Soil Conservation

Soil Conservation
The goal of soil conservation is to stop the degradation of the soil's topmost layer due to erosion or to
stop the soil from becoming less fertile due to overuse, acidification, salinisation, or from other chemical
soil pollution.
The topic has a very high chance of being asked as a UPSC Prelims Environment and Ecology
Question or as a Current Affairs Question due to global efforts on conserving soil.
About Soil Conservation

Some of the less developed parts of the world employ slash-and-burn agriculture as well as other
unsustainable subsistence farming techniques. Massive erosion, depletion of soil nutrients, and
occasionally complete desertification are common effects of deforestation. Crop rotation, cover crops,
conservation tillage, and installed windbreaks are methods for better soil conservation that have an
impact on both erosions as well as fertility. Plants that die decompose and mix with the soil. For
thousands of years, farmers have conserved their soil. In order to adequately address soil conservation
in Europe, programmes like the Common Agricultural Policy focus on the adoption of best management
practices including reduced tillage, winter cover crops, plant residues, as well as grass margins. To
address the erosion issue, additional political and economic action is necessary. The way we value the
land is a straightforward governance obstacle that can be overcome by cultural adaptation. As a carbon
sink, soil carbon helps to slow down global warming.
Various Soil Conservation Methods

Contour Ploughing
With contour ploughing, furrows are oriented to follow the contour lines of the farmland. Runoff is
decreased because furrows shift to the left and right to keep a steady altitude. For slopes from two to
ten per cent, the ancient Phoenicians used contour ploughing. Crop yields can rise by 10% to 50% with
contour ploughing, in part due to better soil retention.
Terrace Farming
Creating almost level spaces on a hillside is a procedure known as terracing. The terraces are like a
succession of steps, each one taller than the one before it. Other soil barriers shield terraces from
erosion. Small farms tend to use terraced farming more frequently.
Keyline Design
The improvement of contour farming known as keyline design involves creating contour lines while
taking into account all of the characteristics of the watershed.
Perimeter Runoff Control

By obstructing surface flows, ground cover, trees, and shrubs are efficient perimeter treatments for
preventing soil erosion. The usage of a "grass path," which both channels and scatters runoff via
surface friction, delaying surface runoff and enabling penetration of the sluggish surface water, is a
unique kind of this perimeter or inter-row remedy.
Windbreaks
On the windward side of a field of agriculture vulnerable to wind erosion, windbreaks are adequately
thick rows of trees. Although, as long as leaves are present throughout the months of bare ground
surfaces, the impact of deciduous trees may also be sufficient. Evergreen species offer shelter all year
round.
Cover Crops/Crop Rotation
In order to cover the ground year round and serve as green manure to replace nitrogen as well as other
essential nutrients cover crops including legume plants, white turnips, radishes, and many other
species are cycled alongside cash crops. In addition, cover crops aid in weed control.
Soil Conservation Farming

No-till farming, "green manures," and other soil-improving techniques are used in soil conservation
agriculture, making it difficult to balance the soils. These farming techniques aim to replicate the biology
of arid environments. They can restore depleted soil, reduce erosion, promote plant growth, do away
with the need for nitrogen fertiliser and fungicides, yield yields that are above normal, and safeguard
crops from drought and flooding. Less labour is required as a result, which lowers expenses and boosts
farmers' earnings. Cover crops and no-till farming serve as nutrient sinks for nitrogen and other
elements. Soil organic matter is increased as a result. Repeated tilling and ploughs destroy the soil's
beneficial fungus and earthworms. Even under ideal conditions, it may take several seasons for soil to
make a full recovery once it has been harmed.
Salinity Management
Irrigating using salty water contributes to the salinity of the soil. The salt is then left behind as the water
is evaporated from the soil. Infertility and stunted growth result from salt's destruction of the soil's
structure.
Below is the list of ions that cause the salinisation of soil:
• Sodium (Na+)
• Potassium (K+)
• Calcium (Ca2+)
• Magnesium (Mg2+)
• and Chlorine (Cl)
One-third of the world's arable land is said to be affected by salinity. Crop metabolism is negatively
impacted by salinity in the soil, and erosion frequently follows. Drylands become salinized as a result of
excessive irrigation and in locations with low saline water levels. Over-irrigation accelerates the pace at
which salts are deposited in the upper soil layers as a consequence of soil infiltration. Given the
extensive irrigation, the use of humic acids might avoid oversalination. Both anions and cations can be
fixed by humic acids, which then remove them from root zones. Lowering water tables can be utilised to
slow the capillary and evaporative accumulation of surface salts by planting species that can withstand
salty environments. Saltbush is a plant that can withstand salt and is widespread in Europe's
Mediterranean regions as well as much of North America.
After the Aswan Dam was built in 1970, Egypt experienced the most well-known instance of shallow
saline water table capillary activity. High salt contents in the water table were caused by the change in
the groundwater level. Salinization of the soil was caused by the water table's persistently high level.
Soil Organisms
A healthy variety of minerals and plant nutrients are transformed into forms that roots can absorb when
worms excrete their waste as casts. In comparison to the surrounding top 150 millimetres (5.9 in) of
soil, earthworm excretes are 5 times higher in available nitrogen, 7 times higher in available
phosphates, and 11 times higher in available potash. More than 4.5 kg of castings per worm could be
produced annually. The earthworm increases soil porosity by burrowing, forming channels that help the
aeration as well as drainage processes. To achieve high yields on degraded soil, synthetic fertiliser is
needed. Lack of structure accelerates erosion and causes the pollution of rivers and streams with
nitrogen. Every 1% increase in organic matter increases the capacity of the soil to hold 20,000.
Nematodes, mycorrhiza, and bacteria are further significant soil creatures. Of all animal species,
approximately 25 per cent live underground. There are significant information gaps regarding soil
biodiversity, as per the 2020 Food and Agriculture Organization's report, "State of knowledge of soil
biodiversity - Status, challenges and potentialities".
Mineralisation
Active soil mineralisation is occasionally done in order to assist plants to reach their maximum
phytonutrient ability. Broken rock or chemical soil additives may be added in this situation. Combating
mineral depletion is the goal in both scenarios. A wide variety of minerals, from more familiar ones like
zinc and selenium to less common ones like phosphorus, can be employed. The stage transformations
of minerals within soil under aqueous contact have been extensively studied. An alluvial plain may get
large sedimentation from flooding. While adding to a floodplain is a natural process that can revitalise
soil chemistry with mineralisation, this impact may not be desired if floods endanger lives or if the silt
comes from productive land.

Soil Conservation

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Soil Conservation

About Soil Conservation

Various Soil Conservation Methods

Perimeter Runoff Control

Soil Conservation Farming

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