How to recover eroded soil

Soil erosion is one of the most serious problems that anyone who wants to dedicate themselves to growing plants has to face. Although it is a natural process that occurs in many parts of the world, the impact that human beings have on the earth is causing soils that once were full of life, today they no longer look healthy and green. The use of chemical products ends up destroying the entire ecosystem, and this is aggravated if the rains are not frequent in an area. But it can be revived if we know how to recover an eroded soil.

Therefore, in this article we are going to tell you what are the main guidelines to follow in order to learn how to recover an eroded soil.

Environmental impacts and eroded soils

how to recover an eroded soil

Because human activity is generating an environmental impact that causes an increase in the greenhouse effect and, therefore, climate change, a more accelerated natural erosion process is generated. Soil erosion has been estimated to occur 10 times faster than normal . This is equivalent to problems of reduction of biodiversity, ecological and economic balance for the human being.

In nations such as Nicaragua and Honduras, this problem has been reflected in some impacts that Hurricane Mitch had in 1998. At the political and government level, some anti-erosion solutions should be implemented when carrying out public works or large-scale projects. One of the options is to carry out these works on land that already has an erosion rate, which makes it convenient to establish a plan and recover said soils.

It should be noted that soil erosion becomes more serious depending on different areas in which we are . For example, in areas of Central America we find tropical and subtropical soils that are more sensitive to accelerated erosion. If we add to all this climate change and industrial activities by human beings, we will focus on an ideal scenario so that environmental conditions are more prone to soil erosion.

Prevention to learn how to recover an eroded soil

soil degradation

It must be taken into account that before recovering an eroded soil we must learn to prevent its erosion. There are companies that are in charge of developing erosion control works. For this, it is essential to have a plant cover on the ground. This vegetation cover is responsible for cushioning the impact generated by raindrops and reducing the surface speed of the water flow . In this way, the root systems of plants are much more effective for those that can assimilate water as nutrients.

The treatment of the slopes is essential for areas with unevenness in the field of agriculture. And is that before sowing crops in uneven areas, perhaps it is to condition the slope in such a way that it is not so vulnerable to the effects of surface runoff.

If we have a more extensive soil and with the objective of having long-term crops, it is best to have a team of professionals and specialists who can analyze the soil situation. In this way, it is possible to find solutions for place and conditions. There are some materials such as mulch that guarantees the retention of sufficient moisture that is required to ensure a real environment in which a seed or a combination of them can develop. There are also some biodegradable fibers that are another alternative for protecting the soil against the action of surface runoff. This coconut fiber is productive in germinating the system and minimizing the option of damage due to falling water.

Organic fertilizer, essential to nourish the soil

techniques to learn how to recover an eroded soil

Soil erosion or degradation is a process by which it loses all the nutrients and all the life it had (insects, fungi), exposing the mother rock. As it has no land, we cannot plant plants without first “making” the soil ourselves. How? The first thing is to order one, two, or as many as necessary, dirt trucks. Once you have them, only then can you start working:

  • With the help of a rake, spread the soil throughout the garden , forming a layer of at least 20cm. In the case that it is so eroded that it begins to be cracked, it is better that the layer is 50cm or more.
  • Now, fertilize it with horse or sheep manure, or any other natural fertilizer, spreading a layer of about 10cm.
  • Then give it a good watering , soaking all the soil well.
  • Water again every 4-5 days. Thus, little by little, the soil will recover.

The following year, you will be able to plant plants.

Plants for poor soils

Although it is fertilized, it still has poor soil. To stop being it, it is important to protect it from the sun. And of course, for that we need plants. The best are undoubtedly the autochthonous ones, but if you don’t just like them, you can opt for others, such as ash , hackberry , myrtle or lavender . When you make the hole to plant them, mix the soil with ecological substrates in equal parts. 

How to recover an eroded soil in agriculture

When we are in agricultural land we know that a large part of soil erosion reduces the organic matter content. For this reason, the incorporation of this matter is called organic amendment. They consist of incorporating residues of both animal and vegetable origin that favor a series of chemical reactions between the nutrients in the amendment with those already found in the soil that are produced in the decomposition of the nutrients thanks to the decomposers.

Normally the organic amendments that are carried out and incorporated into the agricultural land are those residues from previous harvests, manure, correctors, compost, etc. Among the benefits we have from the contribution of this organic amendment we have the following:

  • Slowly degrading minerals are incorporated into the soil that are used for cultivation .
  • Chemical reactions increase and mushroom forms structures that prevent soil loss.
  • Energy is provided and used by the microorganisms present in the medium.
  • Favor agricultural tasks.
  • Increases the ability to retain particles.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about how to recover an eroded soil.

How to recover eroded soil

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