Review of Agricultural Practices for Soil Quality Improvement

This report provides a comprehensive review of agricultural practices aimed at improving soil quality. It begins with background information on the agriculture industry and highlights the importance of soil health for crop production and profitability. The report outlines the aims and objectives of the research, focusing on recommending effective agricultural practices to enhance soil quality. It includes research questions that guide the investigation into the concept of agricultural practices, their benefits, and the challenges faced by farmers. The critical review section explores various agricultural practices, such as soil preparation, sowing, manuring, irrigation, weeding, and harvesting, and their impact on soil quality. It also addresses the benefits of improved soil quality, such as better crop production and reduced pesticide use, and provides insights into the evolution of agriculture over the past 10,000 years. The report references key literature and provides a foundation for understanding sustainable agricultural practices and their role in ensuring long-term soil health and agricultural productivity. This research is valuable for farmers, researchers, and learners in the agricultural field, with the goal of promoting better practices and enhancing overall crop yields.

Research Project

Table of Contents
Review Paper...................................................................................................................................1
TITLE : “TO RECOMMEND AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES THAT CAN BE FOLLOWED
IN IMPROVING SOIL QUALITY”...............................................................................................1
Background and context..................................................................................................................1
Background of research..........................................................................................................1
Background of agriculture industry........................................................................................2
Aims and objectives.........................................................................................................................2
Critical review..................................................................................................................................3
REFRENCES ..................................................................................................................................6

Review Paper
TITLE : “TO RECOMMEND AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES THAT CAN BE
FOLLOWED IN IMPROVING SOIL QUALITY”.
Background and context
Background of research
The present review paper is based on agriculture industry and changes that are anticipated
regularly within this sector. The whole study will discuss about different agriculture practices
that helps in improving soil quality in better manner. This has been analysed that with the
changing time, individual belonging to this industry are using various kind of chemically
developed fertilisers. This usage of fertilisers helps farmers in enhancing their crop growth which
ultimately maximises their profits. But, at the same time chemical fertilisers places negative
impact over quality of soil (Agegnehu and et. al., 2016). It can be said that if of quality of soil
will decline day by day then it directly affects its capability of future cultivation. It has been
observed that overall agricultural industry is facing issues related to quality of soil. This
ultimately creates requirement for whole industry to focus on identifying different agricultural
practices by which they can improve quality of soil. In context to present study, it can be said
that this study includes various agricultural practices that can be adopted by farmers as well as
other people working in related field in order to improve the quality of soil.
In addition to this, it can be said that there are numerous benefits which will gained by
agriculture industry with improvement of soil quality. Some major among them includes better
crop production, more chances of back to back irrigation, reduces requirement of pesticides,
availability of water etc. Further, it can be said that better quality of soil also helps farmers in
cultivating better crop production from a particular field in order to maximise their profits (Dicks
and et. al., 2018).
The main purpose of conducting this research is to provide effective and valuable
knowledge to farmers and other related people in order to grow better quality vegetables, fruits
and other eatables with usage of any kind of pesticide. This research will also provide knowledge
to learners who could further use it in another learning that they will adopt in nearby future.
Another aid of conducting this research towards researcher is that it will provide opportunity to
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investigator to start their career in specific agricultural industry. In addition to this, it will also
enhance their professional skills such as communication, presentation, analytical, etc. These
developed skills will also help researcher in conducting some interrelated and better kind of
research in future. This will definitely help the agriculture industry and scholars in effective
manner to improve their practices (Jost and et. al., 2016). By evaluating overall scenario or
concept of research, it has been analysed that this research will ultimately provide effective
benefits to all. This means, agriculture industry, scholars, economic development of nation as
well as scholars.
Background of agriculture industry
Agriculture is not a new concept or practice. It is being followed from past 10000 years.
It has been analysed that at initial level nomadic have started to do agricultural practices in
middle east. With this experiment, agricultural practices started being followed by overall world.
