This document discusses various techniques for soil conservation to prevent erosion and maintain fertility. It describes contour plowing, terrace farming, keyline design, perimeter runoff control, windbreaks, crop rotation, and mulching as organic farming practices that conserve the soil. It also recommends preventing overgrazing, re-establishing forest cover, and maintaining soil pH levels. The document concludes by mentioning engineering structures like gabion walls, retaining walls, breast walls, check dams, and weep holes that can further control soil erosion.

2. By
Faisal Khalid
Forestry and Wildlife
Management
University of Haripur
fkcbuneri@gmail.com

3. Presentation topic
Soil Conservation
Techniques

4. Soil conservation:
Soil conservation is the
preventing of soil loss from
erosion or reduced fertility
caused by over usage,
acidification, salinization or
other chemical soil
contamination.

5. Soil erosion:
 Soil erosion removes the top soil that is necessary
for organic matter, nutrients, micro-organisms
that are requires for plants to grow and shine. Soil
conservation is one such step that protects the
soil from being washed away.
 Healthy soil is important for plants to grow and
flourish. Taking necessary steps to conserve the
soil is part of environmentally friendly lifestyle.

6. Methods and Techniques of
Soil Conservation:
Many different techniques have been
invented throughout the years with
the aim of preserving the nutrient
level of the soil and preventing
erosion.

7. Contour Plowing:
 Contour plowing or contour farming or Contour
ploughing is the farming practice
of plowing and/or planting across a slope
following its elevation contour lines. These contour
lines create a water break which reduces the
formation of rills and gullies during times of heavy
water run-off; which is a major cause of soil
erosion. It a very effective way for farmland on
slopes to prevent run off improve crop yields.

9. Terrace Farming
A terrace is a piece of sloped plane
that has been cut into a series of
successively receding flat surfaces
or platforms, which resemble steps,
for the purposes of more effective
farming. This type of landscaping is
therefore called terracing.

11. Keyline Design
The Keyline refers to
topographic feature linked to
water flow. This allows the water
run off to run directly into an
existing water channel, and
prevent soil erosion caused by
the water.

13. Perimeter Runoff Control
This is the practice of planting
trees, shrubs and ground cover
around the perimeter of your
farmland which slow down
surface flows and keeps
nutrients in the farmed soil.

15. Windbreaks
 Rows of tall trees are used in dense
patterns around the farmland and
prevents wind erosion. Evergreen trees
can provide year round protection
but deciduous trees can be adequate as
long as foliage is apparent during the
seasons when the soil is bare.

17. Crop Rotation
 Crop rotation is the practice of
growing a series of dissimilar or
different types of crops in the same
area in sequenced seasons. It is done
so that the soil of farms is not used for
only one set of nutrients. It helps in
reducing soil erosion and increases soil
fertility and crop yield.

19. Soil Conservation Farming
These practices can
be used to prevent
erosion and even
restore damaged soil
and encourage plant
growth.

21. Prevent Overgrazing
Try not to let overgrazing
happen by moving herds
around often. If overgrazing
occurs, plant hardier and more
nutritious species of forage in
order to rebuild the soil.

23. Re-establish Forest Cover
 – A dense amount of trees in a
forest leads to a vast network
of deep roots that offer a long
term solution to soil erosion,
another benefit is the
windbreak that these trees can
provide.

24. Maintaining PH levels of soil
Contamination of soils due to acid
rains and other pollutants can
lead to loss of soil fertility. Use a
Ph indicator monthly to check the
levels of acids in the soil and treat
the soils with eco-friendly
chemicals to prevent a loss of
crops and low yields

25. Mulching:
It means covering the soil surface
by straw, leaves or grasses.
Mulches of different kinds check
soil erosion, increase soil fertility
and also minimize moisture
evaporation from the top soils.

30. Engineering structure for control of soil erosion
Gabion wall

32. Retaining wall
 A retaining wall is a structure designed and constructed to resist the lateral
pressure of soil, when there is a desired change in ground elevation that
exceeds the angle of repose of the soil. A basement wall is thus one kind of
retaining wall.

33. Breast wall
 A breast wall is constructed to protect the natural sloping ground from
the cutting action of natural agents. Breast walls also prevent slides of
unreliable soils.

34. Check dame .

35. Weep hole.