28.soil sustainability for food security A Lecture By Mr. Allah Dad Khan Visiting Professor the University of Agriculture Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Pakistan

1. SOIL SUSTAINABILITY
FOR FOOD SECURITY
THEME OF IYS 2015
BY
MR. ALLAH DAD KHAN

2. International Year of Soils 2015
 On 24 April 2013 at the 146 Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Council,
FAO member Countries endorsed the request
from the Kingdom of Thailand in the framework of
the GSP for the proclamation of the International
Year of Soils (IYS) 2015.
 The IYS will serve as a platform for raising
awareness on the importance of sustainable soil
management as the basis for food systems, fuel
and fibre production, essential ecosystem
functions and better adaptation to climate change
for present and future generations.

3. International Year of Soils 2015
 United Nation has decided the year 2015 as
an International Years of Soil which describe
the signature of the soil as a basic natural
resource that support agriculture and
environment .

4. General Assembly Resolution
 The 68th UN General Assembly declared 2015
the International Year of Soils (IYS)
(A/RES/68/232).
 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations has been nominated to implement
the IYS 2015, within the framework of the Global
Soil Partnership and in collaboration with
Governments and the secretariat of the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
 The IYS 2015 aims to increase awareness and
understanding of the importance of soil for food
security and essential ecosystem functions.

5. The specific objectives of the
IYS 2015 are to:
 Raise full awareness among civil society and decision makers
about the profound importance of soil for human life;
 Educate the public about the crucial role soil plays in food security,
climate change adaptation and mitigation, essential ecosystem
services, poverty alleviation and sustainable development;
 Support effective policies and actions for the sustainable
management and protection of soil resources;
 Promote investment in sustainable soil management activities to
develop and maintain healthy soils for different land users and
population groups;
 Strengthen initiatives in connection with the SDG process
(Sustainable Development Goals) and Post-2015 agenda;
 Advocate for rapid capacity enhancement for soil information
collection and monitoring at all levels (global, regional and national).


6. NRCS ( National Resource Conservation Service) will
be showcasing the importance of soil with monthly
themes created by SSSA ( Soil Science Society of
America)
 January: Soils Sustain Life
 February: Soils Support Urban Life
 March: Soils Support Agriculture
 April: Soils Clean and Capture Water
 May: Soils Support Buildings/Infrastructure
 June: Soils Support Recreation
 July: Soils Are Living
 August: Soils Support Health
 September: Soils Protect the Natural Environment
 October: Soils and Products We Use
 November: Soils and Climate
 December: Soils, Culture and People

7. Healthy soils are the foundation of
agriculture
 Healthy soils are the foundation of agriculture. In
the face of mounting challenges such as a
growing global population, climate change, and
extreme weather events, soil health is critical to
our future. Healthy soil is essential as global
demands rise for food, fuel, and fiber. Soils also
play a crucial role in food security, hunger
eradication, climate change adaptation, poverty
reduction and sustainable development. As
America’s agency for soil conservation,
classification and studies, NRCS is excited that
2015 will bring worldwide attention to the
importance of soil

8. ."José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-
General Message
 "Soils constitute the foundation of vegetation
and agriculture. Forests need it to grow. We
need it for food, feed, fiber, fuel and much
more

9. ."José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-
General
 "The multiple roles of soils often go unnoticed.
Soils don’t have a voice, and few people
speak out for them. They are our silent ally in
food production

10. ."José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-
General
 "We must manage soils sustainably. There are
many ways to do this. Crop diversification
which is used by most of the world’s family
farmers is one of them: this gives time for
important nutrients to regenerate

11. ."José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-
General
 "We now have adequate platforms to raise
awareness on the importance of healthy soils
and to advocate for sustainable soil
management. Let us use them."

12. ."José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-
General
 "Soils also host at least one quarter of the
world’s biodiversity. They are key in the carbon
cycle. They help us to mitigate and adapt to
climate change. They play a role in water
management and in improving resilience to
floods and droughts."

13. 2015 Ethiopia Soil Campaign

14. Soils are Natural Resource
 Soils are a finite natural resource and are
nonrenewable on a human time scale. Soils are
the foundation for food, animal feed, fuel and
natural fiber production, the supply of clean water,
nutrient cycling and a range of ecosystem
functions. The area of fertile soils covering the
world's surface is limited and increasingly subject
to degradation, poor management and loss to
urbanization. Increased awareness of the life-
supporting functions of soil is called for if this
trend is to be reversed and so enable the levels of
food production necessary to meet the demands
of population levels predicted for 2050

15. Soil As Key to Sustaining Life on Earth
 Soils are key to sustaining life on Earth.
Erosion and sealing threaten this essential
resource, which is non-renewable in human
time-scales. Soils are local and at the very
same time sustainable land management is
one of the major global issues for sustainable
development in general and food security
specifically.

