Soil Health and Its Improvement Through Novel Agronomic and Innovative Approaches

Abstract

Soil is an important natural resource providing water, nutrient, and mechanical support for plant growth. In agroecosystem, continuous manipulation of soil is going on due to addition of input, removal of nutrients, changing water balance, and microbial life. These processes affect soil properties (physical, chemical, and biological), and the deviation of these properties from the normal status is controlled by soil buffering capacity and soil resilience. If these changes are beyond the reach of soil resilience, then soil loses its original state, leading to soil degradation. At present, the extent of the degraded area in the world is 1,036 to 1,470 million ha. This urges the need for maintaining soil health rather than the mere addition of input for crop production. Soil health is an integrative property that reflects the capacity of soil to respond to agricultural intervention, so that it continues to support both agricultural production and the provision of other ecosystem services. Maintaining the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil is needed to keep it healthy, and this is possible through the adoption of different agronomic approaches. The diversification of nutrient sources with emphasis on organic sources, adoption of principles of conservation agriculture, enhancement of soil microbial diversity, efficient resource recycling through the integrated farming system, and amendment addition for correcting soil reactions are potential options for improving soil health, and are discussed in this review. This article reviewed the concept of soil health and its development, issues related to soil health, and indicators of healthy soil. At the same time, the impact of the ill health of the soil on crop productivity and resource use efficiency reported in different parts of the world in recent years are also reviewed. The agro-techniques such as green and brown manuring in arable land and agroforestry on degraded and marginal land were followed on piece meal basis and for economic gain. The potential of these and several other options for maintaining soil need to be recognized, evaluated, and quantified for their wider application on the front of soil health management avenues. The use of crop residue, agro-industrial waste, and untreated mineral or industrial waste (basic slag, phosphogypsum, etc.) as soil amendments has a huge potential in maintaining healthy soil along with serving as sources of crop nutrition. The review emphasizes the evaluation and quantification of present-day followed agro-techniques for their contribution to soil health improvement across agro-climatic regions and for wider implications. Furthermore, emphasis is given to innovative approaches for soil health management rather than mere application of manures and fertilizers for crop nutrition.

Conservation Agriculture: Climate Proof and Nature Positive Approach

“…Soil's multi-functionality and health were generally neglected to address food and climate security challenges [3,49]. However, after the Paris Agreement was signed, stakeholders committed in a voluntary action plan to implement farming systems and practices that maintain or enhance soil carbon stocks in agricultural soils and to preserve carbon-rich soils [50].…”

Elucidating Amendment Resources for Reclaiming Efficacy of Sodic Soils around Abaya and Chamo Lakes, South Ethiopia Rift Valley

“…A balanced nutrient application is necessary for long-term agricultural production and soil health since plant nutrients are essential to crop productivity [ 1 ]. Nutrient availability in the soil is influenced by the physico-chemical characteristics of the soil and management factors [ 2 ].…”

Spatial patterns of historical crop yields reveal soil health attributes in US Midwest fields

“…Increasingly used, these tests face debate over their consistency and repeatability 28 , 29 . While soil health literature focuses on the dynamics of SOC pools and the characteristics of soil food webs 7 , the variability in soils’ provisioning is also strongly controlled by the factors of soil formation; climate, parent material, topography, time, and organisms, including humans 30 , 31 .…”