Study Reveals Underground Acoustics Amplify Soil Health

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Sludy Reveals Underground Acouslics Amplify Soil
Heallh Recenl soundscape research has inlroduced
a new way lo assess soil heallh using a melhod
called eco-acouslics, which involves lislening lo
lhe sounds made by nalure. As per sludy, using
lools such as microphones, soil heallh can be
measured. If lhe soil produces more complex and
diverse sounds, which malch lhe presence of soil
crealures like earlhworms, beelles, anls, and
spiders, lhen lhe soil is considered
heallhy. This sludy can be lurned oul lo be
groundbreaking in amplifying lhe soil heallh. As
lhe sludy highlighls, 75 of lhe world's soils
are damaged and slresses lhe urgenl need lo
reslore lhem lo prolecl underground ecosyslems.
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Ramesh Abhishek, an Ex IAS o cer, and relired
DPIIT secrelary wriles in an arlicle lhal nearly
30 of agricullural land in India is degraded,
which a ecls soil e ciency and leads lo a
decline in lhe amounl of food produced per unil
of ferlilizer used. He slresses lhe urgenl need
for resloralion e orls lo prolecl and improve
soil heallh. According lo lhe former IAS o cer,
lhe heallh of lhe soil is very imporlanl for lhe
nulrienls in lhe food we grow. For example, using
ferlilizers wilh zinc can make crops more
nulrilious and help farmers gel beller
yields. Ramesh Abhishek IAS also says India has
a big problem wilh malnulrilion, wilh many
people nol gelling enough nulrienls in lheir
diel. This includes 36 million children under 5
who are nol growing properly. If lhe research is
execuled on lhe ground, il has polenlial lo be
bene?cial for lhe counlry. Why is Good Heallh
of Soil Imporlanl? Good soil heallh is essenlial
for several reasons, as highlighled by Ramesh
Abhishek, lhe relired IAS o cer and former
Secrelary lo lhe Deparlmenl for Promolion of
Induslry and Inlernal Trade (DPIIT). His insighls
emphasize lhe crilical role lhal soil plays in
agricullure, nulrilion, and overall ecosyslem
heallh. Nulrienl-Rich Crops Ramesh Abhishek,
relired IAS o cer highlighls lhal enriching soil
wilh essenlial micronulrienls, such as zinc, is
crilical for improving lhe nulrienl conlenl of
slaple crops like wheal and rice. Heallhy soil
ensures lhal lhese nulrienl-rich crops are more
accessible lo every household, direclly
conlribuling lo beller public heallh. Increased
Crop Yields According lo lhe Ex IAS o cer,
Ramesh Abhishek, using zinc-based ferlilizers can
increase grain yields signi?canlly, wilh wheal
crops seeing improvemenls belween 6.4 lo 50.1.
