Yaqui Valley Case Study

Where is the Yaqui Valley located?

Northwest coast of Señora, Mexico

What ecosystem is the Yaqui Valley?

Desert scrub forest

What is the Yaqui Valley used for primarily?

Agriculture

What is the Yaqui Valley bordered by?

Estuarine system

What species does the estuarine system accommodate?

Water birds, marine mammals, fish, shellfish

What is the industrial importance of the Yaqui Valley?

Agriculture

• Wheat

Fish production

• Shrimp

• Sardines

What does the case study focus on?

Fertilizers and nitrogen flow in wheat agricultural systems

What were the case study goals?

Understand why and how farmers were managing crop systems

Identify consequences for the ecosystem

Determine alternative management practices to increase sustainability

What ecosystem concept(s) does the case study relate to?

Nitrogen cycle

Eutrophication

Case study answer

Farmers use high amounts of fertilizer due to having strong traditional application habits to increase wheat yield

Practice ended up reducing wheat yield and productivity

Negative effects of nitrogen fertilizer on the environment

High ammonium and nitrate in soil

Nitrification led to trace gas losses

Eutrophication

Nitrous and nitric oxide losses to atmosphere (air pollution)

Best practice

Optomizing profit and preventing negative effects of fertilizer loss

Address timing of large fertilizer applications

Reduction by not pre-plant fertilizing and applying less with better timing

Deepr issues

Credit unions incentives large fertilizer applications