Soil conservation necessary for nation's security

Title

Creator

Aquino, Dionisio I.

Language

English

Source

The Farming and Cooperatives II (1) January 1947

Year

1947

Subject

Soil conservation--Philippines

Agriculture--Philippines

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

The soil conservation may consists of different methods, these are strip cropping, farming terrace to reduce erosion, contour plowing, and microbiological conservation of soil.
In addition to preventing soil losses, micro-organisms can be made, with careful
and scientific crop rotation and soil management, to increase the fertility of the soil.
The results of studies conducted in the College of Agriculture on soil samples collected from typical areas of the Philippines showed that unless our methods of farming systems are modified or changed sooner or later the production of crops will be limited owing to exhaustion of plant-food materials due primarily to excessive erosion.

Fulltext

Soil Conservation Neccesary ·for Nation's Security Strip croppinf. Strip cropping is one of the vegetative methods for the contrOl of · erosion. This concerns with the planting on the land in alternate strips o( closegrowing cultivated crops. Thick-growing fibrous rooted-crops, such as com, tobacco, cotton, etc, are planted around the slope. The planting should be done in such a manner as to follow the contour of the land as closely as possible, The contoured rows of soil-building crops, which are mainly for the protective cover of the soil, serve as miniature terraces. These crops may eitehr be plowed under at an appro?riate time or harvested for seed or feed. The practice of strip cropping is best suited to land areas o( rolling topography with more or less uniform slopes. One thing necessary in putting strip cropping into reality is courage to change the lay· out of the farm and to a certain extent.. the cropping system. Strip cropping is one of the simplest, but most effective. and inexpensive methods in controlling soil er~on. Farni terracirJl to reduce erosion. Steep as well as rolling lands that wash badly should be terTaced in order to prevent large amounts of surface water running straight c!own the hill at a high velocity, The reduction of runoff is a means of controlling erosion and it gives the soil an ample time to absorb more water for the growing crops. Terraces are important in protecting gullied areas by divening surface runoff ,from them. Tbey are not difficult to maintain and are more useful espe~ially on moderately sloping areas. Lands with a 12 to 15 per cent slope are, in most cases, considered as steepest and can be terraced and cultivated on practical basis. Areas of steeper slopes should be left alone in pasture. Contour plowina. The purpose of con· tour plowing is to break the ground at regular intervals along the lines around the slopes in orde to collect runoff and prevent soil washing. The water·holding gurrows should be from 15 to 20 meters apart or closer depending on the angle o( slope and c~ndition , of tlje land. When crops or the same level are planted, lines are to ba followed in order to Conn shallow trough above each row which not only controls erosion but holds surface ru'loff also. Thus, the danger of runoff is reduced, The fact that erosion can be controlled is impor· 2 By Dionisio 1. Aquino Ot the D~partment ot Soils, College of Airiculture, University of the Philippines Conlinualionfrom Vol, I - No, 10 tAnt and the correct solution to the problem of erorion is simple and practical However, a complete, coordinated program, and sustained efforts are necessary if a mexi. mum benefit is to be desired. Microbiololical .consen·G.tion of soil. One may inqueirtetaoishrdlushrdlshrdl cm shcc may inquire, hWhat pan do micro-organisms play in the conserving of soil fertility and of preventing the losses of the soil itself? It may be emp!lasized that these losses are brought about in the following ways, (a) the gaseous losses, especially the soil nitrogen, (b) losses in a liquid state through the constant dissolution of some nutrient materials by the movement of soil water, and (c) losses in a solid state, or true soil erosion. It. has been shown that the problems of water and wind erosion, as well as hat of soil deterioration owing to improper system of tillage operation, are closely associated with t..lie problem of soil organic matter. A decrease in the amount of organic matter in the soil accompanies soil deterioration and in itself a cause for further deterioration. An increase in organic matter and nitrogen is a symbol of soil improvement. The soil microbes are closely associated with the formation and destruction of organic matter, an_d with an increase or a decrease of the available nitrogen and mineral mutrients. In most cases an improvement in the microbiological condition of the soil, or proper aeration of poorly-drained soils, etc., results in improvement of the physcila and chemical soil conditions. In addition to preventing soil losses, micro-organisms can be made, with careful and scientific crop rcitation and soil management, to increase the fertility of the soil. They are believed to be capable of replacing, at least, some of the nutrient mateerials lost from the soit It has been generally recognized that micro-organisms serve several distinct functions in the soil; namely, (a) they prevent the plant nutrients from being leached out, ( b) they convert the essential plant nutritive elements in the soil into fonns in which they can a~ain be utilized by the following crops, ( c) they reduce the waste of plant and animal life and trans· form these residues into organic matter, which becomes an important constituent of the soil system and exerts highly favorable influenc:! upon the growth of creps, and (d) they increase the supply pf nitrogen in the soil through judicious utilizotion of leguminous plants. The soil microbes ore important ogents in the conservation of the tremendous wealth that nature has in store in the soil. It is, therefore, necessary to take into consideration the influence of soil treatment upon the activities of the autochthonous soil micro-flora, as well as the methods of utilizing their activities in order to make possible a permanent system of agriculture. Program of soil conservation. It may be stated that it has been only recently that the soil !las received the attention of scientists, which it should have had long ago. Philippine soils as are soils elsewhere are not inexhaustible. The results of studies conducted in the College of Agriculture on soil samples collected from typical areas of the Philipi:incs showed that unless our metrods of farming systems are modified or c!langed sooner or later the production of crops will be limited owing to exhaustion of plant-food materials due primarily to excessive erosion. We should not wait until our soils are exhausted before we adopt a system of farming operations which will insure their continuous fertility. The farmer, himself, needs to adopt newer and wiser farming methods and to cherish his soil as his only capital. The farmer who puts into operation t_'Je suggestions for conserving the soil and improving its fortility will not of!ly secure benefit but also maintain the fertility o fthe land for many years to come. Any program of permanent soil improvement or soil conservation should tgke into consideration the detailed treatment od every aspect of the subject of land lose, the results, and the necessary methods for the prevention and control of accelerated erosion. There is a need for a careful study of the problems of maintaining high soil ·productivity, the Production and propagation of farm and range plants for the control of erosion. The use of pastl!re grasses, small grain-crops and legumes ;BS protective covers of the soil, and shrub~ ~s . trees is of vital importance in the control of soil erosion both by wind and ?.y water. Seeding all crops on the contour ~nd prnc\icing contour strip cropping and tel-racing on sloping )and areas are among the methods· used for controlling eroS·f~ri. The microorganic populatibn ·or the ~oil niust.

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