World Soil Day (WSD) It is celebrated annually on December 5th to draw attention to the importance of healthy soil and advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources.
Soil and Water: A Vital Alliance
Our planet's survival depends on the precious connection between soil and water. Over 95 percent of our food originates from these two fundamental resources. Soil water, vital for nutrient absorption by plants, binds our ecosystems together.
This symbiotic relationship forms the foundation of our agricultural systems.
However, in the face of climate change and human activity, our soils are being degraded, putting excessive pressure on our water resources. Erosion disrupts the natural balance, reducing water infiltration and availability for all forms of life.
Sustainable Soil Management
Sustainable soil management practices, such as minimum tillage, crop rotation, organic matter addition, and cover cropping, improve soil health, reduce erosion and pollution, and enhance infiltration and water storage. These practices also preserve soil biodiversity, improve fertility, and contribute to carbon sequestration, playing a crucial role in the fight against climate change.
World Soil Day 2023 Key Messages
📌 Soil and water provide the foundation for food production, ecosystems, and human well-being. Recognizing their invaluable roles, we can take proactive measures to protect these resources for future generations.
📌 Soil and water are the medium in which plants grow and obtain essential nutrients.
📌 Irrigated agriculture systems account for 80% of croplands, contributing to 60% of global food production. These systems rely heavily on effective soil moisture management practices.
📌 Agriculture systems with irrigation withdraw 70% of the world's freshwater and account for 20% of croplands.
📌 Soil health and water quality and availability are interconnected.
📌 Healthy soils, enriched with organic matter, play a crucial role in regulating water retention and availability.
📌 Improved soil and water management enhances the land's ability to withstand extreme climate events such as droughts, floods, and sand/dust storms.
📌 Healthy soils act as a carbon sink, sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, contributing to both climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.
Success Lies in Soil Health: Suppressive
Soils obtaining profitable, productive, and sustainable crops depends on soil health. A balanced soil helps plants become more resistant to soil and crop diseases, and crops grow more vigorously, using nutrients more efficiently.
Worldwide, farmers are beginning to appreciate the benefits of disease-suppressive soils—soils in which an abundance of beneficial microorganisms and a proper balance of organic matter and minerals enhance plant growth and inhibit pathogens' action.
The Path to Suppressive Soils
To achieve suppressive soils, it is essential to conduct a soil health analysis, including data on soil stability, pathogen incidence, and nutrient availability. Ultimately, the goal is to establish a healthy microbiome in the soil that promotes the optimal environment for developing more sustainable and environmentally friendly crops. This leads to biological control of diseases such as Fusarium sp., Pythium sp., Rhizoctonia sp., and Phytophthora sp.
At IDEAGRO, we have known for years that there is no time to waste. It is crucial to invest in soil health and revitalize the soil microbiome by inoculating plant roots with beneficial microorganisms, restoring its biological activity. In doing so, we support root system development, enhancing nutrient absorption. This enables crops to better withstand environmental challenges, strengthen their defenses, and experience increased growth and productivity, ultimately benefiting farmers.
How can you get suppressive soils?
Although the search for a balanced soil will involve different cultural practices, the starting point should always be to perform an analysis to evaluate the health of the soil, including data on soil stability, pathogen incidence and nutrient availability..
Ultimately, the goal is to establish a healthy microbiome that promotes the optimal space for the development of more sustainable and environmentally friendly crops, where biological control of diseases such as Fusarium sp., Pythium sp., Rhizoctonia sp. is achieved. and Phytophthora sp.
At IDEAGRO we have been clear about it for years, there is no time to waste! It is essential to focus on the health of the soil and revitalize the soil microbiome by inoculating the roots of the plants with beneficial microorganisms, thus restoring their biological activity.
In this way, we support the development of the root system, improving the absorption of nutrients in such a way that crops will be able to better resist environmental challenges, strengthen their defenses and experience greater growth and productivity which will directly result in farmers who will be able to obtain greater profitability.
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