The government will initiate detailed studies to analyse the impact of the floods on soil conditions in the State, Agriculture Minister V.S.Sunil Kumar said here on Wednesday.
Inaugurating a workshop organised by the Soil Conservation Department, he said the changes in the structure of the soil had affected not only agriculture but the entire ecosystem.
The heavy erosion of top soil had created conditions that could impact on the economy of the State as well, he said.
Noting that the heavy rainfall in August had triggered more than 1,000 landslips in 260 locations, he said about 100 were classified as major landslips. While the national average of soil erosion is 16 tons per hectare, it is 30 to 50 tons per hectare in Kerala, he observed, calling for efforts to minimise the impact.
Better coordination
The Minister stressed the need to curb unscientific land use and make soil testing mandatory for application of fertilizers. He also called for better coordination between the Agriculture Department and research institutions.
Agricultural Production Commissioner Devendrakumar Singh and Director, Soil Conservation Justin Mohan were among those who spoke.
