Combating land degradation and building soil health needs a holistic approach that brings scientific findings together with the knowledge held by farmers.
For instance, to judge soil health, scientists typically analyse it for organic matter content, levels of nutrients available to plants, acidity or alkalinity, texture, and so forth. To determine the same thing, farmers often use the look and feel of the soil, how easy it is to plough, and the types of native plants and small organisms living in it. Read more. . .