{"id":21957,"date":"2026-03-16T09:00:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T07:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/?p=21957"},"modified":"2026-03-12T09:50:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:50:47","slug":"improving-soil-quality-sustainable-food-production-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/improving-soil-quality-sustainable-food-production-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving soil quality for a sustainable food production"},"content":{"rendered":"
How<\/span> to<\/span> increase<\/span> sustainable<\/span> food<\/span> production<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> hotter<\/span> and<\/span> drier<\/span> climate<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> constantly<\/span> growing<\/span> population<\/span> while <\/span>soil is protected?<\/span><\/h5>\n
Throughout<\/span> the<\/span> past<\/span> century,<\/span> advancements<\/span> in<\/span> agricultural<\/span> technology<\/span> have<\/span> allowed<\/span> farmers<\/span> to<\/span> feed<\/span> a<\/span> human<\/span> population<\/span> in<\/span> constant<\/span> growth<\/span> and<\/span> this<\/span> has <\/span>contributed to a huge deterioration of soil health.<\/span><\/div>\n
A<\/span> frequently<\/span> cited<\/span> definition<\/span> of<\/span> soil<\/span> health<\/span> comes<\/span> from<\/span> Doran<\/span> et<\/span> al.<\/span> (1996):<\/span> \u2018[soil<\/span> health<\/span> is]<\/span> the<\/span> continued<\/span> capacity<\/span> of<\/span> soil<\/span> to<\/span> function<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> vital<\/span> living <\/span>system,<\/span> within<\/span> ecosystem<\/span> and<\/span> land-use<\/span> boundaries,<\/span> to<\/span> sustain<\/span> biological<\/span> productivity,<\/span> maintain<\/span> the<\/span> quality<\/span> of<\/span> air<\/span> and<\/span> water<\/span> environments,<\/span> and<\/span> promote <\/span>plant,<\/span> animal,<\/span> and<\/span> human<\/span> health\u2019<\/span>.<\/span> This<\/span> definition<\/span> represents<\/span> an<\/span> integration<\/span> of<\/span> biological,<\/span> physical<\/span> and<\/span> chemical<\/span> domains<\/span> (Idowu<\/span> et<\/span> al.,<\/span> 2008),<\/span> reflecting <\/span>a recent emphasis on soil as a living system. <\/span><\/div>\n
As<\/span> stated<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> USDA<\/span> Natural<\/span> Resources<\/span> Conservation<\/span> Services<\/span> (NRCS)<\/span> \u201cSoil<\/span> is<\/span> not<\/span> an<\/span> inert<\/span> growing<\/span> medium<\/span> \u2013<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> living<\/span> and<\/span> life-giving<\/span> natural <\/span>resource.<\/span> It<\/span> is<\/span> teaming<\/span> with<\/span> billions<\/span> of<\/span> bacteria,<\/span> fungi,<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> microbes<\/span> that<\/span> are<\/span> the<\/span> foundation<\/span> of<\/span> an<\/span> elegant<\/span> symbiotic<\/span> ecosystem<\/span>\u201d.<\/span> Soil<\/span> health<\/span> for<\/span> a <\/span>farmer<\/span> is<\/span> directly<\/span> linked<\/span> to<\/span> plant<\/span> yield<\/span> but<\/span> it<\/span> has<\/span> other<\/span> advantages.<\/span> Healthy<\/span> soils<\/span> produce<\/span> more<\/span> nutritious<\/span> food<\/span> and<\/span> give<\/span> plants<\/span> greater<\/span> resilience<\/span> to<\/span> pests <\/span>and<\/span> diseases.<\/span> Healthy<\/span> soils<\/span> also<\/span> hold<\/span> more<\/span> water,<\/span> making<\/span> this<\/span> available<\/span> to<\/span> plants<\/span> when<\/span> rainfall<\/span> is<\/span> unreliable,<\/span> or<\/span> absorbing<\/span> more<\/span> during<\/span> heavy<\/span> rains, <\/span>preventing floods and the run-off of vital nutrients from fields. <\/span><\/div>\n
In<\/span> most<\/span> ecosystems,<\/span> more<\/span> life<\/span> and<\/span> diversity<\/span> lives<\/span> underground<\/span> than<\/span> above. <\/span>Soil<\/span> organisms<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> bacteria,<\/span> fungi,<\/span> protozoa,<\/span> nematodes,<\/span> arthropods,<\/span> and <\/span>earthworms,<\/span> play<\/span> critical<\/span> roles<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> decomposition,<\/span> mineralization, <\/span>pollutants<\/span> degradation,<\/span> carbon<\/span> and<\/span> nitrogen<\/span> cycling,<\/span> amongst<\/span> others.<\/span> The <\/span>rhizosphere<\/span> is<\/span> the<\/span> location<\/span> of<\/span> much<\/span> soil<\/span> biological<\/span> activity<\/span> and<\/span> plant-microbe <\/span>interactions<\/span> including<\/span> symbioses,<\/span> pathogenic<\/span> infection,<\/span> and<\/span> competition.<\/span> The <\/span>types<\/span> of<\/span> species<\/span> present<\/span> and<\/span> their<\/span> level<\/span> of<\/span> activity<\/span> depends<\/span> on<\/span> micro-<\/span>environmental<\/span> conditions<\/span> including<\/span> temperature,<\/span> moisture,<\/span> aeration,<\/span> pH,<\/span> pore <\/span>size, and types of food sources.<\/span><\/div>\n
