Managing soils for resolving the conflict between agriculture and nature: The hard talk

Abstract

Among soil-centric options for addressing global issues being intensely debated by soil scientists, ecologists and earth scientists regarding their effectiveness and applicability are: (a) harnessing soil carbon (C) sink capacity for adaptation and mitigation of climate change; (b) reducing soil erosion as a source of greenhouse gases and the need to include it in the global C budget; (c) enhancing use efficiency of inputs to agroecosystems and returning land, water and other resources back to nature; (d) using global drylands, saline culture, halomorphic plants and brackish water for provisioning of ecosystem services; and (e) adopting a system-based conservation agriculture for eco-intensification of agroecosystems as a strategy of “producing more from less”. Not only should agriculture be made a solution for addressing global issues, but it is also essential to reconciling the need for advancing food and nutritional security with the absolute necessity of enhancing the environment, restoring degraded soils and desertified ecosystems, and advancing Sustainable Development Goals or the Agenda 2030. Highlights: Sustainable soil management, degraded soil restoration abridging agronomic yield gap and improving the environment are important to achieve world peace. Sustainable eco-intensification of agro-ecosystems reduces inputs and enhances use efficiency by restoring soil health. Harnessing soil carbon sink capacity includes reducing accelerated soil erosion for adaptation and mitigation of climate change. System-based conservation agriculture sustains agronomic productivity and minimizes soil degradation and environmental pollution.