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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #294567
Title: Soil: Conservation practices

Author
item Baumhardt, Roland - Louis
item BLANCO, HUMBERTO - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/13/2013
Publication Date: 8/7/2014
Citation: Baumhardt, R.L., Blanco, H. 2014. Soil: Conservation practices. Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems. 5:San Diego, CA.:Elsevier. p. 153-165.

Interpretive Summary: The main source for global food and fiber is farming, but accelerated soil erosion threatens it. Soil erosion is an important part of normal soil formation, but too much erosion is a problem. Soil conservation controls wind or water erosion by limiting soil grain detachment and loss. Many conservation practices are mature technologies. They stabilize the soil by forming larger clods, shield the soil from wind or water, or reduce their erosive energy. Newer ways to conserve soil combine these technologies with improved farm methods.

Technical Abstract: The primary source to meet global food and fiber demands is production agriculture, but accelerated soil erosion threatens its sustainability. Soil erosion is an important contributor to the normal soil formation process, but erosion becomes problematic when it is accelerated. Soil conservation practices control wind or water erosion by limiting soil particle detachment and transportation. Many conservation practices represent mature technologies directed at stabilizing the soil by promoting the formation of larger and more cohesive aggregates, or providing a protective barrier to eroding wind or water, or reducing their erosive energy. Newer conservation practices combine these technologies with improved production practices.