Impacts of Soil Erosion on Soil Quality and Agricultural Sustainability in the North-Western Himalayan Region of India

Abstract

Erosion by water reduces soil quality and hence crop yield. Understanding the response of crop yields to soil erosion is vital in assessing agriculture’s vulnerability to erosion. However, these effects are difficult to quantify. The study presents a quantitative relationship between soil erosion and soil quality and productivity of rainfed wheat (Triticum aestivum) by comparing field plots with different degrees of erosion in some sub-tropical alfisols in the Doon Valley region of India. By comparing the topsoil depth with the reference site as the control, erosion severity was classified into different phases such as slight, moderate, severe, and very severe. A quantitative, weighted additive model was used to evaluate soil quality for different phases of erosion using soil clay content, water holding capacity, soil aggregate, soil organic carbon, pH, CEC, total N, available P, and available K. The synthesis of long-term experimental data revealed that the mean soil erosion rate varied from 5.5 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in slightly eroded plots to 33.4 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in very severely eroded plots. Compared with the reference forest, the soil organic carbon (SOC) declined by 81.4% and water holding capacity by 31% in severely eroded soils. A substantial loss of total N, extractable P, and available K was also observed. Water stable aggregates (WSA) decreased from 86% to 12.6%, and the cation exchange capacity (CEC) from 25 to 12.6 c mol(+) kg−1. The soil quality index was 0.7 in slightly eroded compared with 0.4 in severely eroded soil. Similarly, the sustainable yield index for wheat was 0.9 and 0.6 for slightly and severely eroded soils, respectively. Thus, there is a strong need to identify land management systems that reduce erosion risks, restore eroded soils, and enhance soil quality.

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“…Consequently, the production capacity of wheat grain is more sustainable and ecological in less eroded soils than in more eroded soils [85].…”

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“…One of the most significant main elements determining the severity of soil erosion in the future is the spatiotemporal variation in precipitation intensity and duration leading to floods, that is predicted for the coming decades (Corwin, 2021;Cramer et al, 2018;Eekhout & De Vente, 2019;Leal Filho et al, 2023;Leippert et al, 2020), as a result of climate change (Pal & Chakrabortty, 2019). Erosion depletes topsoil depth, soil organic carbon, and nutrient status (Mandal et al, 2023), impacting soil texture and structure, available water holding capacity, water retention, and transport properties (Pimentel & Burgess, 2013). It strongly exacerbates the depletion of N, P, and K (Lal, 2001;Lobo et al, 2005) which impacts crop yield (Mandal et al, 2023), reduces the CEC (Lal, 1988;Mandal et al, 2021) and increases soil bulk density (Frye et al, 1982;González-Rosado et al, 2021).…”

“…Erosion depletes topsoil depth, soil organic carbon, and nutrient status (Mandal et al, 2023), impacting soil texture and structure, available water holding capacity, water retention, and transport properties (Pimentel & Burgess, 2013). It strongly exacerbates the depletion of N, P, and K (Lal, 2001;Lobo et al, 2005) which impacts crop yield (Mandal et al, 2023), reduces the CEC (Lal, 1988;Mandal et al, 2021) and increases soil bulk density (Frye et al, 1982;González-Rosado et al, 2021). One of the most regular and virulent extreme weather events worldwide is flooding (Balgah et al, 2023).…”