Soil Health Issues for Sustainability of South Asian Agriculture

Abstract

Even though, the economic and agricultural growth in South Asia has improved in recent times, still food security and malnutrition is the biggest concern in these countries. Poverty in Asia is influenced by food insecurity, population densities, small land holdings and climate changes which also influence nutritional status. The present paper focuses on the concerns related to food, nutritional security and soil health issues in South Asian countries with special emphasis on cause and effects of soil related constraints and strategies to be adopted to manage and alleviate the problem. Some of the important soil health management strategies viz., site specific nutrient management (SSNM), integrated nutrient management (INM), crop residue recycling, and use of compost, vermicompost, and soil health card based interventions are promising in South Asian condition. National level policy interventions are needed to promote sustainable use of soil and water resources include prohibiting residue burning, reducing deforestation, promoting integrated farming systems and facilitating payments for ecosystem services. A wide spread adoption of these measures can improve soil quality and agronomic productivity of fragile and degraded ecosystems.