THE PROBLEM OF SOIL EROSION ON ARABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN ASABA AND IT’S ENVIRONS, DELTA STATE
CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Erosion is defined as the washing away of the top soil due to excessive rainfall resulting to surface run off or as a result of denudation and weathering processes. Agriculture as defined by Robert (2015) is the growing of crops and rearing of animals for man’s benefit. In view of the above definitions, it could be seen that agriculture depends on land for its sustenance. Carey and Oettli (2006) have observed that man through his anthropogenic activities has degraded the natural land resources which have in turn created erosional problems.
In recent times, studies have shown that erosion has become a worldwide environmental issue that has called for urgent attention and global redress (Edward, 2016). This shows that erosion has become a menace in the modern day society especially in the tropical regions. It has been observed that erosion has a direct effect on arable crop production and agricultural productivity (Carey and Oetti, 2006).
Soil carried off in rain or irrigation water can lead to sedimentation of rivers, lakes and coastal areas (Edward, 2016). The problem is exacerbated if there is no vegetation left along the banks of rivers and other watercourses to hold the soil. This soil carried away by erosional processes is mostly needed for arable agriculture. Sedimentation mainly caused by erosion has caused serious damage to freshwater and marine habitats, as well as the local communities that depend on these habitats. For example, people living in the river banks of River Niger often experience flooding of agricultural produce which results to pre-mature harvest during the rainy season. This trend is attributed to changes in the courses of waterways resulting from farming-related erosion and the silt deposition this causes (Gelder and Dros, 2006). They added that it’s not just the eroded soil that is damaging: pesticides and fertilizers carried in rainwater and irrigation runoff can pollute waterways and harm wildlife.