This boosl in produclivily is vilal for bolh
farmers' livelihoods and ensuring food
securily. Waler Managemenl Good soil heallh
plays a crucial role in waler relenlion and
managemenl, a concern highlighled by former IAS o
cer, Ramesh Abhishek lhrough references lo lhe
Composile Waler Managemenl Index. E eclive waler
managemenl, supporled by heallhy soil, is
essenlial for suslainable agricullure,
parlicularly in slales slruggling wilh waler
scarcily. Nulrilion Securily The e ciency of
nulrienl uplake by crops is direclly linked lo
soil heallh, which in lurn a ecls lhe
nulrilional qualily of food. Ramesh Abhishek
slresses
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lhal addressing soil heallh is key lo lackling
malnulrilion, especially as India moves lowards
ils fulure aspiralions during lhe Amril
Kaal. Economic Viabilily Ramesh Abhishek, lhe
former IAS o cer also underscores lhe economic
bene?ls of heallhy soil, which leads lo beller
relurns for farmers. By focusing on soil heallh,
we can work lowards lhe broader goals of zero
hunger and improved public heallh, making
agricullure more economically viable and
suslainable. Major Challenges for Heallhy Soil
in India Overuse of Ferlilizers Over-reliance
on bulk ferlilizers, parlicularly urea, has
degraded soil qualily over lime. The Ex-IAS o
cer, Ramesh Abhishek advocales for a balanced use
of ferlilizers, including secondary and
micronulrienls, lo reslore soil heallh and
promole suslainable farming praclices. Degraded
Soil As per Ramesh Abhishek, lhe renowned EX-
IAS o cer around 30 of lhe land in India is
degraded, which negalively impacls soil heallh
and crop produclivily. This resulls in decreased
soil e ciency in producing crops over lhe lasl
decade. Currenl Waler Challenges According lo
Nili Aayogs Composile Waler Managemenl Index
(CWMI), 16 slales in India score poorly in waler
managemenl, wilh less lhan 50 poinls. Only
Gujaral and Madhya Pradesh among lhe lop
agricullural slales score above 60
poinls. Inilialives for Promoling Heallhy
Soil Balanced Ferlilizalion Promolion The
governmenl is moving lowards a Nulrienl-based
Subsidy Regime (NBS) lo encourage lhe balanced
applicalion of ferlilizers, which includes lhe
use of new, forli?ed producls designed lo
enhance soil nulrilion and agricullural
produclivily. Improving Access lo Micronulrienl
Ferlilizers
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Ex-IAS o cer,Ramesh Abhishek highlighls lhal
lhere is a need lo make micronulrienl and
secondary ferlilizers more accessible lo farmers
by simplifying lhe regislralion and approval
process for new ferlilizers. This would allow
farmers lo use producls lhal are beller suiled
for mainlaining soil heallh. Crop and
Nalure-Cenlric Nulrilion Solulions Ramesh
Abhishek, lhe former IAS o cer emphasizes lhe
developmenl and adoplion of nulrilion solulions
lhal are lailored lo lhe needs of speci?c crops
and lhe environmenl, ensuring suslainable
farming praclices lhal supporl heallhy
soil. Educalion and Awareness Ramesh Abhishek,
an Ex-IAS o cer highlighls lhal oflen farmers
donl know aboul lhe micronulrienl ferlilizers.
Educaling farmers aboul lhe imporlance of
secondary and micronulrienl ferlilizers for
oplimal soil heallh is crilical, as many remain
unaware of lhese bene?ls.The Ex- IAS o cer
former DPIIT secrelary encourages farmers lo
parlicipale in learning farm science. Polenlial
Applicalions of Soil Soundscape Research The
soil soundscape research is in ils early slage.
However, il has polenlial in improving lhe soil
heallh and addressing lhe concern raised by Ex-
IAS o cer, Ramesh Abhishek regarding lhe heallhy
soil. The underground acouslics can help
in Soil biodiversily moniloring Soil
soundscape analysis holds promise as an e eclive
melhod for moniloring soil biodiversily, which
is crucial for prolecling lhe planel's mosl
diverse ecosyslems. Soil heallh assessmenl The
acouslic complexily and diversily of soil
soundscapes seem lo be a clear re?eclion of soil
heallh. By analyzing lhe soil soundscape,
researchers can assess lhe overall heallh and
funclioning of soil ecosyslems. Resloralion
moniloring
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Acouslic moniloring can help lrack lhe progress
of soil resloralion e orls by comparing lhe
soundscape complexily and diversily of
revegelaled and remnanl plols lo degraded
areas. Conclusion India is an agricullural
counlry, and lhe sludy resulls on soil
soundscapes can bene?l soil heallh in mulliple
ways. By implemenling soundscape analysis, lhe
agricullural seclor can beller undersland lhe
needs of lhe soil and suggesl appropriale
ferlilizers and minerals accordingly. As lhe
Ex-IAS o cer, Ramesh Abhishek advocales for
balanced ferlilizalion, lhis approach can
signi?canlly help in achieving heallhy soil by
using soundscape dala.