How To Prevent Soil Erosion On Farmlands In 14 Easy Step
Soil erosion is a natural occurrence, whereby some amount of soil is blown away or washed away from a particular area by the cumulative effects of the wind, rain, and water. The phenomenon is accelerated by human activities like felling trees and shrubs, clearing ground vegetation, and keeping the ground bare. The soil is left with nothing to hold on to, and gets easily displaced and dispersed.
This can become a matter of concern if too much topsoil is depleted from an area by soil erosion as this can reduce the fertile quality of the land and make it difficult to grow vegetables, fruits, and crops there. On slopy areas, soil erosion can cause landslides, and regular occurrences of these can be disastrous to farming and can pose a risk to human and animal lives as well. It is therefore necessary to minimize or prevent soil erosion as much as is possible. So here we are presenting article about How To Prevent Soil Erosion On Farmlands.
Easy Steps to Prevent Soil Erosion On Farmlands
1. Plant Trees
Tree roots tend to spread deep down in the ground and, in conjunction with ground vegetation and ground covering mulches, can do a great job of holding the soil together and keeping soil erosion to a minimum. The “in conjunction with ground vegetation and ground covering mulches” is an important factor. Forests do not have as much soil erosion exactly because, in addition to trees, there is ground vegetation and mulch from fallen leaves and branches. Trees also work as wind breakers, and can cut down the amount of soil that would otherwise have been carried away by the effects of strong winds. Planting trees around the boundaries of farmlands and in other places will cut down soil erosion to a very good extent.
2. Plant Grasses And Other Ground Covering Vegetation
Grasses, creepers, and other ground covering vegetation don’t have deep roots like trees, but can build up a closely meshed root network that can help in holding the soil together. Such vegetation should be deliberately planted or allowed to grow naturally on fallow farmlands. Planting grasses between crop rows can also slow down soil erosion.
3. Spread Mulch
Mulch is made up of dried leaves, shredded leaves, twigs, wood shavings, wood bark pieces, dried grasses, dried weeds, coconut fibre, broken branches, and other natural waste. Spreading it over a bare ground surface can protect the soil by making it difficult for it to be blown or swept away. Mulch also retains moisture and naturally decomposes, increasing the amount of nutrients in the soil and thus making it more fertile and thereby more suitable for farming.
4. Use Mulch Mats
Mulch mats can be made from coconut fibre, hemp fibre, dried grasses, bamboo leaves, and so on. Some farmers even use plastic sheets as mulch mats, but this can turn problematic if the plastic disintegrates over time and pollutes the ground. It is best to use natural resources that won’t cause harm on disintegration. These biodegradable mulch mats can be spread on the bare ground surface, between the rows of vegetables, crops, and fruit trees, over slopes, and anywhere else that requires protection from soil erosion. Mulch mats catch eroding soil and thus prevent it from being swept away.
5. Use Fibre Logs
Roll mulch up in natural fibre mats or netting to create fibre logs. These can be placed in areas where there is soil erosion and they work very well...(read more)