Regional Initiatives and Priorities of Soil Health for Research and Development: A Case of Thailand by Somchai Anusontpornperm

1. Regional Initiatives and
Priorities of Soil Health for
Research and Development: A
Case of Thailand
Somchai Anusontpornperm
Department of Soil Science, Head
Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University
Bangkok, THAILAND

2. 2
Department of Soil Science, Kasetsart University, THAILAND

3. 3
Department of Soil Science, Kasetsart University, THAILAND
Lowland paddy rice areas:
Aquepts Aqualfs Aquults
Southern peninsula and southeast coast:
Udults
Other regions: Ustults
Udults

4. Global distribution of degraded soils
Data from the Global Assessment of Human-Induced Soil Degradation (GLASOD), Oldeman, L.R.,
Hakkeling, R.T.A., Sombroek, W.G., 1991. World Map of the Status of Human-Induced Soil Degradation,
second ed. Wageningen: ISRIC.

5. Map of global status of human-Induced soil degradation
Source: UNEP World Food Summit (1996)

6. Severity of Human Induced Soil Degradation in Thailand
Source: FAO/AGL (2005)

7. Land Degradation in Thailand
Land Intensity classes
degradation Slight Moderate Severe
km2 % km2 % km2 %
Water erosion 1,911 0.37 27,173 5.26 309,591 59.89
Physical deg. 20,238 3.92 44,121 8.54 61,009 11.80
Chemical deg. 10,395 2.01 6,591 1.27 20,899 4.04
Biological deg. 10,169 1.97 3,087 0.60 1,751 0.34
*Total land area of Thailand: 511, 770 km2

8. Average yield of major economic crops in
Thailand: last 10 years
21.26 22.68
18.58 19.30 21.91 21.83 22.26 22.57 21.48 21.87
73.81
63.81
73.44 73.88
70.75 70.25 69.25
57.00 56.88 58.94
2.70 2.68 2.69 2.85 2.89 2.91 2.82 2.76 2.79 2.77
Yield (tonne/ ha)
Cassava Sugarc ane Rice

9. Humanitarian Soil Scientist 5 December

10. 10
Soil Erosion
+ The problem is still extensively found in economic
crops growing areas

11. + Problem
++ farmers acceptance
++ awareness
11
Vetiver grass as plant barrier (Typic Paleustults)
+ In maize
++ 7.24 tonne/ha (control) > one-row vetiver grass strip:
1st year
++ 16.75 tonne/ha (control) > vetiver grass and leucaena
strips; 2nd year
+ In cassava
++ no different in the first year
++ 44.11 tonne/ha (control) > vetiver grass strip; 2nd year

12. 12
+ Vetiver grass has initially been introduced by His Majesty the King Rama 9 of
Thailand to use for erosion control in Thailand for more than 25 years now
+ It has been proved really effective in this context, particularly in the areas used
for growing economic crops such as cassava, sugarcane and maize etc.
+ In addition, this grass can also effectively be used to control soil erosion on
road and river banks and for other soil and water conservation purposes
Vetiver grass
Farmer acceptance

13. 13
Landslide
+ Occurrence: steeping mountainous areas

14. 14
Surface Compaction: excessive tillage and loss of soil carbon
Depth Horizon Sand Silt Clay Texture BD Ksat
(cm) (----------g kg-1-------) (Mg m-3) (cm hr-1)
0-20 Ap1 736 113 150 Sandy loam 1.68 1.54
20-41 Bt2 678 131 191 Sandy loam 1.80 0.24
41-69 Bt3 662 137 199 Sandy loam 1.70 0.34
69-95 Bt4 651 115 233 Sandy clay loam 1.57 1.54
95-120 Bt4 647 136 217 Sandy clay loam 1.57 2.26
120-142 Bt5 680 124 196 Sandy loam 1.60 2.37
142-171 Bt6 699 89 212 Sandy clay loam 1.61 1.54
171-200+ Bt7 658 112 229 Sandy clay loam 1.61 1.19

15. 15
Plough pan
+ upland soils
+ perched ground water and subsequently
causing tuber rod
+ accelerating soil erosion due to the
impediment of the pan
+ water deficit: disconnected pores
+ retarding root elongation and
tuberlization of tuber crop such as cassava

16. Some physical properties of cassava soils
(Typic Paleustults) in the northeast, Thailand
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8
Bulk density(Mg m-3
)
Soildepth(cm)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
0 5 10 15
Ksat (cmhr-1
)
Soildepth(cm)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
30 40 50
Total porosity (%)
Soildepth(cm)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8
Bulk density(g kg-1
)
Soildepth(cm)
P 1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
P8
P9

17. 17
Salt Affected Soil: saline, sodic and saline-sodic soils
Typic Natraqualfs
Jasmine Rice

18. 18
+ Lowland area: acid sulphate soils
Acidification
+ Upland area: acid soils >> upland Ultisols
Typic Paleustults

19. 19
Acid Sulphate Soil
Typic Sulfaquepts

20. Soil contamination and pollution

21. Organic farming VS Non-organic farming

22. Current soil resource policy of Thai government
Basic research
Research and Development
Translational research
Implementation
>> Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and Sustainable Agriculture <<
** Soil and water conservation
** Soil reclamation
** Soil improvement >> GAP

23. Major Players
 Land Development Department (LDD)
*** Soil information, Soil map, Land use planning, Soil test, Soil and water
conservation etc.
 Department of Agriculture (DOA)
*** Soil and crop productivity, Soil and fertilizer management, Soil test etc.
 Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE)
*** Soil-plant management technology transfer etc.
 Academics
*** Producing new soil scientist, basic and advanced research in Soil Science,
international collaboration etc.

25. Thank you very much indeed for your kind
attention