Policy and Practices in Soil Conservation: A Comparative Review across Agro-Ecological Zones

Soil conservation is fundamental to the sustainability and resilience of Indian agriculture, particularly in light of the country’s immense agroecological diversity. Indigenous soil conservation practices—locally developed, time-tested approaches for managing soil fertility, structure, and erosion—are deeply embedded in the traditional knowledge systems of India’s rural communities (Arora et al., 2022; Maurya et al., 2024; Sahu et al., 2025). These methods, including contour bunding, terracing, mulching, agroforestry, crop rotation, green manuring, and organic amendments, are tailored to the distinct climatic, topographical, and socio-economic conditions of each region (Rajasekaran et al., 1995; Reang et al., 2024; Barman et al., 2024). Sustainability in this context is defined as the capacity of agricultural systems to maintain productivity, ecosystem services, and resource quality over time without environmental degradation or biodiversity loss (Cárceles Rodríguez et al., 2022; Francaviglia et al., 2023). This review synthesises evidence from a systematic analysis of recent peer-reviewed literature, meta-analyses, and empirical case studies, with a focus on ecological, agronomic, and socio-economic impacts of indigenous soil conservation practices (Arora et al., 2022; Kumawat et al., 2023; Bhattacharya et al., 2020). Quantitative data, such as soil organic carbon, nutrient cycling, and yield stability, were extracted from field experiments and long-term monitoring studies (Bhattacharya et al., 2020; Kumawat et al., 2023), while qualitative insights were drawn from interviews, participatory rural appraisals, and policy analyses (Maurya et al., 2024; Sahu et al., 2025; Reang et al., 2024). Findings consistently demonstrate that indigenous practices are highly effective in maintaining soil health, reducing erosion, and enhancing water retention, particularly in rainfed and marginal environments (Arora et al., 2022; Maurya et al., 2024; Kumawat et al., 2023). For instance, traditional bunding and terracing in the Himalayan and sub-Himalayan regions have reduced soil loss by up to 60% and increased land productivity by 20–30% compared to non-conserved plots (Arora et al., 2022; Maurya et al., 2024). Organic amendments and crop rotations in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Deccan Plateau have been shown to sustain soil fertility, maintain higher soil organic carbon levels, and support stable yields over multi-year cycles (Bhattacharya et al., 2020; Cárceles Rodríguez et al., 2022).