Maintaining soil health is the key to environmental balance and enhancing agricultural productivity

MUMBAI, 14 June 2024: Climate change could cut crop yields, especially in the world's most food-insecure regions. The erratic weather conditions, intense cultivation due to increasing global population and poor soil management is threatening soil, water, and air quality.  

At the same time, agriculture, forestry, and land use change are responsible for about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Given these challenges, sustainable agricultural practices are crucial to transforming the ag industry and mitigating environmental impact.

This World Environment Day, Corteva Agriscience spotlights the importance of soil focused farming practices.  The health of any farm soil is also linked to the health of its surrounding environment, which reduces the cost of fertilizer, as it can be applied less frequently. By improving soil drainage and planting cover crops, we can conserve water and reduces runoff that can damage local waterways, as healthy soil with rooted crops holds on to more moisture.

Managing soil health allows farmers to work with the land – not against. They can take several actions to preserve and promote the health of their soils, including: minimizing disturbance by adopting practices like no-till or minimum tillage, Planting cover crops to preserve moisture and reduce erosion, promoting biodiversity in their soils by minimizing farm inputs or wisely choosing inputs that are less disruptive to the beneficial organisms in the soil.

Crops draw nutrients from the soil through their roots. The roots, in turn, release food that sustains the beneficial organisms in the soil. However, roots are not immune to threats. A variety of factors can destroy roots. One of the least understood threats is harmful or bad nematodes, which are microscopic and invisible to the naked eye but have the power to ravage a crop and cause significant yield loss.

The number of harmful or bad nematodes in the soil is easily outnumbered by the number of good or beneficial nematodes that promote natural fertility and quality over time. Effective management strategies are crucial to control these damaging nematodes while simultaneously safeguarding the beneficial organisms vital for maintaining productive soil health.

There is a need to shift the focus from merely managing the soil to proactively advancing soil health, recognizing the greater role it plays in benefiting farmland and the planet.

As an agriculture innovator, Corteva is built on a belief in promoting sustainable agriculture and providing farmers with the most suitable and effective solutions to protect the health of their crops, soil and the environment. Corteva's green chemistry products are designed to minimize environmental impact while promoting sustainable agriculture. These products help maintain soil health by reducing nutrient loss, improving soil structure, and enhancing microbial activity.

With the use of digital tools, superior seeds, and education and training initiatives, Corteva is committed to empowering the 50 million smallholder farmers enabling them to adapt to changing weather patterns, intensifying pest pressure, and reducing pathogens. Corteva is dedicated to accelerating land restoration, enhancing drought resilience, and combating desertification through sustainable agriculture practices and innovative solutions.