Climate change is taking very bad shape as time is growing. It is affecting atmospheric temperature and the natural resources of water. Not only water shortage but decreasing soil fertility is taking an agricultural shift as people are shifting towards animal farming rapidly.
We are in between the initial and middle stages of such problems. If we don't get fast permanent solutions then it is going to be a direct challenge for the survival of living beings in the future.
Here, we discussed all the major steps and methods to conserve and sustain water resources and soil fertility.
Soil and water conservation in USA
Water(drinking and working) shortage is the major problem that is affecting the current generation but if it will not get any solution then it will be more difficult to survive in the future for the upcoming generation.
Soil conservation is a must for soil regeneration, increasing soil fertility, and preventing soil erosion on a large scale. There are many unintentional activities that we practice regularly and the soil loses its fertility and get soil erosion too.
By renovating traditional methods of using soil and water, we can remain conservative and sustainable towards soil and water. We need some improved and modern methods to conserve soil and water.Soil conservation methods
Soil conservation methods are used to prevent soil erosion and increase soil fertility to the natural level.
Well, you shouldn't expect rapid results of improvement in soil health by following these methods just in a short time. The following methods are a long-term solutions for soil conservation and need some extra time to recover the damage-
No-tillage farming
Regular tillage of agricultural land is bad for soil fertility. All the required microorganisms live in soil but after tilling, they get in contact with direct air. This regular tilling decrease(kill) these microorganisms and cause low fertility of the soil. By open tilling, fertile soil components get decreased by a big percentage.
To overcome such problems and make soil health sustainable, No-tillage farming is a bypass method to prevent soil erosion and increase soil fertility. In this method, first, we use natural organic fertilizers and herbicides. Irrigation is a must after using fertilizers and herbicides(in summer). After this, we apply to mulch the soil. Hence, without disturbing the soil, we use seeding tools to sow seeds in the soil.
Agroforestry
Agroforestry is a multipurpose practice on forest agricultural land. It is highly effective to prevent soil erosion, increasing soil fertility, getting maximum results from small land, and sustainable agriculture.
Agroforestry is a combination of agricultural practices and forestry together. In this, we use unique but complementary crops and plants that are supplementary to particular trees that can grow together without disturbing others' growth.
Terrace farming
Terrace farming practices in the mountain regions. This method is very helpful to avoid soil erosion on a very large scale in mountain agricultural land.
In terrace agriculture, we make ladders on certain heights of the land and reduce the effect of the slope.
Therefore, if there will be soil erosion due to heavy rain, it will send soil to other terrace sections. It will prevent absolute soil erosion by up to 90%.
Mulching
The mulching method uses to hold soil moisture and increase soil fertility organically. We use dry leaves, wheat straws, and lightweight dried organic waste to cover the soil.
Later, these dry organic materials decompose in the soil and work as compost and help to increase soil fertility. Soil mulching is a very effective method and helpful in flower farming, fruit farming, gardening, and tree farming. Even, in nature, we can see natural mulching in the forest areas easily as in autumn leaves fall on the ground and work as natural cover on the soil.
Crop rotation and mixed cropping
Crop rotation and mixed cropping are two scientific steps to maintain soil health.
In crop rotation, we use two seasonal crops that are complementary to each other. It means, suppose if you grow crop A in the soil in the first season, it absorbs components X and Y from the soil. In the next season, you need a crop B that doesn't need elements X and Y to grow but that can grow with the rest of the elements in the soil.
Meanwhile, the soil will recover the other components to get stability. Thus, crop rotation is very helpful to maintain soil health.
In mixed cropping, we use multiple complementary crops on the same land. In this, we use those crops that don't disturb other plant growth or invade others. Thus, we can get maximum results and profit from the same land. It also helps to increase the natural fertility of the soil.
Water conservation methods
Water conservation methods are used to save and conserve water sources. In upcoming years, groundwater and natural water resources are going to be in shortage. It is going to be difficult in the next 25 to 30 years to get fresh drinking water, irrigation water, water for other activities, industrial use, cleaned water, etc.
To make water resources sustainable, the following are some modern activities
Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is a very impactful method to conserve water naturally. To harvest rainwater, we can make house roofs sloppy. These sloppy roofs end in drain pipes. These pipes bring the water into rainwater harvesting chambers. You can also make tanks on plane rooftops to collect rainwater and use it for further use or daily activity.
There are many models for rainwater harvesting, especially in rural areas.
Ground-water recharge
Ground-water recharge is a method that uses to store water in the ground naturally. Thus, we can recharge decreased ground-water levels.
Although there are several methods to recharge groundwater we should use easily possible and natural methods. In flood possible areas, overflow of water can be diverted into the ground to store water. Even we can use rainwater to recharge groundwater.
In natural methods, we can use grass and tree plantations to increase the water percentage in the soil. But it's a quite slow but effective method.
Other methods to save and conserve water
- If we want to save water then we should consume less water in daily activities such as bathing, cloth washing, car washing, floor washing, and swimming pools. You don't need to cut short drinking water.
- Usage of drip or sprinkler irrigation may help you use water precisely and prevent water wastage. These methods are very helpful in lawn irrigation, fruit farming, flower farming, and tree farming.
- Repairing leaking pipelines seems very ordinary but alone in the USA, every year, millions of gallons liters of water got wasted through leakage.