Q1.
Based on your learning, what practices do you think can help farmers protect the soil, the environment, and our food security for the future?
Answer
Practices that put back the organisms a farm was losing, so that the ecosystem does part of the work again:
| Practice | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Compost, farmyard manure, green manure | Restore humus and the friendly microorganisms in soil, so the soil binds together and holds water |
| Crop rotation and mixed cropping instead of monoculture | Different crops draw different nutrients and support different insects, so biodiversity and pollinators recover and pests do not build up |
| Leaving field borders and hedges uncut | Shelters the natural predators — beetles, spiders, birds — that control pests for free (Fig. 12.18) |
| Spraying only when pests actually cross a damaging level | Fewer sprays means fewer resistant pests and more surviving predators |
| Drip and sprinkler irrigation, rainwater harvesting | Reduces excessive groundwater extraction and keeps the water table from falling |
| Less ploughing; returning crop residue to the field | Protects earthworms and snails and keeps the topsoil in place |
| Organic and natural farming methods | Aim to reduce synthetic fertilisers and support sustainable farming with minimal interference in natural ecosystems |
Did you know? The ancient text Vrikshayurveda already emphasised soil health and nourishment. It advocates feeding the soil continuously with organic manure such as Kunapa Jala — a liquid fertiliser made from animal and plant waste by fermentation, a process that breaks complex substances into simpler ones, exactly as decomposers do in nature.