Page 2 :
DEFINTION, • SOIL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE ON WICH AGRICULTURE IS BASED., • PROPER MANAGEMENT OF THIS VALUABLE RESOURCE IS VITAL TO SUSTAIN LONG TERM AGRICULTURE PRODUCTIVITY., • UNFORTUNATELY, SOIL EROSION IS USUALLY IDENTIFIED AS A PROBLEM WHEN CHANNELS ARE CUT THROUGH FIELDS THAT ARE, SO DEEP THAT THEY RESTRICT CULTIVATION PRACTICES., • IN FACT, SOIL EROSION OCCURS A UNSUSTAINABLE LEVELS WHEN SMALL RILLS ARE RECOGNIZABLE IN A FIELD., • SOIL EROSION IA NOT ONLY A PROBLEM OF THE FARMER, WITH THE LOSS OF ORGANIC MATTER & FERTILITY, IT IS ALSO AN, ENVIRONMENT PROBLEM., • SEDIMENT ENTERING STREAMS CAN DESTROY FISH HABITAT & WATER QUALITY WHEN SOIL PARTICLES CONATIN, CONTAMINANTS SUCH AS PESTICIDES OR NUTRIENTS.
Page 3 :
SOIL CONSERVATION, , SOIL CONSERVATION PRACTICES ARE TOOLS THE FARMER CAN USE TO PREVENT SOIL, DEGRADATION & BUILD ORGANIC MATTER., THESE PRACTICES INCLUDE:, CROP ROTATION, , REDUCED TILLAGED, MULCHING, COVER CROPPING, CROSS SLOPE FARMING
Page 4 :
CONTINUES…, • THE FARMERS IN THE DRIER PARTS OF GUJARAT, HARYANA, PUNJAB, RAJASTHAN HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PROTECTED THEIR, FIELDS FROM SOIL EROSION BY PLANTING ROWS OF TREES TO REDUCE THE VELOCITY OF WINDS WHICH CONTINUALLY ERODE, SOIL COVER., • SOIL CONSERVATION INCLUDES REDUCTION IN SOIL EROSION, AFFORESTATION, RATIONAL UTILISATION OF SOILS & WAYS TO, ENCHANCE THEIR SUSTAINABILITY., • SOME OF THE IMPORTANT STEPS WHICH CAN GO A LONG WAY IN THE CONSERVATION OF SOILS ARE AS UNDER:
Page 5 :
A) AFFORESTATION, , TREE PLANTATION HELPS IN THE REDUCTION OF SOIL EROSION., TREES REDUCE THE INTENSITY OF RUNOFF & INCREASE THE SEEPAGE OF, WATER TO THE UNDERGROUND WATER TABLE., SOCIAL FORESTRY CAN BE DEVELOPED ALONG THE BANKS OF RIVERS,, CANALS, LAKES, ROADS & RAILWAY TRACKS.
Page 6 :
B) RESTRICTION ON THE, FALLING OF TREES, , APART FROM AFFORESTATION, IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO CHECK THE, INDISCRIMINATE FELLING OF TREES., PEOPLE’S AWARNESS THAT RESULTED IN THE LAUNCH OF THE CHIPKO, MOVEMENT CAN HELP IN ACHIEVING THIS OBJECTIVE.
Page 7 :
C) CONTROL OF FLOODS, , IN INDIA, THE PROBLEM OF SOIL EROSION IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH, FLOODS., THE FLOODS GENERALLY OCCURS DURING THE RAINY SEASON, EFFORTS, THEREFORE , MEED TO BE MADE FOR THE STORAGE OF FLOOD, WATER OR THE DIVERSION OF ADITIONAL RAIN WATER., EXAMPLE: THE INTER LINKING OF RIVERS CAN BE OF IMMENSE HELP IN THIS, DIRECTION
Page 8 :
D)RECLAMATION OF RAVINE &, BADLANDS, , RECLAMATION OF GULLIES & RAVINES IS ALSO NECESSARY TO OVERCOME, THE PROBLEM OF SOIL EROSION, SEVERAL SUCH SCHEMES INVOLVING PLUGGING OF GULLY MOUTHS,, CONSTRUCTION OF BUNDS ACROSS THE GULLIES, LEVELLING OF GULLIES,, AFFORESTATION, RESTRICTION ON GRAZING ARE UNDER, IMPLEMENATATION IN THE CHAMBAL RAVINES OF MP, UP & RAJASTHAN
Page 9 :
E) SHELTER BELTS, , SHLETER BELTS ARE ROWS OF TREES , USUALLY ALONG FENCE LINES., IT IS THE METHOD OF SOIL CONSERVATION IN THE COASTAL & DRY, REGIONS.
Page 10 :
F) MULCHING, , MULCH IS SIMPLY A PROTECTIVE LAYER OF A MATERIAL THAT IS SPREAD, ON TOP OF THE SOIL., IT HELPS TO RETAIN SOIL MOISTURE
Page 11 :
G) NO TILLAGE FARMING, , GROWING OF CROPS WITHOUT REMOVING THE EXISTING PLANT COVER, & PREVIOUS CROP RESIDUE.
