Soil conservation is an effort made by human to prevent soil erosion in order to retain the fertility of the soil. Thought it is not possible to entirely prevent soil erosion, following methods are recommended to reduce it:
Contour Farming
In contour farming, crops are cultivated along the contour of the land, so that plough marks will be on level and hold the rain. Even during heavy rains, runoff is checked by the plants.
No Till Farming
In no till farming, crops are allowed to remain rather than being plowed under at the end of the season. This keeps soils anchored in place rather than having bare ground exposed to wind and water.
Under strip cropping three methods are followed, they are Contour Strip cropping, Field Strip cropping and Wind Strip cropping. In these methods, plants are cultivated in parallel strips and across the slopes to prevent soil erosion.
Dry Farming
This method is followed where rainfall is low and crops that can sustain even a very low rainfall. Dry Farming is followed mainly to retain soil moisture and fertility.
Crop Rotations
Alternate crop growing in the same field ( cereal and legume ) will increase the yield and fertility of the soil.
Mulching helps to kill weeds and help the plants to be rooted firm in the soil.
Contour trenching and terracing
Ridges or bunds of mud are formed to check the run-off along the contour. Several 2 feet by 1 foot trenches are formed across the slopes at equal intervals. This slows up the water flow and prevents soil washing away from farmlands.
Restoring Wet lands
Restoring wet lands is one of the effective ways to prevent soil erosion. It absorbs rain water preventing it from carrying the soil away.
Rain Barrel
Using rain barrel underneath a downspout to collect the rain water that runs off your roof.
Sub-soiling
Soil is broken into sub-soil to increase the absorption capacitySee Also:
Soil Conservation and Methods to Prevent Soil Erosion
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