It has been further analysed that at middle ages, agriculture industry is continuously experiencing
higher level of crop rotation, invention in irrigation and ploughing. At further, in 1400s people
have started exchanging their crop seeds with neighbour locations and nations. Now, farmer have
started doing different – different experiments in their cultivation practices in order to enhance
their productivity (Kemp and Burns, 2016). This has also helped them in maximising their
profitability with trade at international market with exotic crops. These exotic crops were further
used by farmers by replanting them in local market era for the common purpose of developing
new product from it. These new crops or products are further used by farmers for different
purpose. With the changing time, new technology have entered into this industry for improvising
productivity and minimising work of farmers. As a result, farmers were now able to maximising
their irrigation in order to enhance their profitability in rapid manner. Till 1900s, mechanism of
agricultural industry have been developed effectively as it has smoother work of farmers across
the world. It can be said that day by day evolution in agriculture industry have resulted major
modification but the common procedure of agriculture is still same that is sowing, harvesting and
later it is consumed by human being.
Aims and objectives
Research aim and objectives plays a crucial role in whole study as it leads overall
research in single direction that is being followed by researcher in order to complete it in an
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effective manner. It can be said that, if a researcher does not formulates an effective research
then it would not be possible for them to conduct an effective research that would definitely
provide authentic and desired outcome to learners and readers. With reference to present
research, which is based on agricultural practices that would help in enhancing soil quality. In
this regard, investigator have formulated effective research aim which would provide one
direction to individuals who are involved in this research (Manda and et. al., 2016). Moreover, it
can be said that research aim is further used by researcher in order to develop objectives that
makes it easier for investigator to conduct better research that would contribute in developing
valuable outcome. In this regard, research aim and objective for current study have been stated as
below:
Research Aim
The research aim for current study is “To recommend agricultural practices that can be
followed in improving soil quality”
Research objectives
 To understand the concept of agricultural practices and its benefits.
 To identify different agricultural practices and how they help in improving soil quality.
 To determine challenges faced by farmers while performing agricultural practices. To evaluate the benefits of improvement among soil qualities.
Research Questions
Research question are mainly developed by investigator on the basis of objectives.
Investigator usually finds answers about these questions in literature review section. In context to
present investigation, research question on selected aim is defined as below:
 What is the concept of agricultural practices and its benefits?
 What are different agricultural practices and how they help soil quality?
 What are challenges faced by farmers while performing agricultural practices?
 What are the benefits of improvement among soil qualities?
Critical review
Literature review refers to scholar paper which provides in depth information on a
specific topic. This section basically cover information from various sources like books,
Journals, online articles, other scholar paper etc. With reference to present investigation,
researcher have gathered information from online sources as only internet based information
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could help researcher in gathering information on agriculture related practices and its role in
improvising soil quality. In this section, researcher will express thoughts and views of different
writers on single topic in order to evaluate them critically. In addition to this, it can be said that
this section plays an essential role in developing better information for readers as they are able to
understand thoughts and vision of many learners on single topic within common section as well.
With overall analysis, it can be said that literature review section is one and only method that
provide deep knowledge to learners (Marrugo-Negrete, Pinedo-Hernández and Díez, 2017). The
specific section also helps learners in understanding that what actually other writer wants to
convey from their views. It also helps them in developing their own understanding on the
particular topic as well.
The literature review section of current investigation includes information on four key
research questions that includes concept of agricultural practices and its benefits for whole
industry and other related person, different agricultural practices and their role in improving soil
quality, various kind of challenges faced by farmers at the time of implementing agricultural
practices and at last, it will cover up information on benefits of improvement among soil quality.
Critical evaluation on all four research questions are defined as below:
Concept of agricultural practices and its benefits
On the basis of thoughts provided by Frink, (2019), agricultural practices are considered
as the sum of different methods which are adopted by farmers in order to develop better
agricultural products. In other words, agricultural practices are seen as various methods that
helps farmers to do farming in effective manner with proportion of crop production. As per the
study, it has been analysed that there are different agricultural practices which are being
performed by farmers for completing their work and cultivating more productive crops. Some of
these agricultural practices are defined as below which are commonly used by farmers in their
day to day life.
