Document Type : Original Article
Author
Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran; Research Group of Drought and Climate Change, University of Birjand,
Abstract
Introduction:In recent years, a decline in saffron yield has been observed in South Khorasan, especially Sarayan County, due to climate changes such as reduced rainfall, increased temperature, and weather fluctuations. In this regard, adopting climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices as a new approach in saffron farm management is essential. These practices help increase resilience and adaptability to the impacts of climate change and can lead to improved saffron production under adverse climatic conditions. Agriculture, especially saffron plantations, is exposed to climate change. This is serious in the case of Sarayan city, which was one of the main centers of saffron production, and for this reason, saffron farmers have faced food insecurity and job loss or change. At the same time, these areas have faced a remarkable decrease in precipitation and exposure to the adverse consequences of global warming. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices seek to use new methods of saffron management while creating flexibility and adaptability to the effects of climate change and increasing saffron production. This study helps to understand the status of implementation of smart climate on smallholder farmers in the villages of Sarayan city. This study used descriptive statistics to describe the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder farmers and identified the main needs, practices and limitations of climate smart agriculture practices.Materials and Methods: Climate-smart agriculture is an approach to identify production systems that can best respond to the effects of climate change and adapt these systems to local conditions. This study, with the descriptive-analytical method and the use of questionnaires and targeted sampling in 13 villages that have the highest production of saffron, to describe the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder farmers in four villages of Sarayan city and to identify the main needs, methods and limitations Climate smart agriculture is used. The results show that the average saffron farmer is 40 years old, with a family size of 5 people and 21 years of farming experience, and cultivates in a land of 1 hectare. The majority of saffron growers have accepted at least one feature of climate smart agriculture in the management of saffron farms. The most chosen strategies of saffron growers are adaptation, reducing the effect of climate change and profitability, respectively, as solutions to reduce the loss of saffron products during the production season. The most important tools and variables of the study are focused group discussions, key information, observations, and quantitative data which were analyzed using QGIS 3.1 and SPSS 26 software. Surveys were conducted among smallholder farmers in four districts of Barakuh, Saghaleh, and Mosabbi with a population of 9938 and 3270 households. According to this, villages with more than 100 households, whose main livelihood depended on agriculture especially saffron, were selected. Among them, purposeful sampling was used to select 22 rural communities. The Cochran formula was used to determine the sample size, and its reliability and validity were confirmed. Raosoft calculator was used to determine the sample size from a population of 9938 farmers. In total, 323 saffron farmers were selected. Results and Discussion:Our study shows that the surveyed saffron farmers in Sarayan city are partially aware of climate smart agricultural tools and methods and the benefits that should be expected when using them. They have also already adopted some climate-smart agricultural tools and practices, the most important of which has been the use of crop rotation and simultaneous cultivation of two species. Increasing water use efficiency (82%) and increasing farm productivity (81%) were the most important smart approaches. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the needs and motivations of local farming communities and their motivation to participate in climate smart agriculture to develop and deploy more appropriate plans to improve the resilience and productivity of smallholder farming systems.ConclusionThis study reveals that saffron farmers in Sarayan face significant challenges due to climate change but have partial awareness of climate-smart agricultural practices. While simple methods like crop rotation and intercropping have been adopted, more advanced solutions such as soil management and genetic improvements face barriers like limited technical knowledge, financial resources, and local support networks. Success in this area requires a combination of specialized training, financial incentives, and infrastructure development. Focusing on young farmers and strengthening local collaborations can enhance resilience and productivity in saffron cultivation. Ultimately, climate-smart agriculture strategies in this region include improving water management, optimizing soil health, diversifying crops, and strengthening knowledge-sharing systems.
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