Hello!

As you probably have already heard, on 5^th December we celebrated World Soil Day. We sometimes forget how important this element of environment is. In many countries, people take it for granted that soil allows to get enough harvest to feed people. However, there are many places around the world where, unfortunately, that is not the case. In this report, I would like to focus on the causes of the loss of fertility of soil and what can be done to improve it.

According to the data presented by UN, one third of soil is already degraded[i]. It means that soil has lost its condition and will not allow growth of any life as effectively as it used to. That means it is not possible to obtain as high yield as it was possible some time ago.

There are many factors which contribute to that phenomenon. Some of them includes natural phenomena, such as wind erosion or gully erosion[ii]. The first one is all about transporting soil from one place to another by wind and the second one is caused by the flow of water. However, there are also anthropogenic factors, which contribute to the acceleration of soil degradation. It includes irrigation. As the flow of water is regulated to allow its supply to the fields, some areas lose its water source. Salt accumulates in soil and results in so-called salinity. The whole phenomenon is called irrigation salinity[iii] Increase of salt concentration in soil decrease the quality of soil and cause a decline of yield of crops. Another example is soil contamination. It can consist of substances from different sources such as mining, waste disposal, pesticides, oil spills etc.[iv] As a result, the growth of organisms in soil is disabled by the presence of artificial and toxic chemical.

There are some changes which you can implement in your local area to improve the state of soil. One of them is compositing. Adding organic matter to soil improves its condition and also to obtain better crops. So, if you have a garden next to your house, you can start collecting leaves which have fallen from the tree, food waste or other green waste in special containers to use them afterwards as an additive to soil in your garden. As a result, you supply additional nutrients and hummus to soil[v]. Organisms will have a better environment to grow and flourish. Change of fertility of soil may be also accompanied by its change in pH. It is known that some plants prefer more acidic soils and other more basic. As a result, pH of soil should be monitored using pH meters and plant harvested should be adjusted to pH of soil. The other solution would be changing pH of the ground; however, that would incorporate the application of artificial means[vi].

Another very interesting way to improve conditions of soil is using grain legumes. These plants fixate nitrogen in their roots, which is vital for plants to grow[vii]. As a result, it is possible to locate these species together with crops to provide a “natural fertiliser”.

The last suggestions are a limitation in fertilizers and herbicides applications and monitoring of waste disposal. Firstly, the doses of chemicals should be reduced so as unwanted plants don’t develop resistance to the chemicals. Secondly, since toxins from waste can be transferred to soil, the location of places of disposal should be considered with a great care in order to avoid the transfer of toxins via ground waters.

In conclusion, I would like to highlight how important soil actually is for our survival. It supplies us with food, with nutrients, but also its state allows us to build stable houses and breath clean air. If soil dries out, small particles are able to detach from the ground. The dust can cause asthma, which is a sever condition for humans. As a result, we all have to start appreciating its value.