Soil-Vegetable Production Nexus: Integrating Soil Health Management with Sustainable Vegetable Crop Systems

Soil health is a critical pillar of sustainable vegetable production systems worldwide. This narrative review aims to: (1) synthesize the major soil health constraints in intensive vegetable production systems; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of physical, chemical, and biological management interventions; and (3) identify economic and policy pathways for scalable implementation. A comprehensive review of peer-reviewed literature published primarily between 2000 and 2024 was conducted, drawing on evidence from temperate and subtropical systems. Intensive vegetable farming exerts substantial pressure on soil resources through short crop cycles, over-fertilization, repeated tillage, and continuous irrigation, triggering declines in physical structure, chemical balance, and biological function. Key physical constraints include soil compaction, indicated by bulk densities exceeding 1.6 g cm^-3^, while biological degradation manifests as reduced microbial biomass carbon (20–50% lower than extensive systems) and diminished disease suppression. Effective management encompasses organic amendments, integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), diversified crop rotations, and conservation tillage, with soil health recovery typically requiring 2–5 years depending on the severity of degradation. Precision agriculture tools and climate-smart practices offer additional pathways for sustainable intensification. Policy interventions, extension services, and farmer networks are identified as essential enablers of broad-scale adoption.