Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
the nutrient content of organic inputs towards nutrient additions in the
soil. Thus they may underestimate the role in organics, since they do not
consider their contribution towards enhancing soil fauna and micro flora;
this consequently improves solubilization of the soil’s native nutrient
reserves, apart from fulfilling the function of biological nitrogen fixation
from the atmosphere.
With more reliance on machineries, fertilizers and other
agrochemicals in the post green revolution era, most of the farmers
have forgotten the significance of livestock in Indian agriculture. Unlike
Western countries wherein a temperate climate favors accumulation of
organic matter in soil owing to low decomposition rates, Indian soils need
frequent replenishment of organic matter through incorporation of crop
residues and cattle manure. The high decomposition rates prevailing
under high temperature and intensive tillage necessitate regular
addition of animal excreta to maintain soil microbial population. (The
interrelationship of soil, its health and forests is provided in Annexure 7.)
Therefore, the main agricultural activities leading to soil degradation
in different agro-climatic regions can be summarized as: 18
••
Low and imbalanced fertilization
••
Excessive tillage and use of heavy machinery
••
Crop residue burning and inadequate organic matter inputs
••
Poor irrigation and water management
••
Poor crop rotations
••
Pesticide overuse and soil pollution
EFFECT OF PROPOSED AGROFORESTRY MODEL ON SOIL FERTILITY CRISIS
Recycling of crop residues and animal excreta is indispensable for
maintaining the food supply (i.e. organic matter at various levels of
decomposition) for various microbial populations and their activities
at different trophic levels. Each one of their roles is essential and
interconnected. Only under these circumstances, with improvement
in soil biological properties, soil can have ideal physical properties
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