reclammation of wasteland

1. DILSHANA FATHIMA
M.Sc. BIOCHEMISTRY

2.  Wastelands are lands which are unproductive, unfit
for cultivation, grazing & other economic uses due
to rough terrain & eroded soil.
 Water logged & saline lands are also wastelands.
 The loss of fertility followed by erosion may lead
to conversion of marginal forest land into
wasteland.
 In absence of land management policy,
geomorphic processes become active due to which
soil layers are eroded & transported making the
lands infertile, stony & useless.

3.  Barren & uncultivable lands
 Cannot be brought under cultivation except at very
high spost.
 Ex: sandy deserts, stony lands, land on hilly slopes
etc.
 Cultivable wastelands
 These lands are not under cultivation for 5
years/more.
 It consists of land available for cultivation but is
not used for it.
 They can be reclaimed through conservation
methods for cultivation, grazing/agroforestry.

4.  Over cultivation
 Deforestation
 use as fuel wood
 Shifting cultivation
 Commercial timber exploitation
 Clearing forest permanently for non forestry
activities
 Overgrazing
 Improper irrigation practices
 Mining activities

5.  Provides a source of income for rural poor.
 Ensures constant supply of fuel, fodder & timber
for local use.
 Makes soil fertile by preventing soil erosion.
 Helps maintain an ecological balance.
 Increasing forest cover helps in maintaining local
climatic condition.

6.  The process of turning barren, sterile wasteland
into something that is fertile & suitable for
habitation & cultivation.
 There are various methods by which wastelands
can be reclaimed.
 Afforestation
 Growing forest over culturable wasteland.
 Reforestation
 Growing the forest again over the land where
they were existing & was destroyed due to fires,
overgrazing & excessive cutting.

7.  Reforestation checks water logging, floods, soil
erosion & increases productivity of land.
 Providing surface cover
 The easiest way to protect the land surface from
soil erosion is to leave crop residue on the land
after harvesting.
 Mulching
 Mulch is a layer of material applied to the
surface of an area of soil.
 Protective cover of organic matter & plants like
stalks, cotton stalks, tobacco stalk etc are used
which reduce evaporation, help in retaining soil
moisture & reduce soil erosion.

8.  Running water erodes the hill soil & carries the
soil along with it & this can be minimized by
 Strip farming : different kinds of crops are
planted in alternate strip along the contour.
 Terracing : leveled terraces are made to hold
soil & water. The terrace edges are planted with
such plant species which anchor the soil.
 Contour ploughing : ploughing of land is done
across the hill & not in up & down style.
 Leaching
 In salt affected land, the salinity can be
minimized by leaching them with more water.

9.  Changing agricultural practices
 Mixed cropping, mixed rotation etc.
 Ecological succession
 Natural development of an ecosystem which help
in reclaiming the mineral deficient soil of
wasteland.