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

Sulphur deficiency in Madhya Pradesh soil leads to poor harvest

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

Old wine in a new bottle

Leguminous trees rather than plants are a better option for improving soil fertility

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 …

A peek into the world of fungi

First-of-its-kind global study shows soil fungi can directly impact climate change

Organic v conservative

Scientists contest an age-old agricultural technique

In search of famine

HARVESTING HUNGER·A video film by Krishnendu Bose·Duration: 53 minutes

Reclaiming Simple Clod

More and more loss

More and more water

More yield per hectare

More and more urea

Fertilisers boost plant growth but imbalanced application soon leads to use-fatigue

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

Field day

India's soils are in a bad shape. T V Jayan investigates

NASA releases new global maps mapping groundwater, soil wetness

Groundwater and soil moisture are crucial for irrigation and crop growth  

Chemical-intensive farming good for soil?

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

India has lost over 1,500 sq km of land to ‘catastrophic’ soil erosion

New research finds Assam the worst affected, lost close to 300 square kilometres of topsoil

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

Locust repellents

The insect dislikes crops rich in nitrogen and proteins

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