Deterioration in soil fertility

Demineralization of the soil
Soil exhaustion
Depleted soil nutrients
Depletion of soil nutrients
Sterile soils
Impoverishment of soils
Micronutrient mining of soil

Nature

Minerals, humus and other organic compounds are removed from the soil in harvested crops or forests or by leaching aggravated by erosion. Soils become impoverished when these depleting processes exceed replacement rates. Soil microorganisms are then unable to obtain the nutrients they need to regenerate soil, rendering the soil increasingly unable to sustain plants and animals.

Background

Deterioration in soil fertility emerged as a global concern in the mid-20th century, when intensified agricultural practices and expanding industrialization led to widespread reports of declining crop yields. Scientific investigations in the 1960s and 1970s linked these trends to nutrient depletion, erosion, and chemical contamination. International organizations, such as the FAO, began systematic monitoring, highlighting the problem’s scale and persistence, and prompting coordinated efforts to assess and address soil degradation worldwide.

Incidence

When fertilizers are added to a crop, the plants absorb not only the extra nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from the fertilizer, but also proportionately increased levels of micronutrients from the soil, including zinc, iron and copper. Over years, the soil becomes deficient in these micronutrients. Lack of them inhibits a plant's capacity to absorb nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.