16. Soil is... a Recipe with Five Ingredients
 Soil is a material composed of five ingredients
— minerals, soil organic matter, living
organisms, gas, and water. Soil minerals are
divided into three size classes — clay, silt,
and sand ; the percentages of particles in
these size classes is called soil texture. The
mineralogy of soils is diverse. For example, a
clay mineral called smectite can shrink and
swell so much upon wetting and drying that it
can knock over buildings. The most common
mineral in soils is quartz; it makes beautiful
crystals but it is not very reactive.

17. Soil Microbiology
 Soil microbiology is the study of organisms in soil, their
functions, and how they affect soil properties. It is believed
that between two and four billion years ago, the first
ancientbacteria and microorganisms came about in Earth's
oceans. These bacteria could fix nitrogen, in time multiplied
and as a result released oxygen into the atmosphere. This led
to more advanced microorganisms. Microorganisms in soil
are important because they affect soil structure and fertility.
Soil microorganisms can be classified
as bacteria,actinomycetes, fungi, algae and protozoa. Each
of these groups has characteristics that define them and their
functions in soil.[1]
 Up to 10 billion bacterial cells inhabit each gram of soil in and
around plant roots, a region known as the rhizosphere. In
2011, a team detected more than 33,000 bacterial and
archaeal species on sugar beet roots

18. Soil Chemistry
 Soil chemistry is the study of the chemical characteristics
of soil. Soil chemistry is affected
by mineral composition, organic
matter and environmental factors.
 Soil chemistry is the study of the chemical characteristics of
soil. Soil chemistry is affected by mineral composition,
organic matter and environmental factors. Soil - (i) The
unconsolidated mineral or organic material on the immediate
surface of the Earth that serves as a natural medium for the
growth of land plants. (ii) The unconsolidated mineral or
organic matter on the surface of the Earth that has been
subjected to and shows effects of genetic and environmental
factors of: climate (including water and temperature effects),
and macro- and micro organisms, conditioned by relief, acting
on parent material over a period of time. A product-soil differs
from the material from which it is derived in many physical,
chemical, biological, and morphological properties and
characteristics. This definition is from Soil Taxonomy, second
edition.

19. Saline Agriculture
 Salts occur naturally in all soils. Rain diesolves
these salts, which are then swept through streama
and riven to the sea. Where rainfall is sparse or
there is no quick route to the sea, some of this
water evaporates and the dissolved salts become
more concentrated. In arid areas, this can result in
the formation of salt lakes or in brackish
groundwater, salinized soil, or salt deposits. There
are three possible domains for the use of
saltbolerant plants in developing countries. These
are: 1. Farmlands salinized by poor irrigation
practices; 2. Arid areas that overlie reservoirs of
brackish water; and 3. Coastal deeerts.

20. Soil water and Air Pollution
 Soils can process and contain considerable amounts of water. They can
take in water, and will keep doing so until they are full, or until the rate at
which they can transmit water into and through the pores is exceeded.
Some of this water will steadily drain through the soil (via gravity) and end
up in the waterways and streams, but much of it will beretained, away from
the influence of gravity, for use of plants and other organisms to contribute
to land productivity and soil health

21. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution
 Water, Air, & Soil Pollution is an international, interdisciplinary
journal on all aspects of pollution and solutions to pollution in the
biosphere. This includes chemical, physical and biological
processes affecting flora, fauna, water, air and soil in relation to
environmental pollution. Because of its scope, the subject areas are
diverse and include all aspects of pollution sources, transport,
deposition, accumulation, acid precipitation, atmospheric pollution,
metals, aquatic pollution including marine pollution and ground
water, waste water, pesticides, soil pollution, sewage, sediment
pollution, forestry pollution, effects of pollutants on humans,
vegetation, fish, aquatic species, micro-organisms, and
animals, environmental and molecular toxicology applied to
pollution research, biosensors, global and climate change,
ecological implications of pollution and pollution models. Water, Air,
& Soil Pollution also publishes manuscripts on novel methods used
in the study of environmental pollutants, environmental toxicology,
environmental biology, novel environmental engineering related to
pollution, biodiversity as influenced by
pollution, novel environmental biotechnology as applied to pollution
(e.g. bioremediation), environmental modelling and biorestoration of
polluted environments.

