Conservation of Soil

Soil conservation methods encompass various approaches:

Afforestation:

• Cease deforestation and promote tree planting to increase forest cover, aiming for 33% of total land, with specific targets for different regions.

Overgrazing Control:

• Implement measures to limit overgrazing by designating separate grazing areas and monitoring grazing practices.

Agricultural Practices Modification:

• Adopt diversified practices like crop rotation and leguminous plant cultivation to maintain soil fertility.
• Implement strip cropping and no-till farming to minimize soil erosion and maximize land productivity.

Contour Ploughing:

• Plough along the natural contours of hills to create ridges and furrows that slow water flow and reduce erosion.

Shifting Cultivation Regulation:

• Encourage tribal communities to transition to settled agriculture by providing land and resources.

Terrace Farming:

• Construct terraces on hill slopes to create level areas, reducing erosion and conserving soil.

Windbreaks Establishment:

• Plant dense rows of trees to protect agricultural fields from wind erosion, particularly using evergreen species.

Salinity Management:

• Utilize humic acids to mitigate soil salinity by fixing ions and preventing salt buildup.
• Plant salt-tolerant species to lower water tables and decrease surface salt accumulation.

Natural Fertilizer Use:

• Replace chemical fertilizers with natural alternatives like livestock manure and organic matter to replenish soil nutrients sustainably.