The disturbance of the land by natural causes like climatic changes and human activities is known
as land degradation. The production capacity of the degraded land is reduced. According to an
estimate up to forty percent of the worlds cultivatable agricultural land had been degraded. Land
degradation has become a challenge to modern agriculture. The population of the world is
increased so we have to increase per unit area production to meet their food requirements. Land is
degrading as a result of unjuduice use of resources to increase per unit area production. The main
causes of land degradation are unsustainable use of agricultural land, removal of natural
vegetation, overgrazing, deforestation, injudicious use of resources as water and machinery,
unsuitable crop rotation and impropriate irrigation practices.
Land degradation affects crop yield, as crop yield is decreased with the increase of land
degradation which is clearly observed in numerous parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Overgrazing in pasture lands is the main source of removing vegetative cover which leads to
erosion which is another cause of land degradation.
Deforestation is an important factor in land degradation. People are cutting trees and removing vegetation for timber, fuel and other products.
Crop residues must be returned to the soil to add nutrients and improving soil quality but these are
used as fuel. Natural as well as anthropogenic activities are deteriorating land which is a natural
source. The increase in salinity levels of soil and water, inadequate resources of water and
dramatically changing climate are the limitations in the degradation of land. The issue of land
degradation can be minimized by using appropriate agricultural practices, reducing soil erosion
and with judicious use of inputs.
Urbanization and housing colonies are consuming fertile agricultural land. Farmers are unable to
increase cultivated area. Degradation of land also decreases the production capacity of the land as
Production capacity is decreased due to water logging, salinization and erosion. The main issues
involved in the degradation of land which may also reduce the productivity of land are water
logging, salinization of irrigated areas, wind and water erosion. Farmers are facing difficulty in
expanding cultivated area. This is so much difficult for farmers to increase resource of
production as to increase cultivated land.
It is estimated that world population would be 9.5 billion in 2050, so it is necessary to control soil
degradation to overcome the problem of diseases and malnutrition. Another important reason of
soil degradation is the removal of all crop residues which removes soil organic matter of the soil,
disturbs soil structure and impaired water dynamics as infiltration, retention and release for plant
growth. The most significant issues involved in soil degradation are wind and water erosion, loss
of soil organic matter, nutrient imbalance and loss of soil biodiversity, contamination,
acidification and water logging.
Water logged soils can be made productive by installing drainage systems. Adaptation of
sustainable agricultural and suitable land management practices is the best solution to reduce soil
degradation and improve soil health to meet the needs of the expanding global population.
In agricultural perspective, good soil quality determines the soil which is highly productive and
has minimum levels of degradation.
A soil is known as healthy which has abundant amount of organic matter with multiple ranges for
soil organisms to flourish and behave like a reservoir of soil nutrients and moisture. Organic
substance addition on regular basis is necessary to enhance or maintain soil organic matter content
in the soil that insures good soil health. Soil aggregation and SOM are major components of soil
fertility. Soil organic matter is a key factor in nutrient cycling and also an important soil quality
indicator. In addition, the protection of soil C has become increasingly important with the concern
about global warming and CO2 increases in the atmosphere.