Economic Evaluation of Converting Non- Irrigation Farms to Amygdalus Gardens and its Impact on Soil Properties (Case Study: Dezhkord Village, Eqlid District)

Population growth and more demand for food have imposed pressure on natural resources, one of which is conversion of lands to farming land. For example, in some areas people convert slope rangelands around their village to non irrigation farms since they receive enough rain. This factor accelerates the decomposition of organic matter and changes other physical and chemical properties of the soil and impacts upon productivity of lands. To protect the soil of these areas, government has implemented many watershed management projects, one of which is conversion of non irrigation farming into the Amygdalus gardens. This study aimed to investigate the impact of non irrigation farming on some physical and chemical properties of soil and economic evaluation of non irrigation wheat and Amygdalus gardens was conducted. For this purpose, soil samples were selected out of three types of lands i.e. rangelands, non irrigation wheat land, and Amygdalus gardens and from the depths of 0-30 and 30-60 cm soil with 3 replications. The results showed that the plan of converting inefficient non irrigation farming to Amygdalus gardens improves soil quality (fertility) in this region. . The results of economic evaluation of different land uses showed that the benefit to cost ratio for non irrigation wheat is 0/57; while that of Amygdalus gardens project is from 2 to 3/7; that is about 4 to 7 times much more. So the project of Amygdalus gardens has increased rural financial power.