Soils/Erosion

Productive soil is “a precious non-renewable (in human time scales) limited resource….taking thousands of years for fertile soil to form.” ⁴¹²¹ Soil is a critical resource of horticulture. Natural characteristics such as water holding capacity, soil nutrients, soil structure and biological activity contribute to growing success.  

Erosion is an ongoing threat to this resource. Erosion may be caused by a variety of natural processes and aggravated by manmade interventions, such as runoff of sediment from rain or irrigation, wind, cultivation, land clearing or harvesting. Soil erosion also impacts on nearby water quality, and increases flood risk through waterways filling up with silt, as well as reducing the general health and productivity of the soil and waterways. ⁴¹²²

Sustainable farming is a crucial for the long term future of New Zealand’s primary industries. Land is described as “physically sustainable if the use of that land carries only a moderate or low risk of accelerated erosion. Unsustainable land use is that which carries a severe or higher risk of accelerated erosion into the long term.” ⁴¹²³

Horticulture New Zealand has published Erosion and Sediment Control Guidelines for Vegetable Production Good Management Practices which covers the planning, stopping or controlling water entering a paddock, erosion control and sediment control.

Last updated at 6:48PM on February 1, 2018