How farmers assess soil health and quality

The requirements of agricultural and environmental sustainability have dramatically redefined soil quality. The traditional view of soil quality, as measured by soil performance and productivity, is now considered inadequate for what it does not and cannot reveal. Accordingly, the emerging definition of soil quality extends beyond crop production to issues of food safety, human and animal health, and water quality (Doran and Parkin; Parr et al.). Concern for soil quality is not limited to agricultural scientists, natural resource managers, and policymakers. Farmers also have a vested interest in soil quality; its stewardship and maintenance have always rested with them. Farmer interest in soil health, a term some farmers prefer to soil quality, may have been encouraged by their desire to examine and validate the management practices they use on their own farm. Evidence of farmer interest shows in the increased attention to soil health in alternative farming publications like New Farm and Acres USA . Over the last decade, farmers in traditional farming systems have been credited for their sophisticated knowledge of agroecosystems (Alcorn …