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95% of our food depends on soil
Need to prevent threats to food security + production
Need to reduce wind + water erosion + salinization
Need to manage nutrients + limit grazing
Reduce Water Erosion
to reduce loss of fertile land
to reduce flooding, clogging of waterways, and pollution
Use vegetation to intercept rainfall
Use water catchment methods
Improve soil structure + water retention of soil to increase infiltration
Water Capture Methods
Terracing: steps down a hill
Furrow Diking: furrows (trenches) with ridges
Contour Ploughing: plowing down a slope along its natural contour
Strip Cropping: alternating crops between strips, follow contour of land
Buffer Strips: permanent vegetation at edges of fiels
Methods to Improve Soil Structure + Infiltration
Manure: adds nutrients back to the soil (green manure, compost)
Mulch: improves infiltration + reduces evaporation
Conservation Tillage: leave last seasons crops to decompose into soil + protect from erosion
Avoid Compaction: move cattle around, use less machinery
Tilling Methods
Conventional Tilling
loosens up soil structure
soil is aerated + moist
no weeds
leftover crops are plowed into soil
land is clear for debris
CONS: labor intensive, leaves soil exposed to erosion
Conservation Tilling
crop residue left to mulch
prevents erosion
reduced evaporation
increased infiltration
no till = no plowing
reduced labor
CONS: increased herbicide use, difficult to break from traditional practices
Wind Erosion Reduction
Windbreaks
reduces velocity + captures soil
tall trees to break wind
Shelterbelts
creates habitat for birds + other tree dwellers
blocks of trees + shrubs at right angles to deflect wind/reduce velocity
Salinization Reduction
Avoid overwatering (especially when hot)
Water plants at night to prevent evaporation
Improve drainage
Manage nutrient levels
Replace nutrients lost to plants + amend soil pH
grow green manure (crops that add nutrients)
carefully use synthetic fibers
add OM (manure, compost, conservation tillage)
bring pH back to neutral (5.5-7.5)
too acidic soil → plants can’t grow bc excess aluminium ions
raise pH with limestone
Crop rotation on a 3-4 yr cycle
Control grazing
Restrict number of animals in an area
Allow vegetation to recover
Use grassed waterways + windbreaks to prevent erosion