Long-Term Analysis for Harvest Erosion Caused by Sugar Beet Production in Turkey

Öz

The sustainability of soil resources is under significant threat due to the accelerated anthropogenic pressures at the historical expansion of human population. In this context, soil erosion is defined as a limiting factor for human interests in terms of ecosystem services. As an erosion type, harvest erosion occurs by harvesting of the taproot and tuberous root plants such as sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.) and chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), has begun to take attention in recent years. The objective of this study was to estimate soil loss due to harvest erosion and to economically analyze the transport of plant nutrients between 1999 and 2016 from sugar beet growing areas in Turkey. For this aim, the compiled data of 25 different sugar factories throughout Turkey were obtained from Türkşeker and soil loss estimations were performed and economically analyzed. According to the results, average soil loss rate was calculated as 3.41 Mg ha^-1y^-1 for the studied period (1999-2016). That means annually an average of 716983 Mg soil removed from the Türkşeker sugar beet production areas. This result indicated that harvest erosion represents only 0.9% of soil lost by water erosion in Turkey. But, if tolerable soil loss value considered as “1 Mg ha^-1 y^-1”, calculated soil loss values are above this critical value for all the factories. In addition, economic assessments of soil losses showed that costs are to be more than US $10 000 annually on the 60% of the factories due to removal of plant nutrients with harvest process. And, annually US $419 433 investment must be made to recover all these losses. Conclusively, harvest erosion as an ignored erosion type must be emphasized to the economic sustainability of natural resources in fragile ecosystems such as our country.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Harvest erosion
• sugar beet
• soil and plant nutrient losses

Long-Term Analysis for Harvest Erosion Caused by Sugar Beet Production in Turkey

Öz

The sustainability of soil resources is under significant threat due to the accelerated anthropogenic pressures at the historical expansion of human population. In this context, soil erosion is defined as a limiting factor for human interests in terms of ecosystem services. As an erosion type, harvest erosion occurs by harvesting of the taproot and tuberous root plants such as sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.) and chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), has begun to take attention in recent years. The objective of this study was to estimate soil loss due to harvest erosion and to economically analyze the transport of plant nutrients between 1999 and 2016 from sugar beet growing areas in Turkey. For this aim, the compiled data of 25 different sugar factories throughout Turkey were obtained from Türkşeker and soil loss estimations were performed and economically analyzed. According to the results, average soil loss rate was calculated as 3.41 Mg ha-1y-1 for the studied period (1999-2016). That means annually an average of 716983 Mg soil removed from the Türkşeker sugar beet production areas. This result indicated that harvest erosion represents only 0.9% of soil lost by water erosion in Turkey. But, if tolerable soil loss value considered as “1 Mg ha-1 y-1”, calculated soil loss values are above this critical value for all the factories. In addition, economic assessments of soil losses showed that costs are to be more than US $10 000 annually on the 60% of the factories due to removal of plant nutrients with harvest process. And, annually US $419 433 investment must be made to recover all these losses. Conclusively, harvest erosion as an ignored erosion type must be emphasized to the economic sustainability of natural resources in fragile ecosystems such as our country.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Harvest erosion
• sugar beet
• soil and plant nutrient losses

