‘Deteriorating soil health threatens food security’

Agricultural scientists urged to boost efforts to stop soil erosion

FAISALABAD:

Declining soil health is becoming a grave concern in Punjab, posing a threat to food security through soil erosion, loss of organic matter and nutrition depletion.

These thoughts were echoed by University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan. He addressed the inaugural session of 19th International Soil Congress of Sciences at Iqbal Auditorium that was jointly arranged by UAF and the Soil Science Society of Pakistan (SSSP).

Dr Khan said we are responsible for polluting our soil. He said decreasing soil fertility is a real challenge, for which agricultural scientists must enhance their efforts to address the issue at the national and international level.

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He said that the country needed serious intervention to combat soil and water degradation with proper remediation and that management of soil variability will ensure sustainable agriculture production.

Director Office of Research Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) UAF/ President SSSP Dr Zahir Ahmad said that environmental deterioration is disastrous for the planet and its people.

He called for protecting and managing soil, adopting negative emission farming, promoting the one health concept and using the latest environment-friendly tools for a better tomorrow. He added that all possible efforts were being made to improve soil health in the country on a scientific basis with the aid of tangible research and other methods.

Dr Rathan Lal from Ohio State University stated that it was the need of the hour to reduce chemicals, improve water quality and promo te a bio circular economy.

Former president SSSP Dr Shahid Mahmood additionally stressed upon the need for cooperation between experts, policy makers, and scientists in order to address the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2022.