Where does the water go during a drought? Germany researchers try to find out
Researchers examined how the process of evaporation and groundwater recharge differed under various kinds of soils and land uses
Deficiency in micronutrients in soil linked to health of children and women
Districts with more soil zinc samples had significantly lower rates of underweight children and child stunting
Grazing animals play key role in maintaining soil carbon health: Study
Grazing by mammalian herbivores can be a climate mitigation strategy
Scientists assess how continuous use of fertilisers affects soil bacteria
Application of Nitrogen Phosporus Potassium with farmyard manure increases the minerals' availability in the soil as compared to other treatments
Soil erosion triggers ravine expansion in Gujarat
Ravines have increased by 60-70 per cent in four districts of Gujarat in the last 4-5 decades and this threatens agriculture and livelihood there
Plants are great at storing CO2. These scientists aim to make them even better
Researchers around the world are working to improve plants’ ability to combat climate change
New guar gum-based hydrogel can help save drought-hit crops
The guar gum-based hydrogel is biodegradable and adds organic content to the soil upon degradation
An epic global study of moss reveals it is far more vital to Earth’s ecosystems than we knew
They are likely to play increasingly important roles as vascular plants decline under predicted hotter, drier & more variable global climates
Biodiversity loss could be making us sick – here’s why
Promoting connections with nature — including the microbes many of us currently shun — should be a key part of …
Antibiotic use in cows can affect soil health, increase CO2 emissions: Study
When antibiotics are used, less carbon is stored in the soil and more is lost to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide
Your food might be growing in contaminated soil
Soil pollution poses a major risk to human health by impairing plant metabolism and making crops unsafe for consumption
Back to basics
An air conditioning system that uses constant subterranean temperatures can become an ecofriendly alternative to conventional systems
Deforestation, agriculture triggered soil erosion 4,000 years ago: Study
Increased sediment deposits and changes in land use showed the degradation of soil during the last four millenia
How balanced soil nutrient management can save Indian agriculture
The ill-effects of imbalanced application of fertilisers — which leads to soil sickness, decline in soil health and reduces crop …
World Desertification Day 2023: Granting equal land rights to women can reduce world hunger significantly, says UN
Removing legal barriers to women owning land will help with soil health protection, notes United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Sustaining terra firma
Scientists in New Zealand have developed a low-cost technology that can clean contaminated soil
Seeding happy, cleaning air: Farmers adopting non-burn tech give hope
Several Indian states are experimenting with Happy Seeder that cuts and lifts the paddy straw and also improves soil health
To recharge groundwater, give due attention to soil: conservationist Vijay Borade
India, according to him, witnesses 15 tonnes of soil loss for each hectare every year due to erosion
Micro-irrigation: The way ahead for sustainable agriculture
In the age of climate change and water scarcity, micro-irrigation can help increase crop yield and decrease water, fertiliser and labour …
Tractors can change farming in good ways and bad: lessons from four African countries
Insights from 87 villages reveal transformative power of agricultural mechanisation, but there are challenges too — like soil erosion, …
The forgotten environmental crisis: How 20th century settler writers foreshadowed the Anthropocene
Almost a century ago, New Zealand and Australia were at the forefront of an environmental crisis that was also profoundly geological in nature: …
Livestock manure not so safe for food production
An FAO report highlights that livestock manure is one of the top sources of soil contamination
Wetlands in Kashmir shrinking due to urbanisation: Study
An analysis of land cover data from 2016 shows that the catchment of Narkara wetland in near Srinagar is now predominantly an urban setting, with …
UNCCD CoP 14: Report on Soil Organic Carbon released
Soil Organic Carbon, which is the plant and animal tissues at various states of decomposition in the soil, is a yardstick for sustainable land …
Leaves from nitrogen-rich trees can be potential fertilisers
Banaras Hindu University scientists have shown that application of leaves from nitrogen-rich trees in soil can increase the soil fertility and …