WHAT IS SOIL CARE AND HOW IS IT DONE? - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The care of the soil is the application of many techniques that promote a healthy dynamic between biotic factors (fauna of the soil and root vegetables) and abiotic (moisture, pH, temperature, etc.). Soil is a limited and non-renewable natural resource, which hardly recovers from the damage caused by its degradation or contamination.

The soil is located in the first 30 centimeters of the surface of the earth's crust (lithosphere) and is produced by the physicochemical degradation of the mother rock and the interaction with living beings. It has a characteristic layered or horizon structure and is made up of a porous matrix, with an aqueous phase, a gas phase and biota.

Dry soil after use in agriculture. Source: NachoBen, from Wikimedia Commons

Soil is considered a complex and dynamic ecosystem, with different microenvironments where biotic factors (micro, meso and macrobiota) and abiotic factors (mineral composition, structure, temperature, pH, humidity, pressure, nutrient availability, among others) interact.

Soil degradation is a global environmental problem that causes a decrease in food production, poverty and human migration. For this reason, soil restoration and preservation is within the 17 sustainable development goals (SDG) established in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the UN.

What activities damage the soil?

The soil is eroded and degraded due to the loss of its vegetation cover and its contamination with persistent substances that can also be harmful (toxic).

The loss of vegetation cover occurs due to natural causes (climatic) or human activities such as deforestation (cutting and burning of forests), to carry out agricultural and forestry activities or for the construction of infrastructures (urban planning, roads, industries, among others).

Soil contamination occurs by:

• The bad final disposal or accidental dispersion of effluents and urban and industrial solid waste.
• The excessive accumulation of fertilizers (soil salinization), pesticides and herbicides, among other substances.
• Acid rain also causes soil degradation due to its acidification.

On the other hand, global warming, product of the pollution of the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, generates periods of intense rains and droughts, which also favors soil erosion.

Local actions to take care of the soil

We can avoid soil erosion due to the action of the wind and due to lack or excess of water (either due to irrigation or rain), both in private gardens and in common residential areas.

The restoration of the soil or its maintenance in healthy conditions implies that its humidity, pH, temperature, availability of nutrients and presence of biota remain within established optimal ranges.

Here are some recommendations for restoring or maintaining healthy soil:

Soil evaluation

The type of soil to be treated or restored must be evaluated to establish the techniques that will be applied according to its deficiencies.

It is important to analyze its degree of compaction, erosion and the environmental factors that affect it (excessive winds or rain), the native species to be sown, among other important aspects.

Groups that practice agroecology or permaculture on community farms, or gardening companies, can be consulted for this analysis.

Once the soil treatment has begun, its pH, humidity and general conditions can be monitored every six months to verify the efficiency of the techniques used.

Improved soil compaction

A soil is compacted if its consistency is very hard and it lacks vegetation. To improve the structure of a compacted soil, its porosity must be increased, but avoiding excessive nutrient washing from occurring. There must be a balance between moisture retention and excess water percolation.

The initial tillage with aeration, moistening and mixing with organic compost and amendments allows to maintain optimal conditions in the soil in the long term. It is also necessary to protect the ground from the pedestrian crossing or from any type of vehicle, establishing fixed marked paths.

Application of conditioning or amendment

Depending on the soil conditions, a conditioning or amendment -preferably organic- can be applied, which consists of plant remains and / or animal manure, which increases its quality, improving its structure, moisture retention, pH and the availability of nutrients present..

Among these organic amendments are compost and peat (rich in carbon). Amendments are also used to correct specific deficiencies, such as substances that affect the pH, (limestone or sulfur, calcium carbonates, magnesium, among others), or that reduce sodium in the soil (such as gypsum).

Organic compost application

The best compost is obtained from the controlled microbial decomposition of organic matter, in a process called composting, or from the excrement of worms fed on organic waste.

Organic fertilizer can be applied with a certain frequency (depending on the state of the soil), homogenizing it through a superficial tillage, without affecting the internal layers of the soil.

The use of organic and non-synthetic fertilizers is preferable, since they favor the establishment of healthy microbiota (fungi and bacteria) in the soil, their production is economical, and they do not present the risk of generating accumulation of nutrients or salinization of the soil.

Source: author Sten Porse at

Incorporation of beneficial biota

The incorporation of meso and macro fauna in the soil accelerates the decomposition of organic matter and improves the structure of the soil.

For example, by adding live earthworms to the soil, they feed on decomposing organic matter, defecating substances more assimilated by living organisms.

In turn, the worms favor the increase in the porosity of the soil, its aeration, the homogenization of organic matter and the greater availability of nutrients.

Humidity maintenance

Overwatering and accumulation of water on the soil surface should be avoided so as not to cause runoff and nutrient washing. In addition, the saturation of the soil with water displaces the oxygen present and suffocates the aerobic biota including the roots of the plants.

To prevent water from accumulating on the ground, excess rainwater must be drained through channels (paved or made of plastic pipes) that concentrate it in storage areas or sinks for later use. Sumps are usually waterproofed barrels or holes dug into the ground at the end of a slope.

Drip irrigation allows the optimization of water use, thanks to the installation of a system that directly dispenses drops of water at the base of each sown plant.

To avoid soil erosion in open and flat spaces, due to the constant passage of strong winds, barriers of trees and shrubs with dense foliage can be planted, which prevent or reduce the passage of it.

Avoid disturbing the soil in its deep layers

You should not dig into soil if you want to restore or protect it. Layers of organic matter should be applied on its surface with a certain frequency, favoring the formation of humus, without disturbing the internal layers of the soil.

Sowing of indigenous species

Autochthonous plants (native) of the place should be sown, growing in each height stratum, that is, herbs, shrubs and trees. In this way, the upper layer of the soil is better protected from erosive agents, strengthening its structure thanks to the growth of roots.

In addition, the plant remains that accumulate on the surface of the soil, when decomposing form humus, which favors the establishment of physicochemical conditions (such as the retention of humidity, temperature, pH), necessary for the existence of the soil biota.

Plant species that have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing microorganisms are especially beneficial for the soil. In the case of compacted soils, herbs should be sown initially, the roots of which disintegrate the soil inside.

Sowing in terraces

In soils that present steep slopes it is useful to build stepped terraces where the plants are planted. In this way, the washing of the soil by runoff, its erosion by sweeping and its loss of nutrients is prevented.

Protection of covered seedlings

To protect growing plants -and the soil surface-, a mulch or “mulch” of an organic nature should be placed, with crushed plant and wood debris. For example, hay could be used for this purpose.

References

1. Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems. Edited by N. Uphoff, AS Ball, E. Fernandes, H. Herron, O. Husson, M. Laing, C. Palm, J. Pretty, P. Sanchez, N. Sanginga and J. Thies. Boca Raton, Fl, USA: CRC Press (2006), pp. 764. ISBN 10-1-57444-583-9
2. Chesworth, W. and Chesworth, W. (2007). Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Springer. pp 860.
3. Honorato, R. (2000). Edaphology Manual. Fourth edition. Alpha Omega. pp 267.
4. Mitchell, JK and Soga, K. (2005). Fundamentals of Soil Behavior. Third Edition. Wiley. pp 592.
5. Schauberger, V. and Coats, C. (2001). The Fertile Earth: Nature's Energies in Agriculture, Soil Fertilization and Forestry. The Eco-Technology Series, Volume 3. Gateway. pp 212.