Kaynakça

1. Anonymous, 2015a. Our Soils under Treat. http://www.fao.org/resources/infographics/infographics-details/en/c/326257/ (Access Date: 25.09.2017)
2. Anonymous, 2015b. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS). Status of the world’s soil resources (SWSR) – Main report. Rome: FAO and ITPS.
3. Anonymous, 2017a. Threats to soils: Global Trends and Perspectives. Global Land outlook Working Paper. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5694c48bd82d5e9597570999/t/5931752920099eabdb9b6a7a/1496413492935/Threats+to+Soils__Pierzynski_Brajendra.pdf (Access Date: 30.10.2017).
4. Anonymous, 2017b. USDA, Foreign Agriculture Service, Global Agricultural Network, Turkey Sugar Annual Report, Gain report, Report number: TR7016 (prepared by Meliha Atalaysun), https://gain.fas. usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Sugar%20Annual_Ankara_Turkey_4-14-2017.pdf (Accessed Date: 19.07.2017).
5. Erpul, G., Saygın, S.D., 2012. Ülkemizde toprak erozyonu sorunu üzerine: Ne yapılmalı? Türkiye Toprak Bilimi Derneği Toprak Bilimi ve Bitki Besleme Dergisi, 1(1): 26-32 (in Turkish).
6. Govers, G., Vandaele, K., Desmet, P., Poesen, J., Bunte, K., 1994. The role of tillage in soil redistribution of hillslopes. European Journal of Soil Science, 45: 469-478.
7. Kaplan, S., Saygin, S.D., Başaran, M., Erpul, G., 2012. Forgotten process about erosion: Soil losses by root crop harvesting. First International Sugar Beet Symposium, 20-22 September, Boğazlıyan-Yozgat, pp. 277.
8. Koch, H.J., 1996. Mo “glichkeiten und grenzen der verringerung des erdanhangs von zuckerru”-ben durch bodenbearbeitung, bestandesdichte, N-Du¨ngung, sorte und abreinigung. In: Proceedings of the 59th IIRB Congress, Brussels, International Institute for Beet Research, pp. 483-497.

9. Kromer, K.H., 1989. Die Prüfung der Reinigungslader in Seligenstadt. Zuckerrube, 38(4): 198-199.
10. Li, Y., Ruysschaert, G., Poesen, J., Zhang, Q.W., Bai L.Y., Li, L., Sun, L.F., 2006. Soil losses due to potato and sugar beet harvesting in NE China. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 31(8): 1003-1016.
11. Oruç, N., Güngör, H., 2000. A study on the soil tare of sugar beet in Eskisehir, Turkey. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Desertification, June 13-17, Konya, pp. 258-261.
12. Öztaş, T., Özbek, A.K., Turan, M., 2002. The cost of soil lost from fields due to removal on harvested sugarbeet: A case study in Turkey. Soil Use and Management, 18(3): 236-237.
13. Parlak, M., Karaca, S., Türkmen, N., 2008. The cost of soil lost caused by sugar beet harvest: A case study for Turkey. Tarim Bilimleri Dergisi, 2(14): 284-287.
14. Poesen, J., Van Wesemael, B., Govers, G., Martinez-Fernandez, J., Desmet, P., Vandaele, K., Quine, T., Degraer, G., 1997. Patterns of rock fragment cover generated by tillage erosion. Geomorphology, 18: 183-197.
15. Poesen, J.W.A., Verstraeten, G., Soenens, R., Seynaeve, L., 2001. Soil losses due to harvesting of chicory roots and sugar beet: an underrated geomorphic process? Catena, 43(1): 35-47.
16. Ruysschaert, G., Poesen, J., Verstraeten, G., Govers, G., 2004. Soil loss due to crop harvesting: significance and determining factors. Progress in Physical Geography, 28(4): 467-501.
17. Ruysschaert, G., Poesen, J., Verstraeten, G., Govers, G., 2005. Interannual variation of soil losses due to sugar beet harvesting in West Europe. Agriculture, Ecosystem & Environment, 107(4): 317-329.
18. Tosun, F., Arslan, S., 2016. 4634 sayılı şeker kanunu sonrasında Türkiye şeker sanayinde meydana gelen gelişmeler. Tarla Bitkileri Merkez Araştırma Enstitüsü Dergisi, 25(Özel sayı-2): 328-333 (in Turkish).
19. Tuğrul, K.M., İçöz, E., Perendeci, N.A., 2012. Determination of soil loss by sugar beet harvesting. Soil and Tillage Research, 123(2012): 71-77.
20. Turkelboom, F., Poesen, J., Ohler, I., Van Keer, K., Ongprasert, S., Vlassak, K., 1997. Assessment of tillage erosion rates on steep slopes in northern Thailand. Catena, 29(1): 29-44.