Spain faces a serious problem desertificationincreased by increasingly severe droughts and successive heatwaves associated with global warming. To curb this trend, experts, for example, increase in organic matter.
The United Nations program against desertification warned several years ago: 75% of Spain’s surface It is at risk of encountering this problem, which, among other things, terminates agricultural production.
“the lands [en España] They deteriorate badly as a result of a general lack of knowledge about their importance, biodiversity and function, as well as the factors and time required for their regeneration. Susana Rodriguez-Echeverría, from the Spanish Society for Terrestrial Ecology (AEET) and a member of the Plant-Soil Team, says that although traditional agriculture contributes significantly to soil erosion, there is little awareness of this problem.
There is consensus among experts on the subject. Increasing the organic matter in the soil is the key to your health. The organic component of the soil consists of several life-giving elements to the soil on which we walk and depend: plant remains, small living organisms, decaying organic matter and stable organic matter (humus).
There are many ways to increase the presence of these elements by taking sustainable management practicesSuch as ensuring that the soil is shaded as much as possible, minimizing soil degradation and integrating plant or animal residues into the soil.
The increase in the amount of organic matter in the soil is directly proportional to the amount. ability to retain water, which helps alleviate droughts and wildfires. Drought certainly increases evaporation from the soil, and the challenge is to reverse this. This is where organic matter plays a decisive role.
Q organic content can increase the water holding capacity of the soil by up to 75 cubic meters per 4,000 square meters of land, with an increase of only 1%.
“Organic matter is essential for the functioning of the soil; It will increase the soil’s capacity to hold water, reduce erosion, and provide necessary habitat and nutrients for living things. They are responsible for many of the soil’s ecosystem services, such as nutrient recycling and decontamination,” adds Susana Rodríguez-Echeverría.
Tool to ‘separate’ CO2
“Furthermore, an increase in organic matter means an increase in the amount of stored carbon, thus atmospheric carbon sink. If we take into account all Spanish agricultural soils, this soil carbon stock will make a significant contribution to the removal of carbon from the atmosphere”, confirms the expert.
Jorge Mataix-Solera, president of the Spanish Society for Soil Sciences and professor at Miguel Hernández Elche University, states that “organic matter in the soil has the capacity to hold water and nutrients, improving structure and porosity.” Soil is a long-term source of nutrients and energy for microorganisms. A quarter of the planet’s biodiversity is found in soil.”
“Soil organic matter provides generally good soil quality for agricultural production and also as a regulator of the hydrological cycle. Its maintenance is therefore a win-win situation between different ecosystem services,” says FAO chief executive Rosa M. Poch. Researcher at the Intergovernmental Soil Technical Panel and University of Lleida.
A global challenge
Leading Spanish soil scientists save the landA movement supported by the United Nations and the World Food Program that seeks to address the global crisis of soil degradation and supports governments in implementing concrete policies for soil conservation.
The main purpose of Save Soil is, ensuring that there is a minimum of 3% to 6% organic matter in agricultural soils worldwide. This will make the soil viable and sustainably usable on all farmland.
“Policies are necessary in this sense. They come a little late, but Europe is moving forward. I think it’s very important that society recognizes the importance of taking care of the soil and preventing soil degradation, and that there are movements like Save Soil. It makes it much more visible to the public and politicians,” adds Jorge Mataix-Solera.
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