Healthy soil has numerous benefits such as providing us with clean air and water, sustaining crops and forests, providing grazing lands, harboring wildlife, as well as gracing us with beautiful landscapes. Healthy soil is determined by a variety of organisms known as soil biodiversity. This includes fungi, bacteria, protozoa, worms, insects, and other vertebrates and invertebrates. Soil biodiversity controls the productivity of the land. It is crucial since it affects the regulation of climate change as well as the provision of water and food. Our planet is currently facing the loss of soil biodiversity. Research reveals that about a third of the world’s land has already been degraded. It is said that two-thirds of this degradation is accredited to the agricultural sector. This is predominantly because of land degradation caused by intensive agricultural production that is chemically fueled. Therefore, it is imperative that we conserve as much healthy soil as possible.
We have listed a few ways that can conserve healthy soil.
Practice No-Till Farming
No-till farming is an agricultural approach for growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage. No-Till Farming helps reduce soil erosion. This technique makes it possible to continue farming while ensuring that healthy soil is conserved. No-till farming allows crops to remain in place for a season, preventing the soil from being left unprotected and bare.
Use Buffer Strips
Buffer strips are areas of land maintained in permanent vegetation that helps to control soil, water, and air quality. They help with other environmental problems, especially agricultural land. Buffer strips reduce and filter storm runoff water while helping the soil stay intact. Buffer strips can be created with trees, shrubs, and grass. They are one of the efficient ways of helping prevent further soil erosion.
Use Concrete Surfaces
Soil requires sufficient water to function properly and remain healthy. Concrete surfaces in residential areas impede with water filtration and make it challenging for water to get to the soil. It is recommended that you use paving stones for gardens and yard to protect your soil. Concrete surfaces are excellent material for preventing soil erosion in particular areas.
Plant Windbreak Areas
Windbreaks are linear plantings of trees, plants and shrubs designed to provide, environmental, communal and economic benefits. Windbreaks have been proven to be effective in reducing winds from causing soil erosion. Windbreaks also reduce the drying effects of wind on soil and trees, plants and shrubs. They also help prevent the abrasive action rapidly moving soil particles have on young tender seedlings.
Plant Trees to Secure Topsoil
Planting trees prevents soil erosion and secures the topsoil. As the tree develops, its roots will additionally help anchor the soil once they take hold, securing the soil beneath from water runoff. Planting grass and other shrubs in bare spots in your yard also helps conserve healthy soil. The foliage will absorb excess water and protect the topsoil from the impact of heavy rain, strong wind, and foot traffic. Grass and tree roots also draw nutrients from deep in the soil closer to the surface, improving the quality of the topsoil. If you are considering planting trees to help conserve soil, do not hesitate to contact www.justtrees.co.za and we will help you select the best trees for your environment.
Forest Protection
Our forests are in serious danger, they have been exploited for years due to commercial activity. Unprotected forests are one of the highest contributors of unhealthy soil. We need to encourage our governments to protect our forest as well as support companies that are more environmentally friendly and partake in responsible forest conservation practices. For example, construction companies can conserve soil by ensuring these forests are protected and partake in reforestation when cutting down trees.
Practice Crop Rotation
The way you plant your crops has an impact on your soil, but crop rotation will help conserve soil. Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of diverse types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons. It is done by planting and growing a series of different crops in the same soil. Rotating different crops year after year adds various environmental and economic benefits since it reduces reliance on one set of nutrients, and the probability of developing resistant pests and weeds.
Use Mulch
Mulch is one of the greatest conservation tools that can be used for soil protection. It also adds an aesthetic effect to landscape projects. Mulch helps prevent soil erosion caused by the wind. It is also effective in helping the soil to retain the much-required water. It is recommended that you spread a thin layer of mulch around the base of thriving plants during peak growing season as the mulch will keep the soil from being exposed to wind and water while preserving important nutrients and moisture in the soil at the root-level.
These are just a few ways to conserve healthy soil, other ways include terrace planting, watering the soil, maintaining the pH levels, adding earthworms, monitoring grazing, and planting indigenous plants. It is obviously better to avoid soil degradation in the first place, by adopting sustainable land management practices and sustainably managing agricultural landscapes. If we want to truly make an impact in conserving healthy soil, we need to make an appeal to our governments to support land users in adopting sustainable land management practices. This can be easily done through subsidies and other incentives. Governments should also endorse private investment in sustainable land management, for instance by facilitating finance opportunities for small and medium agribusinesses that engage in sustainable land management. It is up to us to ensure that we promote land management practices which restore or preserve soil biodiversity and most importantly encourage our governments to enforce it in their environmental policies and legislation.