Improving soil health

Intensive farming practices and the overuse of fertilizers and chemical pesticides have led to soil depletion and degradation. This situation highlights the need for farmers to change their production practices and focus on improving soil health.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Quoc Khuong (on the right), a lecturer at Can Tho University, stated: The solution to improving soil health is to enhance production in a biological direction.

According to Duong Van Tuan, Acting Director of the Long An Provincial Agricultural Extension and Services Center: “Land is an irreplaceable means of production in agriculture. Approximately 60% of farmers depend on land for their livelihoods, and the role of land is crucial to the development of agriculture. Accordingly, land retains water and fertilizers, provides water and minerals for plants; serves as a substrate for plants to cling to and grow; provides a living environment for beneficial microorganisms; regulates air for plant roots; and directly affects the yield and quality of agricultural products. Therefore, it is necessary to understand soil health and soil nutrients to help farmers manage nutrient absorption by crops effectively.”

However, agricultural land is currently degraded and infertile. The reasons include a lack of organic matter in orchards and vegetable gardens, leading to nutrient leaching; and the burning of rice straw and high temperatures causing nutrient and organic matter loss in the soil. Furthermore, farmers are accustomed to traditional farming practices, simply following the spraying of pesticides by observing neighboring fields. They haven't considered the soil's nutrient supply capacity and the plant's nutritional needs, resulting in areas with excess nutrients and areas with deficiencies. Consequently, while crop yields may be high, quality and economic efficiency are not always high, and pest and disease outbreaks are more frequent, impacting the environment.

Mr. Huynh Van Nam (Binh Hoa Hung commune, Duc Hue district) shared: “My family grows 5 hectares of coconut and lemon trees. Initially, we used chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and the trees grew quickly and bore fruit sooner. After two years, I had to double the amount of fertilizers and pesticides, but the trees still didn't grow well and frequently suffered from various diseases, especially sap oozing disease.”

Similarly to Mr. Nam, Mr. Le Van Minh (My Thanh Dong commune, Duc Hue district) also overuses chemical fertilizers and pesticides in rice cultivation. According to Mr. Minh, Duc Hue is an area with acidic soil, so production costs are higher than in other areas. For the winter-spring rice crop, production costs range from 22-25 million VND/ha, which is 7-10 million VND/ha higher than in other areas.

Mr. Minh said: “Using chemical fertilizers and pesticides regularly, I find the soil becomes barren and infertile, especially prone to diseases like rice blast and stem borers… Meanwhile, the surrounding water is heavily acidic, forcing me to increase the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to protect my production area. I know that chemical fertilizers and pesticides affect the health of both producers and consumers, but I have to accept it.”

In an effort to change farmers' perceptions, the agricultural sector has recently recommended organic farming practices, limiting the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This contributes to protecting people's health, the surrounding environment, and the health of the soil. And in reality, many farmers have come to understand the value of land in agricultural production.

Mr. Tran Van Lu (Tan Binh commune, Tan Thanh district) said: “Participating in the high-tech rice application area has reduced the amount of chemical fertilizers and pesticides by 30%, and increased the use of organic fertilizers and microbial pesticides. Over time, I have noticed fewer disease outbreaks, reduced costs, and yields similar to before.”

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Quoc Khuong, a lecturer at Can Tho University: “For sustainable agricultural development, farmers need to focus on biological production. The biological approach involves using organic fertilizers and microbial preparations to improve soil properties through soil cycles such as dissolving nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, contributing to the replenishment of nutrients in the soil in a biological form. In the long term, chemical fertilizers such as potassium and phosphorus remain in the soil, so farmers need to find microorganisms that break down immobile potassium and phosphorus compounds to provide nutrients to plants.”

Healthy soil promotes healthy crops, increases yields, and contributes to food security. Healthy soil also stores carbon from the atmosphere, mitigating climate change.

Le Ngoc

Source: https://baolongan.vn/nang-cao-suc-khoe-cho-dat-a197888.html