4. Dr. Eli Argaman

Over the recent centuries, industrial development and the demand for food production accelerated land degradation processes. Further, the challenging expansion of agricultural fields over marginal lands requires the adaptation and development of new soil conservation practices to conserve soil quality and quantity. The current presentation explores recent studies that focused on developing new practices and methods to sustain the soil system. For example – [1] in a long-term study conducted in the Menashe area (Israel), caused by extreme soil erosion from agricultural fields, we implemented a new soil and water conservation practice that enables farmers to utilize local resources and reduce agro machinery costs while sustaining the land; [2] Earthworks waste soils are a significant concern in many countries, where Infrastructure and industrial development rapidly change the landscape. This waste reaches nearby agricultural fields without appropriate treatment and causes severe environmental problems, runoff, and soil erosion that harm neighboring infrastructures. A recent study revealed that part of the waste soils could be used, following appropriate treatment, in agricultural fields while enabling land managers and farmers to use these waste soils as a resource rather than a hazardous material; [3] recently, dual-use of agricultural land has become an emerging topic. However, the current knowledge and soil conservation practices are missing. A recent study aimed to provide new insights into the development of sustainable practices to mitigate the impact of runoff and soil erosion in dual-use lands is under development these days.