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Some
areas of England may not be fit for productive agriculture in future
because of deteriorating soil quality, a new report warns.
The Royal Agricultural Society of England is worried that too much is
being asked of the land in places.
The society said heavy machinery, drier summers and changing growing
seasons are all taking their toll on the soil.
It added that most research tends to focus on environmental issues,
rather than growing food.
The study looked at the state of soil and water management across
England.
The report especially cites eastern England as an example of an area
where the land is being worked intensively with heavy machinery to
produce fruit and vegetables.
Drier summers and changing growing seasons are also being seen in that
area, and the quality of the soil is said to be changing as a result.
Professor Dick Godwin, who helped author the report, said that without
more research into how soil will adapt to a changing climate, growing
food could become more difficult and flooding could increase.
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