An international day to celebrate Soil was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002.
The Kingdom of Thailand played a key role in the adoption of World Soil Day – a day to recognise and reiterate the importance of soil.
In December 2013 the UN General Assembly designated 5 December 2014 as the first official World Soil Day.
5th December was chosen because it is the official birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, who officially sanctioned the event.
In 2016 this day was officially recognized in memory and with respect for this beloved monarch who passed away in October 2016 after being the Head of the State of Thailand for more than seventy years.
The Importance of Soil
75% of Earth is water. The remaining 25% is Earth, and earth is covered by.. soil!
Rocks and mountains turn to dust and soil.
Without soil, we cannot grow food.
Soil is also used in some therapeutic systems. For instance, a poultice of black soil is used for pain relief and for cooling the body. Mahatma Gandhi of India used to use this poultice of soil very often.
Animals also use soil to protect themselves from pests and to cool down the body.
Some Western cultures officially have mud baths.
The kind of soil determines everything in an area – the Deccan appears red because it is abundant in red soil. The Gangetic plain is brown, the areas from Haryana – Rajasthan appear yellow, and Central Maharasthra has black soil. This is just one country!
Soil determines:
A. What crops can be grown
B. What kind of building materials can be locally produced
C. What kind of architecture is possible or even how high a building can go.
Theme for World Soil Day 2022
The theme for this year is: Soils, where food begins.
World Soil Day 2022 (#WorldSoilDay) and its campaign “Soils: Where food begins” aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, increasing soil awareness, and encouraging societies to improve soil health.
What all is done to mark World Soil Day 2022?
You can find an event near you using this interactive map created by FAO.
If you are doing an event, you can also add it to the same map.
Activity for you
Wherever you live, go to an open ground and get a sample of soil. If nothing else, get a little soil from a plant in your kitchen garden.
Keep this soil in a petri dish.
What colour is your soil?
What gives the soil this colour? (If you don’t know, you can find out)
How much water can this soil retain?
Touch the soil. Does it appear warm or cool to the touch?
Drop 3-4 seeds from your kitchen into your soil. Which one sprouts first?
Soil Activity – II
Take two regular flower pots.
Fill both of them with the same soil and to the same level.
Throw seeds from your kitchen in both flower pots.
In Flower Pot A, drop your kitchen waste like egg shells, vegetable peels, etc. Make sure that this kitchen waste is covered completely with soil and is not exposed.
Now, for about 8 weeks, observe the growth of plants in both pots.
What is the difference in the growth of plants in both pots? Why do you think that is?
Do share your results with us.
Featured Image: An infographic shared by FAO.