For earth’s sake: soil health is human health by Sultan Ahmed Ismail

The dynamic nature of a soil is due to the tremendous activity of micro and macro organisms supported by availability of organic matter. It is this life in the soil that lends its name to the soil as living soil. A vast number of organisms engineer a myriad of biochemical changes as the decay of organic matter takes place in the soil. Among the organisms, which contribute to soil health, the most important are the earthworms. Based on continuous research on earthworms made me write “earthworms are the pulse of the soil, healthier the pulse, healthier the soil”.

The soil is a living dynamic system whose functions are mediated by diverse living organisms which in agriculture requires proper management and conservation. Unfortunately, in today’s chemical agriculture, importance is shown on soil fertility and not on the holistic soil health which provides an integrated sustainable mechanism to the soil to sustain its “living” fabric of nature. Prof. Sultan Ismail will talk about the myriad of soil organisms, earthworms are one of the most vital components of the soil biota in terms of soil formation and maintenance of soil structure and fertility.

About Sultan Ahmed Ismail: Sultan Ahmed Ismail is an Indian soil biologist and ecologist. His work has centred on techniques for recycling biodegradable waste into fertilizer using local varieties of earthworms, and on soil bioremediation.

Ismail received a D.Sc. in Zoology from the University of Madras in 2001 for his research on the role of earthworms in soil ecology and waste management. He is also the Managing Director of the Ecoscience Research Foundation.

Entry Free. Open to all on first-come-first-served-basis.