Estimating Soil Loss for Sustainable Crop Production in the Semi-deciduous Forest Zone of Ghana

Quantitative information on soil loss is relevant for devising conservation and crop management strategies to ensure sustainable fertility production. Estimations from runoff/erosion plots are expensive laborious thus requiring the exploration of other less but reliable methods such as modeling. This study aimed estimate current future rates planning toward production in semi-deciduous forest zone Ghana. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), which took into consideration rainfall characteristics area, inherent physicochemical hydraulic properties, variations slopes terrain differences, land cover types, practices, was employed magnitude rate area. Output three regional climate models (RCMs) Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment including CCCma-CanESM2, GFDL-ESM2M, HadGEM2-ES were used impact change erosion results showed that estimated bare soils high ranging 12.7 163.8 t ha ?1 year largely due variation coupled with properties. simulated annual losses under various options variable degrees maize cultivation conventional tillage (8.2–106.5 ), soya bean monocropping (4.4–57.3 low oil palm plantation grass or leguminous (2.5–32.8 ). Evaluation RCMs excellent performance CCCma-CanESM2 GFDL-ESM2M. Predictions using outputs GFDL-ESM2M indicated 9–39% increase expected by 2070, it will be more severe (16–42%) 2100. model predictions indicate adoption site-specific tree–cover intercropping reduced has a huge potential reduce sustain fertility. can an advisory tool mapping areas appropriate cropping systems particular site.