For the sake of the good earth

It is estimated that 121 million hectares in India (36 per cent of total geographical area) is suffering from some form of land degradation

The year 2015 has been designated as the International Year of the Soils by the United Nations. Recently, December 5 was commemorated as World Soil Day to acknowledge the wondrous nature of the earth's life-sustaining topmost layer.

Diminishing soil health is a matter of concern. Across the world, soils are being eroded and degraded at unprecedented rates. Sadly, the word soil in English has negative connotations, such as soiled, dirty, muddy, muddled, earthy, etc. This mindset needs to change.Soils form the basis for food and livestock systems, fuel, fodder and fibre production. They help clean up our water resources and capture atmospheric carbon dioxide, while providing other ecosystem services. By 2030, when the world population will be about 8.3 billion and India's 1.5 billion, FAO estimates that farmers will have to produce about 30 per cent more grain than today. This will be an uphill task as soil fertility in several regions is dwindling due to biotic and abiotic stresses.

In India mounting demographic pressures are leading to soil degradation. This threatens food, livelihoods and environmental security. It is estimated that 121 million hectares in India (36 per cent of total geographical area) is suffering from some form of land degradation. Unsustainable farming techniques, deforestation, changes in weather patterns, wind and water erosion is stripping topsoil at a rate upto 30 times faster than its creation. Deficiencies of major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) and micro-nutrients (zinc, copper, iron, manganese, boron) in our soils have risen. Indian soils have some of the lowest levels of Soil Organic Matter (SOM) in Asia. Whereas 3 to 6 per cent is a normal range, 70 per cent of soils in this country have less than 1 per cent.

Agroforestry, i.e, planting suitable tree species on field boundaries or inter-cropping trees with crops, enables greater complementarity of tree-and-plant architecture, which improves nutrient recycling, carbon sequestration and compost formation. System of Rice Intensification (SRI) improves plant performance due to a symbiotic relationship with microorganisms in, on and around the plants. The Integrated Watershed Management Programme supported by the Neeranchal Watershed Programme has as its central activity location specific bio-engineering measures for controlling soil erosion, and enhancing water conservation and vegetative cover.

The MG National Rural Employment Generation Scheme has a significant component for soil conservation works. The Integrated Nutrient Management Programme relies on conjunctive use of both inorganic and organic sources of plant nutrients like farmyard manure, compost, bio-fertilisers and green manuring. The network of Soil Testing Laboratories (STLs) has been expanding since the mid-1950s, but they are inadequate for 120 million landholdings. Presently, 1058 STLs (898 static and 160 mobile) are in place with an annual analysing capacity of a mere 10 million samples.

Union Finance Minister in his maiden budget had announced a scheme to provide to every farmer a soil health card in a mission mode. Rs 100 core has been earmarked for this purpose, with an additional Rs 56 crore for 100 mobile STLs. The commitment to soil health has to be part of a landcare movement. Central to this movement would be the involvement of the local communities with knowledge garnered from traditional know-how to cutting-edge science. (The writer is former Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Rural Development & former Land Resources Commisssioner, Ministry of Agriculture. www.tribuneindia.com)

By Rita Sharma