In a YouTube video by the Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United States titled “Stop Soil Erosion Keep Soil Where It Belongs”, they discuss what causes soil erosion and how to prevent it. Soil is eroded by wind, water, and tillage and this removes the fertile top layer needed to grow food and other plants. This can lead to flooding and landslides, water, and soil pollution.
The soil loses its ability to adapt to the environment and it can take over 1,000 years to produce new soil. Humans are causing soil erosion through unsustainable planting practices.
Farmers and consumers can adopt sustainable soil management practices to reverse this trend. Crop rotation is rotating high volume crops like corn, hay, and grains to reduce erosion. Conservation tillage is using methods to leave more of the soil to protect crops. Planting crops in rows on a hill prevents water and soil runoff and strip farming for sloping land has proven effective.
You can grow plants in your home garden and instruct children about the importance of soil for growing food. Some farmers plant crops on a hill by creating terraces or a steppingstone pattern. Other methods that help with soil erosion are using compost and mulch around plants.