22. Soil Tillage
 Soil tillage
 Soil tillage is a method of soil preparation for seedbed preparation, sowing
or transplanting, and for crops' growth.Types of soil tillage

Conventional tillage
 The cultivation of the soil using plow, harrow and other farm tools or
mechanical implements to prepare the field for crop production.
 Advantages
1. Destroys pests' shelters and disrupts their lifecycles
2. Exposes pests to predators and unfavorable conditions
3. Distributes soil nutrients throughout the soil
4. Aerates the soil
5. Controls weeds
6. Makes other farm cultural practices easier to undertake

23. Soil Tillage
 Disadvantages
1. Destroys the soil cover and its structure
2. Enhances soil erosion
3. High moisture loss
4. Disrupts the lifecycle of beneficial soil
organisms
5. Needs more labor cost for the soil
preparation

24. Conservation tillage

Conservation tillage
 The planting or sowing in the previous crop's residues that
are purposely left on the soil surface.
 Advantages
1. Conserves water. The mulch reduces water to evaporate.
2. Reduces erosion because the topsoil is protected.
3. Reduces soil compaction.
4. Protects impact from rain and wind.
5. Improves the soil condition with the increased organic
matter content.
6. Natural enemies have places to stay.
7. Lessens the overall production cost.

25. Conservation tillage
 Disadvantages
1. Needs a thorough understanding of the concept and
requires careful farm management practices to be
successful.
2. Most soil pests populations are increased.
3. Weeds compete with the main crops.
4. High tendency of a carryover of the insect pests and
diseases from the crop residues.
5. Organic matters are not evenly distributed or are
concentrated at the topsoil.
6. It needs patience and waits a longer time to have an
excellent soil

26. Methods of conservation tillage
 Zero tillage (no-till, minimum tillage, or direct seeding). A
system where the soil is not disturbed between harvesting
one crop and planting the next. It is a crop production where
the soil is not traditionally tilled or cultivated although sticks or
other planting equipments are used to make the openings for
seeds.
Ridge tillage. A specific form of no-till wherein a new crop is
planted on pre-formed ridges or hills or bunds from those of
the previous crop. After harvest, the crop residues are left
until the planting time. The seeds are sown along the ridges.
Sticks or other farms tools are used to make the openings for
seeds.
Mulch tillage (stubble mulch tillage). Any system that ensures
a maximum retention of crop residues (30% or more) on the
soil surface. The soil is prepared in such a way that plant
residues or other mulching materials are specifically left on or
near the surface of the farm.

27. Crop Rotation
 Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar/different
types of crops in the same area in sequenced seasons. It also helps in
reducing soil erosion and increases soil fertility and crop yield.
 Crop rotation gives various nutrients to the soil. A traditional element of crop
rotation is the replenishment of nitrogen through the use of green manure in
sequence with cereals and other crops. Crop rotation also mitigates the
build-up of pathogens and pests that often occurs when one species is
continuously cropped, and can also improve soil structure and fertility by
alternating deep-rooted and shallow-rooted plants. Crop rotation is one
component of polyculture.

28. Soil Organic Matter
 Soil organic matter is plant, animal, and microbial residues in
various states of decomposition; it is a critical ingredient — in fact
the percentage of soil organic matter in a soil is among the best
indicators of agricultural soil Quality .Soil colors range from the
common browns, yellows, reds, grays, whites, and blacks to rare
soil colors such as greens and blues.

29. Soil Degradation
 Since 1945, some 1.2 billion hectares of agricultural land
have been moderately or extremely degraded (that
roughly corresponds to the size of China and India
combined). On average, globally, human influence has
caused a tenfold increase in rates of erosion over
estimated long-term geologic rates. Photo: Tim Green.
Creative Commons BY (cropped).

31. Soils are... Big
 You may be surprised to hear "dirt" described
as "big". However, in the late 1800's soil
scientists began to recognize
that soils are natural bodies with size, form,
and history . Just like a water body has water,
fish, plants, and other parts, a soil body is an
integrated system containing soil, rocks, roots,
animals, and other parts. And just like other
bodies, soil systems provide integrated
functions that are greater than the sum of their
parts.

