yields, soil health, water-use efficiency, conservation tillage, precision irrigation, organic fertilization, climate resilience, Pakistan agriculture