Depletion of soil fertility. Explain and discuss the methods for its conservation.
Depletion of Soil Fertility
The strength/power of the soil to provide vital nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) to the plant’s roots, keeping it fresh and alive, is known as soil fertility. When there is agricultural production, the ground needs to be solid and in check. Fertile soil also plays a major role in retaining moisture and maintaining the apt pH value. If the soil underneath the crops is not in the right state, then that might hamper the entire farming.
Whenever the soil fertility components get tampered with, and essential elements are taken away from the soil, without making efforts for its re-establishment, depletion of soil fertility occurs. It is the removal of nutrients and essential components of the soil from itself.
Causes:
The major causes of soil fertility are listed below:
1. Inadequate fertilizer use
2. Total removal of crop and inadequate cropping methods
3. Non-efficient methods of crop rotations
Methods through which the soil fertility can be conserved:
1. Protecting the topsoil by planting trees in the left-over spaces of fields.
2. By implementing crop rotation, through which many different types of plants can be planted on the same field.
3. No-tilling.
4. Stopping to dig unnecessarily in the field.
5. Creating a compacted soil surface.
6. Planting more and more indigenous crops.
7. Adding organic material to provide additional richness.
The technology is working very hard to improve soil fertility. These include:
-nutrient management
-crop residue management
-applications of chemical fertilizers
-agroforestry
Thus, we as citizens of India should work collectively and prevent our soil from losing its rich nutrient values.
– Written By GODHULI MONDAL
Soil depletion or erosion is the process by which the topmost fertile layer of the soil is removed due to any physical impacts such as wind, water, or any animal. Due to this process, the soil loses its nutrition. It also takes place due to some of the human activities, such as deforestation. It can be said that Deforestation is the major problem that is causing erosion. People cut trees for their needs, due to which the roots leave the soil, and phenomena like floods and landslides take place. Even agriculture causes soil erosion, as for agriculture, trees are removed and seeds are sown in the on month of spring, which causes it to be barren in the months of winter. Grazing of animals like sheep and cows also causes soil erosion as while grazing, they remove the plants from their roots. For the construction of buildings, tractors are being driven in order to level the ground, causing the fertile soil to get erode.
There are various impacts of soil erosion. The soil loses its nutrients, which effects the growth of the crops. It also causes natural calamities such as earthquakes and landslides.
There are ways in which soil can be prevented from eroding. The soil should not be left barren instead, grasses and shrubs should be grown on the land. Keep the drainage system of you building our house clear so that the wasted water is not go to the garden, as the overflow of water can cause erosion. Do not overwater the plants. The older plants, which have the roots attached to the ground, are more helpful in controlling the erosion than the plants that are new and their roots are not very strong. Fertilisers and nutrients should be added to the soil in order to maintain it’s nutritional value of the soil so that it can give rise to a healthy plant.
– Written By Kumari
