5 facts you never knew about the soil

Soil is an integral part of our day to day activities and it aids important functions such as breathing, eating and habitation. Today is World Soil Day and at FCMB, we promote Environmental Sustainability which is about the integrated management of soil, water, vegetation and biodiversity. This we do, to ensure a sustainable agricultural production that is good for the environment.
Here are some awesome facts we think you should know about the soil.

1. Soil is a living organism: Soil is the medium of plant growth and it supports different types of living organisms on the earth. Hence, it is a living system.
2. Soil takes a lot of time to grow: It takes millions of years to form soil up to a few cm in depth. Bedrocks, climate, vegetation and other forms of life and time are important factors in soil formation. Similarly, various forces of nature such as change in temperature, running water, wind and decomposers are also pivotal in soil formation.
3. Organisms in the soil outnumber people on earth: There are more microorganisms in a handful of soil than there are people on earth. About 50 billion bacteria as small as 1.0 micron in size are in a handful of dirt!
4. Without soil, there’ll be no food to eat: Yup! Microbes in the soil provide essential services like converting nitrogen from the air into a form that plants can use for food, and decomposition of organic matter. Besides, they aid in weathering of rocks to provide key nutrients to plants and trees which in turn provides raw products for us.
5. The soil is dying: Sadly, the growing rate of the soil has greatly reduced in recent times. High rate of erosion, chemical fertilizers, fumes, litters and pesticides over the past 40 years have contributed to making 30% of the world’s fertile soil unproductive. Also, about 60% of soil ends up washed away in rivers, streams and lakes. This increases risks of flooding and water contamination from the fertilizers and pesticides runoff. “The Soil is being swept and washed away 10 to 40 times faster than it is being replenished” – David Pimentel (2006).

Protect the soil today, and protect the world!
Happy World Soil Day!