Soil preparation
It is the first and foremost practice that is being used by farmers before cultivating crop
on it. In this, farmers initially prepares soil by ploughing, manuring and levelling. These specific
practices helps farmer in loosening up the soil so that it can mix with manure effectively
(Schmidt and et. al., 2015).
Sowing
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In this practice, farmers firstly finalises best quality seed and then sow it into soil. This is
done effectively by dispersement of soil into field. This practice can be done in two different
manner that is manually or by using method of drill machine (Steinmetz and et. al., 2016).
Manuring
Every crop requires nutrients in order to grow and produce crop. Manure basically
provides additional nutrient to seed that helps them in growing faster and in more effective
manner with best quality. It also helps soil in being more fertile so that it produce better crop.
Irrigation
Supply of water in field is basically considered as irrigation, an essential agricultural
practice. In this, farmers or field operator basically looks after different sources like lakes, dams,
wells, canals etc. It can be said that if this irrigation is done in over then it might harm crop and
spoil it quality as well.
Weeding
In this practice farmer plucks undesired crops plants from overall crop. It can be done by
hands as well as at the time of soil preparation.
Harvesting
This agricultural practice is basically performed at the time when crop is matured. In this,
whole crop is cut and gathered with the usage of appropriate machines (Tian and et. al., 2015).
Storage
After harvesting, prepared grain are stored in godowns so that it could be further sold at
market place. It can be said that farmers basically tries to adopt some protective measures in
order to store crops for longer period of time.
On the basis of above specified different agricultural practices, it can be said that all of
them plays an essential role in crop productivity as if in any one of these method is not being
performed by farmer in effective manner then it would directly impact upon their growth.
Different agricultural practices and how they help soil quality
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REFRENCES
Books and Journal
Agegnehu, G., and et. al., 2016. Benefits of biochar, compost and biochar–compost for soil
quality, maize yield and greenhouse gas emissions in a tropical agricultural soil. Science
of the Total Environment. 543. pp.295-306.
Dicks, L. V. And et. al., 2018. What agricultural practices are most likely to deliver “sustainable
intensification” in the UK?. Food and Energy Security, p.e00148.
Jost, C., and et. al., 2016. Understanding gender dimensions of agriculture and climate change in
smallholder farming communities. Climate and Development. 8(2). pp.133-144.
Kemp, J. and Burns, J., 2016, June. Agricultural monitoring using pursuit monostatic TanDEM-
X coherence in the Western Cape, South Africa. In Proceedings of EUSAR 2016: 11th
European Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar (pp. 1-4). VDE.
Manda, J., and et. al., 2016. Adoption and impacts of sustainable agricultural practices on maize
yields and incomes: Evidence from rural Zambia. Journal of Agricultural Economics.
67(1). pp.130-153.
Marrugo-Negrete, J., Pinedo-Hernández, J. and Díez, S., 2017. Assessment of heavy metal
pollution, spatial distribution and origin in agricultural soils along the Sinú River Basin,
Colombia. Environmental research. 154. pp.380-388.
Primost, J. E. And et. al., 2017. Glyphosate and AMPA,“pseudo-persistent” pollutants under
real-world agricultural management practices in the Mesopotamic Pampas
agroecosystem, Argentina. Environmental Pollution. 229. pp.771-779.
Schmidt, H., and et. al., 2015. Fourfold increase in pumpkin yield in response to low-dosage root
zone application of urine-enhanced biochar to a fertile tropical soil. Agriculture. 5(3).
pp.723-741.
Steinmetz, Z., and et. al., 2016. Plastic mulching in agriculture. Trading short-term agronomic
benefits for long-term soil degradation?. Science of the Total Environment. 550. pp.690-
705.
Tian, K., and et. al., 2015. Effects of long-term fertilization and residue management on soil
organic carbon changes in paddy soils of China: A meta-analysis. Agriculture,
Ecosystems & Environment. 204. pp.40-50.
Online
Frink, D., 2019. Agricultural Practice. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-
planetary-sciences/agricultural-practice
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