Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
17.3.1 SOME FACTS REGARDING SOIL
A teaspoon of active soil is the habitat of millions of soil organisms. Some
are of animal origin, some are of plant origin. The organisms vary greatly
in size. Some are visible to the naked eye, such as earthworms, mites,
spring-tails or termites. Most of them, however, or so small that they can
only be seen with a microscope, thus they are called microorganisms. The
most important microorganisms are bacteria, fungus and protozoa. Micro-
organisms are the key elements to the quality and fertility of soils, but for
humans, they do their work invisibly. The greater the variety of species
and higher their number, the natural fertility of soil will be better (Rao and
Chhonkar, 1998). This same has been summarized.
• Soil is dynamic and living system and therefore in a continuous pro-
cess of transformation.
• It grows fast and vanishes very fast by erosion if some one does not
respect her.
• Without soil organisms, soil is dead.
• Not all microbes are hostile.
• Most soil microbes are very important helpers of the farmers.
17.3.1.1
LESSON TO REMEMBER
“The soil humus losses on planet might become ecologically dangerous
if not arrested now, because humus is the major accumulator of solar en-
ergy at the earth surface at present and the guardian of soil productivity,
guaranteeing ecological stability of the biosphere.” Rozanov (1990) from
Moscow cautioned.
• Humus retains nutrients and moisture and releases slowly as per
need of plants;
• It captures humidity from dew and subtle energy from planets, re-
tains it;
• It also transmutate nutrients as plants need it;
• If the soil is deficient in humus content, subtle energy coming from
planets are radiated back in atmosphere;
• So all human efforts need to be made to enhance soil humus content;
Unfortunately so for we have abused the soil with cocktail of chemi-
cals, and many other human activities, therefore she has started in showing
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