What is Soil & Water Conservation? Why is it so important?

Conservation of Soil and Conservation of Water in Agricultural Areas?

• Why is it nessecesaary? What are the problems which lead to it? What can be done to conserve? What are the measures being taken? What are the measures in research? What is ...show more

• Answer:

  This is a big question so I'll break it down. Firstly - why is conservation of soil and water in agricultural areas so necessary? Agriculture depends on having healthy soil and an adequate supply of water. Crops require both in order to grow and a lack of either one will result in less than optimum yields. Crop production and its environmental effects depend on the quality of soil. Soil provides the physical, chemical, and biological processes required to sustain most terrestrial plant and animal life. Soil regulates water flow from rainfall, snowmelt, and irrigation between infiltration, root-zone storage, deep percolation, and runoff (National Research Council, 1993). Agriculture in many areas has exacerbated soil erosion and water pollution/over extraction, through producers not fully understanding the potential impact that a particular farming style might have. A prime example of this can be found in Canada and the US - particularly in the prairie region. Farmer immigrating from more fertile farming regions brought with them many practices that were inherently unsuitable for prairie soils. Fields were ploughed (tilled) and left exposed to prairie winds. In addition, modern technology can also add to the problem, in that large machinery is more economical to operate in larger fields - and large fields offer less protection from the wind. The soil can also be eroded by water. In New Brunswick and PEI, where potatoes are grown on hillsides, soil erosion from water is a major concern. Water pollution is linked to this practice when phosphorus - attached to the soil particles- is washed into water bodies. Potatoes do not have dense matting roots that might bind the soil and prevent erosion. There are many measures being taken to combat soil erosion, and water pollution from agricultural sources. Both Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the USDA have programs in effect to help farmers to maintain healthy soils and water. For soil erosion check out the following: http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/land/intro_e.htm http://www.gnb.ca/0173/30/0173300002-e.asp http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/soil/swork1.htm http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=36021500 http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/2001/5-21-2001/preventeros.html For water quality, check out the following: http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/water/practices_e.htm http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/agmodule/ http://www.fao.org/docrep/W2598E/w2598e04.htm Many conservation practices will address both soil and water conservation issues. A move to a whole farm or watershed approach is generally advisable, whereby a suite of conservation practices will be applied from shelterbelts, riparian buffers, cover crops, applying maximum grazing densities, nutrient management etc. This approach is referred to as conservation agriculture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_agriculture). I believe this is what you refer to when you mention an integrated approach. Anyway, here's some more links, most have links to other sites of interest. Good luck!