How can soil degradation be minimized in farming areas

Rinesh says, 'Fiji has a lot of problems which make it hard to grow crops, such as salt in the soil, heavy rain and cyclones at certain times of the year, and a lack of land and space. This results in a high yield over a shorter period with minimum waste. However, hydroponics is a difficult procedure as the conditions require a delicate balance between the elements and needs to be monitored closely. Rinesh says, 'Hydroponics is feasible in Fiji because the knowledge and material are available here.

It's useful for growing really good veggies like carrots, coriander and mint. But the future of farming is aquaponics. Aquaculture is booming in Bangladesh, contributing to the country's overall economic growth. Fish production has more than doubled in less than a decade. If this continues, it could push Bangladesh from being a low-income country to lower-middle-income in the near future. Aquaponics is a man-made system of fish and plants. The fish eat and excrete ammonia which is converted into nutrients by bacteria, and the plants absorb the nutrients, which cleans the water.

This is a natural cycle that happens all over the world. Rinesh says, 'Hydroponics uses a lot of water, but aquaponics recycles existing water. It also produces healthier fish and proteins and doesn't have any negative impacts. The organic process uses a fraction of water compared to soil-based farming. It can also be created almost anywhere from a small back garden to a large, industrial farm.

What's more, both fish and plants can be eaten. Scientists like Silvia are trying to find new, natural ways of managing soil to improve its function. Silvia's research explores mycorrhizal associations, or the symbiotic relationship between plant roots and soil fungi. The fungi help plants extract hard-to-get soil nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen in exchange for sugar. They can also bring additional benefits to their plant hosts and to the environment by increasing plant resistance to drought and pest attacks.

They also improve soil structure as well as the plants' carbon storage and retention of nutrients. The global population size is projected to increase from seven billion today to more than nine billion by Crop production has risen dramatically over the past few decades due to intensive agricultural practices, but this has had a huge negative impact on the environment and cannot be sustained.

In fact, agricultural productivity is now declining because of this, posing a major threat to global food security. Altering our eating habits and moving towards a plant-based diet is something we can all do to help make a difference. More policies that protect the environment against unsustainable practices are needed, and individuals can exercise their rights by applying pressure on the government to prioritise this.

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Smart cookie preferences. Change cookie preferences Accept all cookies. Skip to content. Read later. You don't have any saved articles. By Tammana Begum. What does healthy soil look like? Moisture is known as an important factor for soil to be fruitful by farmers all over the world. Erosion, in turn, facilitates the process of groundwater pollution, and the stiffened structure of soil impedes the flow of water in deeper layers.

The effect of poor drainage progresses erosion due to densely-packed soil and field productivity might be lost due to insufficient levels of soil moisture.

Another detrimental effect of erosion is the increased level of acids in soil as the biological structure is impaired. Once organic masses are thinned-out from the topsoil layers, the soil is no longer able to maintain an acceptable pH-level. PH values above or below the desired ranges undermine the ability of plants and intensive crops to grow. Negligent agricultural activities such as tillage break the soil surface into small pieces.

This issue has been exacerbated by the use of high-end technological equipment. It is interesting to note that tillage influences wind erosion by dehydrating the land resulting in finer pieces of soil that can be easily picked up by the wind. Deforestation is another common practice that leads to soil erosion.

A similar effect occurs during industrial processes e. Bare soil can be easily exposed to different types of erosion. Therefore, one of the primary measures for farmers to take to prevent unwanted depletion is afforestation. Whether the region is a flat or sloped surface, it is recommended to plant trees, grass, and shrubs that protect the area from winds, washouts, and prevent acidification.

Another key preventive measure is that of crop rotation that presupposes farmers never let the soil lay bare. Soil organic matter stratification ratio as an indicator of soil quality. Groffman P. Ecological constraints on the ability of precision agriculture to improve the environmental performance of agricultural production systems. Ciba Foundation Symposium Ju, A. Iowa farmer turns to engineering students for hypothetical help reclaiming valuable topsoil.

Cornell Chronicle Online. Keeney, D. The connection between soil conservation and sustainable agriculture. In Advances in Soil and Water Conservation , eds. Ann Arbor, MI: Chelsea, Lal, R. Soil erosion impact on agronomic productivity and environment quality. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences Langdale, G. Soil erosion effects on soil productivity of cultivated cropland.

Determinants of soil loss tolerance. Special Publication Restoration of eroded soil with conservation tillage. Soil Technology 5. Larney, F. Early impact of topsoil removal and soil amendments on crop productivity. Agronomy Journal Lindstrom, M. Tillage erosion: Description and process. In Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Montgomery D. Soil erosion and agricultural sustainability. New Agriculturalist. Ancient lesson in agroforestry — slash but don't burn. Pimentel, D. Science Schertz, D.

Effect of past soil erosion on crop productivity in Indiana. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Schrimpf, P. Clay Mitchell: Extreme makeover. Shaxson, T. Optimizing soil moisture for plant production — the significance of soil porosity. Re-thinking the conservation of carbon, water and soil: a different perspective.

Agronomie Thompson, A. Trimble, S. Soil Erosion Rates: Myth and Reality. Wilkinson, B. The impact of humans on continental erosion and sedimentation. Geologic Society of America Bulletin Soil: The Foundation of Agriculture. Sustainable Agriculture. What Are Soils? Food Safety and Food Security. Introduction to the Sorption of Chemical Constituents in Soils. Pests and Pollinators.

Soil erosion controls on biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nitrogen. The Influence of Soils on Human Health. Use and Impact of Bt Maize. Aquaculture: Challenges and Promise. Soil Carbon Storage. Soil Minerals and Plant Nutrition. Soil Water Dynamics. The Conservation of Cultivated Plants.

The Soil Biota. Transgenic Animals in Agriculture. Your soil is one of the most important assets of your farming or ranching operation, and losing it through erosion can seriously impact your bottom line. The time, effort, and resources you spend on erosion prevention today is a valuable investment in the future of your business. For more information about preventing soil erosion and overall soil health, check out these online resources:. How to prevent soil erosion. What causes soil erosion Soil erosion is the gradual wearing away of soil surface, which removes organic matter and key nutrients in the process.

Water Soil can also be carried away by rain or irrigation water. There are two basic types of water erosion: With sheet erosion , usually caused by direct rainfall, soil materials are removed uniformly from the top layer With rill erosion , often caused by poor surface drainage, little streamlets of water cause rills and eventually gullies to form.