33. Soils... Communicate
 These master horizons may then be further annotated to give
additional information about the horizon. Horizons are first assigned
to one of the following master horizons as designated by a single
capital letter:
O - Horizon containing a high percentage of soil organic matter.
 A - Horizon darkened by the accumulation of organic matter.
 E - Horizon formed through the removal (eluviation) of clays,
organic matter, iron, or aluminum. Usually lightened in color due to
these removals.
 B - Broad class used for subsurface horizons that have been
transformed substantially by a soil formation process such as color
and structure development; the deposition (illuviation) of materials
such as clays, organic matter, iron, aluminum, carbonates, or
gypsum; carbonate or gypsum loss; brittleness and high density; or
intense weathering leading to the accumulation of weathering-
resistant minerals.
 C - A horizon minimally affected or unaffected by the soil formation
processes.
 R - Bedrock.

35. Soils are... Fertile
 Soils are the primary provider of nutrients and
water for much of the plant life on earth. There
are 18 elements considered essential for plant
growth, most of which are made available to
plants through root uptake from soils (Brady &
Weil 2007). Soils retain nutrients by several
mechanisms. Most nutrients are dissolved in
soil water as either positively or negatively
charged ions; soil particles are also charged
and thereby are able to electrically hold these
ions. Soils also hold nutrients by retaining the
soil water itself.

36. Soils are... Clay Factories
 Among the most important functions
performed by soils is to provide the ideal
conditions for clay synthesis. Clays are
important because they are often active,
which is a general term soil scientists use to
describe how chemically reactive a particle is
with ions, water, and other particles. These
reactions are critical for the provision of many
ecosystem services.

37. Soils are... Clay Factories contd
 Clays are often the most active mineral
particles because they have unique chemical
characteristics and also because they have so
much surface area — clays can have 10,000
times the surface area of sand of the same
weight (Brady & Weil 2007). All this surface
area makes clays a hot spot for chemical
reactions.

38. Soils are... Service Providers
 Soils are the among the great ecosystem
service providers on earth (Haygarth & Ritz
2009) . They store and provide water for
plants. They prevent floods by transferring
water slowly to streams and groundwater.
They filter and remediate pollutants. They
cycle and recycle nutrients and wastes —
transforming them into biologically available
forms, storing them away for later use, and
preventing their leaching to ground and
surface waters. Soils provide habitat for a vast
diversity of life.

39. Soils are... Service Providers contd
 They take up and release important gases,
including oxygen and greenhouse gases, a
service called gas regulation. Many of these
ecosystem services are being lost through the
degradation and loss of soils. The
conservation, restoration, and optimization of
ecosystem services provided by soils is
among the great challenges for humanity in
the 21st century.

41. Soils are... Degrading and Polluted
 Unfortunately many human activities degrade
and pollute soils, lessening the ecosystem
services provided by soils and making some
soils and their runoff water harmful to our
environment and human health. Erosion is
among the great causes of soil degradation as
essential topsoil is lost at rates far greater than
it can be replaced (Figure 12a, 12b); this
sediment is also among the greatest pollutants
of water bodies.

42. Soils are... Degrading and Polluted contd
 Salinization is the buildup of salts in soils to a
point that they destroy the physical and
chemical properties of soil and make it
impossible for plants to take up water from the
soil. Salinization is often associated with
improper irrigation. Desertificationis caused
by a combination of climate changes and
human-induced soil degradation (such as
through overgrazing).

43. Soils are... Degrading and Polluted contd
 Desertificationis caused by a combination of
climate changes and human-induced soil
degradation (such as through overgrazing).

44. Soils are... Degrading and
Polluted

45. Soils are... Home
 The phrase "to be on a nation's soil" is used as
a poetic means to express our connection to
country, to home. Soils give us a sense of
place in our environment, a sense of
geography. Our language abounds with
phrases such as being "grounded" and "down
to earth". Although we seldom consider the
role of soils in our day-to-day lives, we have
an intrinsic understanding that soils are home.

46. Soils are... a Profession
 While many people work with soils — from
farmers, to gardeners, to construction workers
— some people make soil science a career. Soil
scientists work in a variety of fields — space
exploration, archeology, insurance, defense,
engineering, and yes, agriculture. Soil science
professional societies have been established in
nations throughout the world.

47. Soils are... a Profession contd
 Many of these organizations are represented
in the International Union of Soil Sciences .Soil
scientists are trained to understand how the
basic concepts of chemistry, biology, and
physics operate within the diversity of soils,
and to apply this knowledge to address
problems related to soil behavior and
management. People drawn to this profession
tend to have a love and respect for soils rooted
in appreciation of their complexity, importance,
and beauty.