Floods have significantly altered the soil profile of agriculture land across Punjab, causing nutrient imbalance and posing a threat to productivity by adding an impermeable layer that hinders water infiltration and root growth.

This was revealed in a study conducted by Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). The university had conducted tests in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Kapurthala and Patiala to assess the impact of floodwaters that had brought large quantities of silt from higher reaches and deposited it in the fields.

University Vice-Chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal said the floods impacted the very foundation of Punjab’s agriculture — its soil.

“While mineral-rich silt from the Himalayan foothills has added nutrients, it has also disturbed native soil profiles. Rest

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