Soil Quality 

Soil Quality Highlights

Soil Quality Physical Indicators: Selecting Dynamic Soil Properties to Assess Soil Function - Soil Quality - Agronomy Technical Note No. __ (draft) releases a soil function - physical indicator matrix that soil scientists and conservationists can use to make appropriate assessment choices and gain additional information about these important soil properties. The technical note relies on physical indicator information sheets that discuss the inherent and dynamic factors affecting the property, suggest practices for improvements, and provide a reference to a measurement method. Information sheets are available for Aggregate Stability, Available Water Capacity, Bulk Density, Infiltration, Slaking, Soil Crusts, and Soil Structure and Macropores.

Managing Cool, Wet Soils - Soil Quality - Agronomy Technical Note No. __ (draft) focuses on how limiting physical disturbance and increasing crop diversity increases soil function.

Precision Agriculture - Precision agriculture technology can be used to reduce fertilizer and pesticide inputs and address environmental resource concerns. See Precision Agriculture: NRCS Support for Emerging Technologies (Agronomy Technical Note No. 1) for more information.

Biomass Energy - Crop residues are being considered for biomass energy production.  See the following documents for more information:  Crop Residue Removal for Biomass Energy Production (White Paper - 2006 Outlook on Agriculture Forum), Soil Quality - Agronomy Technical Note No. 19, and Conservation Issue Brief: Resource Effects of Biomass Energy Production (draft).

Soil Quality Concepts

Soil Quality is defined as how well soil does what we want it to do.  Healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive rangeland, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes. Included in these pages are a glossary, and information about soil organic matter and soil biology.
 

Soil Organic Matter

Soil Biology

Soil Quality Assessment

Soil quality assessment is the process of measuring the management induced changes in soil as we attempt to get soil to do what we want it to do. The ultimate purpose of assessing soil quality is to provide the information necessary to protect and improve long-term agricultural productivity, water quality, and habitats of all organisms including people. These pages provide guidelines for soil quality assessment, information on building a soil quality test kit and developing a soil quality thunderbook and soil quality cards.

Soil Quality Management

How well we manage soil quality in a large part helps determine how well the soil does what we want it to do.  This section offers guidance on managing soil quality by landuse, including cropland, grazing lands, forested land, and urban areas.  Considerable information is also provided on organic farming.

Resources and Publications

These pages include links to a wealth of information on soil quality.  Documents on all aspects of soil quality, including NRCS Technical Notes and Information Sheets are ready to download and print. Links to other parts of the NRCS Web site are included, as well as links to university web sites and organizations working on soil quality issues.