Preserving Soil Health: Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture
1. SYLEN HENG, Royal University of Agriculture, Student, Cambodia
This comprehensive document
addresses the pressing issue of deteriorating soil health in agriculture and
offers a roadmap to safeguard this vital resource. It highlights the challenges
stemming from cultural factors, the agrochemical industry, and inadequate
government policies, while emphasizing the urgency of action. The importance of
soil organisms and monitoring techniques is underscored, along with the critical
practice of maintaining continuous plant cover over bare soil. Seven key
strategies to increase soil organic matter levels are presented, concluding
with a call to prioritize soil protection akin to water and air.
soil health agriculture soil monitoring soil organisms continuous plant cover sustainable practices
Soil health is an
indispensable aspect of sustainable agriculture, and its degradation poses
significant challenges. Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted
approach, encompassing cultural shifts, improved monitoring, fostering soil
organisms, and maintaining continuous plant cover. By implementing these
strategies, we can enhance soil quality, boost crop productivity, and ensure
the long-term viability of agriculture while preserving this invaluable
resource for future generations.
1. None
The author confirms sole responsibility for the following: study conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation.
The authors did not receive any specific grants from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
I thank the following individuals for their expertise and assistance in all aspects of our study and for their help in writing the manuscript. I am also grateful for the insightful comments given by anonymous peer reviewers. Everyone's generosity and expertise have improved this study in myriad ways and saved me from many errors.
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