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Articles on Soil

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Soil health maps can help smallholder farmers make better decisions on improving their yields. Rod Waddington/Flickr

Ethiopia is making maps to help improve soil health

Ethiopian researchers put together maps which show where there are soil fertility issues and whether nutrients are missing.
No-till farming conserves soil by greatly reducing erosion. USDA NRCS South Dakota/Eric Barsness

Restoring soil can help address climate change

More than one-fifth of global warming emissions come from land use. Sustainable farming can make soil healthier and better able to soak up carbon, while saving energy and boosting food production.
The memories retained by soil contain countless records, including a history of human encounters with the land. Shutterstock

Soil is the key to our planet’s history (and future)

Understanding the different facets of soil reveals a complex and fascinating cultural and evolutionary history.
Soil carbon can play a role in tackling climate change. Shutterstock

How soil carbon can help tackle climate change

Carbon in soil can help with tackling climate change. Maintaining soil quality by supporting farmers through economic incentives and technical approaches is important.
Soil is a non-renewable part of the environment. Can it sustain food production for our growing population? www.shutterstock.com

In 100 years’ time, maybe our food won’t be grown in soil

The thin layer of soil on our planet’s surface ultimately sustains us all, but it’s a finite resource. With a growing global population, perhaps it is time to start looking for alternatives.
Your nose knows what’s on the way. Lucy Chian/Unsplash

Why you can smell rain

A weather expert explains where petrichor – that pleasant, earthy scent that accompanies a storm’s first raindrops – comes from.
One third of the world’s land has been severely degraded from its natural state. Milo Mitchell/Flickr

Lessons from Kenya on how to restore degraded land

A Land Degradation Surveillance framework could solve this problem by systematically measuring and tracking indicators of land health in Africa.
Scientists must remember that farmers are focused on the best return from their inputs with little risk as possible. Dominic Chavez/World Bank/Flickr

How soil scientists can do a better job of making their research useful

Soil scientists have rarely gone the extra mile to translate their knowledge into forms that can be integrated into economic decision making.
Farmer-led development projects in places like Tanzania, shown here, can increase access to food and water, and reconnect people to nature. (Cecilia Schubert/flickr)

How to reduce poverty and re-connect people to nature

Farmer-led development work can improve people’s lives, provide access to food and water - and re-connect them to nature.

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