Soil Quality vis-à-vis Soil Organic Carbon and Food Security
Subhash Chand*
Department of Soil Science, Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology of Kashmir, India
*Corresponding Author: Subhash Chand, Department of Soil Science, Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology of Kashmir, India.
Published: January 07, 2023
Abstract
Every 5 December, we are celebrating as a soil day throughout the world to create awareness about the issues of soils since 2015 (declared as decade of soils-2015-2025 by UN). Soil quality (SQ) is the capacity of a specific kind of a soil to function, within natural and managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality and support human health and habitation[4].In the mid sixteen due to introduction of dwarf verities, which need high input in term of fertilizers, water, pesticides increased agricultural production but discriminate and imbalance use of fertilizer deteriorate inheherent capacity of soil to supply plant nutrient. Soil health (SH) refers to the fitness of soil for any specific purpose determined by the factors chosen for soil classification, soil suitability and land capability. It examines spatial and temporal variations induced by land use policy or management. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the most reliable, versatile and easily assessable indicator, encompassing interactive effect of several factors. Plateuing or decreasing trends of crop yields at current level of management indicates declining SH. Erosion, drought and desertification, irrigation induced salinity and sodicity, paradigm shift in land use, nutrient depletion and intensive cultivation are the cause of SH deterioration. Erratic rainfall and exploitation of land, water and vegetation resources by ever increasing human and livestock population further accentuate the problem of SH. Increasing salinity, residual carbonate, alkalinity and contamination of surface and ground water through heavy metals, nitrates, fluoride and arsenic are the reflection of deteriorating SH.