Nagaland University team warns of rapid soil degradation in 6 villages

Nagaland University (NU) scientists, part of a multi-institute research team, have sounded an alarm over rapid soil degradation in the Dhansiripar area, stressing the urgent need for sustainable land management to safeguard agricultural productivity and environmental stability.
The study, conducted across six villages-Amaluma, Dhansirpar, Doyapur, Kiyeto, Melongmen and Razhaphe-examined how diverse land use practices were altering soil health. Researchers assessed key soil properties such as acidity (pH), bulk density, porosity, water-holding capacity, organic carbon and nutrient availability, capturing the complex interactions between farming systems and soil characteristics.
According to NU, the findings carry wide societal implications, from guiding local farming practices and shaping policy to strengthening environmental conservation and ensuring long-term food security. Farmers surveyed during the study had themselves raised concerns about declining fertility and increasing erosion risks, which the research confirmed.
The collaborative project involved NU alongside ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, Dibrugarh University, Tocklai Tea Research Institute and Diphu Medical College and Hospital. Results were published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, a peer-reviewed journal from Springer focusing on environmental quality.
NU vice chancellor Prof. Jagadish K. Patnaik emphasized the importance of such studies, urging immediate adoption of sustainable land management practices to prevent further deterioration. Co-author Prof. Manoj Dutta of the Soil and Water Conservation (S&WC) department, School of Agricultural Sciences (SAS), NU, said the research examined a wide range of land use systems, including lowland paddy fields, cultivated plots, orchards and forest areas.
Prof. Tanmoy Karak, also from S&WC, noted that soils in Dhansiripar were particularly vulnerable, with the Soil Structural Stability Index showing degradation in lowland paddy zones. PhD scholar Reshinaro Tzudir added that the study revealed significant variability in soil properties across regions and highlighted alarming susceptibility to erosion and fertility loss under current agricultural practices.
The team underscored that Dhansiripar has largely been absent from detailed soil health assessments, making this research a critical contribution to both science and society.
The study was carried out by Reshinaro Tzudir, Prof. Manoj Dutta, Dr. Alongba Jamir, Sorenthung Patton, Dr. Rizongba Kichu, Haiguipeung Hieme, Angela Pidenro, Dr. Sewak Ram, Debobratha Mondal, Prof. C. S. Maiti, Dr. Animesh Sarkar, Dr. Pankaj Neog and Prof. Tanmoy Karak from the SAS, NU, Medziphema.
Collaborators include Dr. Ranjit Kumar Paul and Dr. Md. Yeasin from ICAR–Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi; Dr. Saumik Panja from the University of California San Francisco; Dr. Jiban Saikia from Dibrugarh University; Dr. Harisadhan Malakar from the Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat; and Dr. Sagarika Das from Diphu Medical College and Hospital, Assam