Plant<\/span> pest<\/span> dynamics<\/span> depend<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> whole<\/span> mix<\/span> of<\/span> organisms<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> soil.<\/span> Some <\/span>organisms<\/span> prey<\/span> on<\/span> or<\/span> compete<\/span> with<\/span> disease-causing<\/span> organisms.<\/span> Some<\/span> bacteria <\/span>release plant growth factors that directly increase plant growth.<\/span><\/div>\n
So,<\/span> how<\/span> we<\/span> can<\/span> increase<\/span> the<\/span> food<\/span> production<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> sustainable<\/span> way<\/span> for<\/span> the <\/span>humans and the environment while we protect the soil health?<\/span><\/div>\n
    \n
  • Measuring<\/span> soil<\/span> quality:<\/span> physical,<\/span> chemical,<\/span> and<\/span> biological <\/span>properties of the soil. <\/span><\/li>\n
  • Minimize<\/span> soil<\/span> disturbance<\/span> like<\/span> tillage<\/span> and<\/span> return<\/span> plant<\/span> residues<\/span> to <\/span>the<\/span> soil<\/span> ?<\/span> rebuilding<\/span> the<\/span> stock<\/span> of<\/span> soil<\/span> organic<\/span> matter,<\/span> preventing<\/span> loose<\/span> soil<\/span> particles,<\/span> increasing<\/span> biodiversity<\/span> and<\/span> bioactivity,<\/span> protecting<\/span> the <\/span>network created by mycorrhizal fungi.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Reduce the use of unnecessary nutrient fertilizers by monitoring regularly the nutrients in soil before making applications. <\/span><\/li>\n
  • When<\/span> working<\/span> with<\/span> biologicals<\/span> (living<\/span> organisms)<\/span> to<\/span> control<\/span> a<\/span> pest,<\/span> treat<\/span> a<\/span> disease<\/span> or<\/span> biostimulate<\/span> plant<\/span> physiology,<\/span> the<\/span> impact<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> existing <\/span>ecosystem<\/span> should<\/span> be<\/span> analysed.<\/span> The<\/span> use<\/span> of<\/span> biologicals<\/span> is<\/span> different<\/span> than<\/span> working<\/span> with<\/span> chemicals<\/span> where<\/span> actions\/effects<\/span> can<\/span> be<\/span> more<\/span> easily <\/span>predicted.<\/span> Interaction<\/span> occurs<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> very<\/span> complex<\/span> way,<\/span> adding<\/span> species<\/span> can<\/span> provoke<\/span> the<\/span> increase<\/span> or<\/span> decrease<\/span> on<\/span> existing<\/span> species,<\/span> beneficial<\/span> or <\/span>not,<\/span> so<\/span> unpredictable<\/span> effects<\/span> can<\/span> occur.<\/span> Partners<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> soil<\/span> change<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> time<\/span> and<\/span> plants<\/span> select<\/span> each<\/span> time<\/span> the<\/span> best<\/span> microbiome<\/span> when<\/span> it<\/span> is <\/span>available, so this should be considered on a case-by-case basis to allow biologicals to success in the future. <\/span><\/li>\n
  • When<\/span> pesticides<\/span> are<\/span> needed,<\/span> the<\/span> use<\/span> of<\/span> less<\/span> (eco)toxic<\/span> substances<\/span> are<\/span> preferable<\/span> to<\/span> avoid<\/span> impacts<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> soil<\/span> microbiome<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> microbially-<\/span>mediated processes that affect soil functioning.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • We need urgently awareness of good agricultural practises, as soil health has the power to improve plant, human and animal health (\u201cOne <\/span>Health\u201d concept) so we can find together the best way to take advantage of this.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    How to increase sustainable food production in a hotter and drier climate for a constantly growing population while soil is protected? Throughout the past century, advancements in agricultural technology have allowed farmers to feed a human population in constant growth and this has contributed to a huge deterioration of soil health. A frequently cited definition of soil health comes from Doran et al. (1996): \u2018[soil health is] the continued capacity[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_selected_social_profile":[]},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21957"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21957"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23192,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21957\/revisions\/23192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}