Abstract

The soil of a country constitutes its most valuable natural resource, as it feeds the plat plants which provide all the three basic needs of man, viz, food, clothing and shelter. Soil formation is a very slow process and it takes more than 1000 years to build one inch of top soil, the most vital part of the soil profile. It should be realised that when this top soil is removed, either by wind or by water, 6000 years of nature's work goes to waste. Therefore, it is very necessary to preserve the soil from depletion by erosive agencies. Soil erosion is receiving world wide attention to-day. Although erosion has been going on for centuries, it is only in recent years that the enormous losses caused by erosion have been recognised. The United States of America was the first to realise the seriousness of the problem and set up soil conservation services. Intensive measures against erosion have also been taken up in the U. S. S R. In most other affected countries, the need for control is recognised though work in this direction does not appear to have made much progress. In India about one half of the agricultural land is suffering from soil erosion. This accounts for the shortage of food. for man and fodder for his cattle.

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