Page 12 :
H) TERRACE CULTIVATION, , TERRACE CULTIVATION IS A METHOD OF GROWING CROPS ON THE SIDES, OF HILLS OR MOUNTAINS BY PLANTING ON GRADUATED TERRACES BUILT, INTO THE SLOPE., THOUGH LABOUR INTENSIVE, THE METHOD HAS BEEN EMPLOYED, EFFECTIVELY TO MAXIMISE ARABLE LAND AREA IN VARIABLE TERRAINS &, TO REDUCE SOIL EROSION
Page 13 :
I) CONTOUR CROPPING, , PLOUGHING & PLANTING ALONG THE CONTOURS OF THE LAND, SO THAT, WATER CANNOT RUNOFF THE SOIL EASILY
Page 14 :
J) STRIP CROPPING, , ALTERNATE STRIPS OF CLOSE GROWING CROPS & REGULAR CROPS ( SUCH, AS CORN, COTTON, POTATOES), THE STRIPS OF CLOSE GROWING PLANTS, SLOW WATER RUNOFF & WHEN, COMBINED WITH CONTOUR CROPPING CAN REDUCE SOIL EROSION BY, 75%
Page 15 :
K) MINIMUM TILLAGE FARMING, , SHALLOW PLOUGHING ONLY TO THE DEPTH NEEDED TO ENSURE QUICK, SEED GERMINATION & LEAVING CROP RESIDUES & GROUND LITTER TO, PROTECT THE SOIL.
Page 16 :
L) RECLAMATION OF SALINE &, ALKALINE SOIL, , THE SALT & ALALINE AFFECTED AREA IN THE COUNTRY IS MORE THAN 80, LAKH HECYARES., THIS LAND NEEDS RECLAMATION, APPLICATION OF COW DUNG & GYPSUM ARE QUITE HELPFUL IN THE, RECLAMATION OF SALT AFFECTED SOILS
Page 17 :
M) RESTORATION OF LONG, FALLOW, , THERE ARE 96 LAKH HECTARES OF FALLOW LAND., THIS OLD FALLOW LAND CAN BE BROUGHT UNDER CULTIVATION,, GRAZING WHICH SHALL BE HELPFUL IN THE REDUCTION OF SOIL EROSION
Page 18 :
N) RESTRICTION ON SHIFTING, CULTIVATION, , IN THE STATES OF NORTH EAST INDIA & WESTERN & EASTERN GHATS, SHIFTING, CULTIVATION ( SLASH & BURN) IS ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES OF SOIL EROSION, IN THIS TYPE OF AGRICULTRE, A PATCH OF FOREST LAND IS CLEARED BY A, COMBINATION OF FELLING & BURNING & CROPS ARE GROWN., , AFTER 2-3 YEARS, THE FERTILITY OF SOIL BEGINS TO DECLINE, THE LAND IS, ABANDONED, & THE FARMER MOVES TO CLEAR A FRESH PIECE OF LAND ELSEWHERE, IN THE FOREST AS THE PROCESS CONTINUES, THE SHIFTING CULTIVATORS NEED TO BE PERSUADED TO STOP THE PRACTICE OF, SHIFTING CULTIVATION & SHOULD BE TRAINED & MOTIVATED TO ADOPT TERRACED, FARMING
Page 20 :
OTHER MEASURES OF SOIL CONSERVATION, •, , THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO CHECK THE SOIL EROSION., , •, , THE FOLLOWING STEPS CAN GO A LONG WAY IN REDUCTION OF THE RATE OF SOIL EROSION:, , •, , CONSTRUCTION OF SMALL DAMS ACROSS THE TRIBUTARIESOF RIVERS IN THEIR UPPER REACHES O CONTROL FLOODS & SOIL EROSION, , •, , LINING OF CANALS TO STOP SEEPAGE OF WATER WHICH LEADS TO WATER LOGGING, , •, , SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF WATER LOGGING BY IMPROVING THE SURFACE & VERTICAL DRAINAGE, , •, , FORMATION OF WIND BREAK & SHELTER BELTS IN ARID & SEMI ARID REGIONS, , •, , INCREASING USE OF ORGANIC & COMPOST MANURE, , •, , POPULARISING THE APPLICATION OF COWDUNG & COMPOST MANURE, , •, , CONVERSION OF HUMAN WASTE & CITY GARBAGE INTO MANURES, , •, , SCIENTIFIC ROTATION OF CROPS
Page 21 :
CONTINUES…., • PROMOTION OF AFFORESTATION IN THE DEGRADED SOILS, • ADOPTING THE TECHNIQUES OF SUSUTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, • CHECKING ON SHIFTING CULTIVATION, • LEVELLING OF RAVINES & PLANTING OF TREES & GRASSES IN THE SLOPES
Page 22 :
THANK YOU
