Curing and Nurturing Soil

Soil is a Gift of Nature. It is very important to have proper composition of micro nutrients in the soil for growing plants. But do we find soil without pollution in rural or urban areas? The removal of toxic pollutants from the soil is to cure the soil to sustain growth.
Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase agricultural output has resulted in soil pollution. Soil has become barren. The polluted soil makes the ground water toxic affecting the flora and fauna of the region.
At this crucial juncture we should think of cleaning to Nurture the soil. Soil Erosion should be prevented by adapting organic farming methods and crop rotation. Excess of salinity in the soil can be managed by adding sulphur, iron, urea and urea phosphate. Fertility of the soil can be restored by adding minerals like phosphorous, zinc and selenium.
Nurturing soil with vermicompost increases nitrogen content of the soil. Microorganisms like Rhizobium, a nitrogen fixing bacteria, Mycorrihizae, a soil dwelling fungi, ensure proper growth of plants. Micro organisms break down, or degrade, hazardous substances into less toxic or nontoxic substances (carbon dioxide and water)
Bioventing is a method by which we Inject air/nutrients into unsaturated zone – good for midweight petroleum, jet fuel)
Biosparging is a method by which we inject air/nutrients into unsaturated and saturated zones.
Bioaugmentation is a method by which we inoculate soil with microbes.
These Bio control methods are less expensive, create less dust, less possibility of contaminant release into environment, good for large volumes.
Certain plant species like Thlaspi caerulescens, and Brasscia juncea accumulate and tolerate high levels of toxic metals, but should also have rapid growth rate to produce high level of biomass.
Another method of curing soil involves conversion of pollutants into nontoxic materials, as is the case with some herbicides. This method involves the use of certain organic compounds.
The environmental contaminants using genetically engineered organisms (GEMs) holds tremendous potential. The genetically engineered organisms are used in the biodegradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil.
Soils polluted with heavy metals lack vegetation cover due to toxic effects of pollutants and other physical disturbances. Re-vegetation with metal tolerant plant species like fern provides a solution to this problem by stabilization of these metal contaminants on these sites. These plants come with their own detergent which strips harmful chemicals from the soil and exposes them to biodegrading microbes around the plant roots.
These transgenic plants represent a low risk method of phytoremediation because the contaminants are not taken up by the plants, as for instance in the phytoremediation of arsenic by ferns. The plants also turn out to be healthier due to antifungal properties associated with rhamnolipids. In addition to phytoremediation of these contaminants, the plants also have enhanced tolerance to plant diseases,”
These Bio control methods of curing and nurturing soil are safe, sound and result oriented will revive agriculture and combat hunger.