This prevents the soil from being exhausted by one crop year after year. The different crops are farmed next to each other, such as in rows, and they are rotated every year. Crop RotationĬrop rotation is a system of farming several different crops in succession on the same land. This is an efficient and cost-effective technique, therefore even from a solely economic standpoint, this agricultural method is superior to traditional tilling. Water is better retained in the ground because evaporation is decreased. This has been shown to dramatically reduce soil erosion while increasing the number of beneficial organisms. The sustainable practice, however, entails leaving the soil alone and allowing the last crop to decompose into the soil. Traditional farming involves regular tilling after each crop, thereby disturbing the soil. No-till farming is an agricultural technique in which land is farmed without a tilling process. Fortunately, it’s likely even more environmentally friendly practices will develop over time as advancements in biotechnology seek to improve soil sustainability. The following are five soil conservation methods that are highly effective. Soil Conservation Techniquesįortunately, although there are threats to soil sustainability, there are many environmentally conscious techniques to support it. Furthermore, runoff contaminated with fertilizers and pesticides damage surrounding water ecosystems and the life within them. While they kill harmful insects, they also destroy beneficial organisms that are essential for soil health. The residual chemicals throw off healthy soil balance and render it unsuitable. Plants use only a fraction of the fertilizer applied. While fertilizers are commonly thought to be beneficial, in reality, they create harm in excess. Repetitive cultivation depletes the topsoil and eventually renders the land unbalanced and unhealthy. The process of tilling removes essential micro-nutrients that are vital to life, including phosphorous, iron, and nitrogen. Repetitive cultivation of crops in an area eventually renders soil infertile. Lush, nutrient ecosystems are converted to desert wasteland. Once nutrients from ash are gone, the soil is no longer able to sustain life. This practice is detrimental to soil conservation as removal of trees and vegetation means there are no longer root structures to hold topsoil in place. When the soil has been depleted of its nutrients from farming, the area is abandoned and the process repeated. A layer of ash is created that makes the area temporarily fertile for agriculture. This involves cutting down massive numbers of trees and then burning the residual vegetation. Slash and burn is an agricultural technique that involves modifying wild lands for farming. Slash and burn, land overuse, and chemical contamination are a few of the common offenders. The most significant threats are from unsustainable farming practices. Unfortunately, there are a number of threats to soil conservation. The aim of soil conservation is to utilize various techniques to preserve the fertility of soil and prevent harmful erosion. Topsoil from agricultural areas typically contains fertilizers and pesticides, which end up in water systems where they cause harm to the delicate ecological balance. There are additional negative environmental effects from loss of topsoil. Erosion is problematic because loss of topsoil equates to loss of nutrients that are required for plants to survive. Soil conservation is the process of preventing erosion and loss of fertility in soil. Therefore, it’s vital to also understand soil conservation and its threats, as well as sustainable farming techniques. Soil erosion damages surrounding water ecosystems, which affects the entire planet. Soil does not currently receive as much attention, however, without adequately fertile soil, agriculture would disappear and humanity along with it. There is a lot of journalistic coverage about conserving forests, oceans, and energy, which are all extremely important for the environment. Cross section view of a plant with roots What Is Soil Conservation and What Do I Need To Know About It?
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