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Soil conservation practices |
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by Prayash Pathak (Chalise) | 15-02-2019 00:52
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Some of the soil conservation practices to protect the soil from hazards of soil erosion and degradation are listed below:
1. Manuring and fertilization •A vigorously growing crop that produces high yields and cover the ground quickly and thoroughly requires a soil well supplied with nutrients. A vigorous grow of crop plants is the best insurance against excessive erosion. So soil fertility is a key factor in soil and wat r conservation. By maintaining high soil fertility, many conditions which help reduce runoff and erosion are automatically achieved. Fertile soils also produce high yielding crops. For this reason the use of fertilizers and manure when needed should be given first consideration when developing a conservation program. 2.Mulching: A protective vegetative covering of grass, crop residues or other materials can also be spread over or left on the ground between rows of crops or around the trunks of trees. To be effective, mulch should cover approx .75 percent of the soil surface. Under general conditions, 0.5kg rice straw/m 2 or 0.8kg corn stalk/m 2 is recommended to provide adequate erosion control. 3. Conservation tillage Conservation tillage as opposed to conventional tillage. Various forms of conservation tillage are 1.reduced tillage 2.minimum tillage 3.Mulch tillage 4.zero or no tillage 5.Strip or Zone Tillage (Precision Tillage) Reduced Tillage: Any tillage or planting system that keeps at least 30% of residues on the surface. Minimum Tillage: This method leaves the inter-row area untilled. use of either herbicides or farm implements to kill or remove the above ground vegetation, followed by tillage to open only a narrow seed-bed or hole where the seeds are to sown. No Tillage or Zero Tillage: soil surface is undisturbed prior to planting, but weed is controlled primarily by herbicides. Strip or Zone Tillage (Precision Tillage): Soil is undisturbed before planting time. Narrow and shallow tillage (rotary or chisel plough) is applied to row/strip. This leaves the intervening soil area uncultivated. Herbicides and cultivation done to control weeds. About 1/3rdof soil surface is tilled at planting time. Examples include plough-planting, and wheel-track planting. Mulch tillage: Soil surface is disturbed by tillage prior to planting, but at least 30% residues left at or near the surface. Herbicides and cultivation is done to control weeds. Tools like chisels, disks or sweeps are used. 4. Cover crop management They consist of plants that are similar to the forage crops. They can provide soil protection during the time of the year between growing seasons for annual crops. E.g., Mung-beangrown after harvest of wheat and before transplanting of rice. Conserve soil moisture, fix atmos. N in legume roots, reduce N emission and reduce ET on dry areas; whereas, it would create surface roughness to reduce runoff velocity and soil erosion in high rainfall areas. 5. Strip cropping Crops are grown in strips or bands at right angles to the slope of the land. Row crops (erosion permitting) and close crops (erosion resisting) are grown on alternate strips to reduce the speed of runoff water coming from erosion permitting strips, reduce runoff volume and increase infiltration rate. It is imp. that planting be rotated annually. 6. Crop rotation Crops in rotation may be cereals, legumes, a grass or grass-legume mixture. Cereals (row crops) expose the soil to max. erosion, small grain crops allow less erosion and grass legume mixtures effectively control erosion. Thus crop rotation also help to maintain soil productivity thus 1.Choosing a right kind of crop rotation can provide high degree of soil protection, e.g., crop-legume rotation system. 2.Legumes in rotation leave crop resides which add organic matter, N and improve soil structure. 7. Afforestation and Controlled grazing In the presence of adequate ground cover, both the detaching and transporting power of rainfall and wind are minimized. Grasses, trees, and other plants hold soil in place, slow run-off, and allow water to infiltrate into the soil. Therefore, afforestation in degraded forest and in open spaces would help control soil erosion. Similarly, on range and pasture lands, animal grazing should be kept within the carrying capacity of the land to reduce soil erosion. Overgrazingis a common phenomenon in most range lands which poses threat to soil erosion. |
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4 Comments
Hello prayash
I hope you are doing well
Thank you so much for this report
Green cheers
Regards
Asmita Gaire
Posted 12-05-2020 18:44
Hello Prayash
Thanks for sharing 7 points in how agriculture methods could help preserve soil condition!
Thanks for the report :)
Posted 19-02-2019 19:10
Hello Prayash, dividing down a whole process of farming and tillage into specific types and sections may help people to devote themselves a bit more into preserving soil fertility and its natural characteristic, rather than spraying down chemical materials all around to save it.
Thanks for your report!
Posted 19-02-2019 17:22
As a agriculture student, you have written very well report about soil conservation.
Thank you for your information :)
Posted 18-02-2019 00:57