Vol. 8, Issue 9, Part D (2024)

Soil, vital for food production, carbon storage and ecological balance faces severe degradation globally. Soil loss is one of the important environmental issues facing all terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. More than a third of the Earth’s soils suffer from erosion, nutrient depletion and pollution. Extensive soil loss occurs when rate of soil erosion exceeds rate at which soil is naturally formed. Natural and human-caused soil loss is effectively tackled by comprehensive strategies promoting soil conservation and sustainable land management. Net zero soil loss aims to balance erosion with soil formation through conservation practices, preserving soil health while mitigating environmental impacts. This article aims to explore strategies to minimize soil loss through effective soil conservation measures. Conservation tillage represents a sustainable approach that minimizes soil disturbance, preserves crop residues on the surface and protects against erosive forces like wind and water. Contour farming can significantly reduce soil loss, water loss and annual surface runoff compared to perpendicular cultivation. Cover cropping and crop rotation also has significant effect on reducing soil losses along with beneficial effect on soil’s physical properties. Terracing can decrease soil erosion rates, offering significant soil conservation benefits compared to non-terraced slopes. Although, despite its demonstrated efficacy in reducing soil loss, challenges like high input costs, labour availability and infrastructure maintenance contribute to the abandonment of terraced areas. However, from the analysis of various soil loss reduction measures, it becomes evident that implementing a single management practices alone may not effectively reduce soil loss unless combined with other supplementary practices.