Meaning and Methods of Assessment of Soil Health

Soil is a living system and has to be managed as such in agriculture to improve sustainability. Soil health refers to the biological, chemical and physical features of soil that are essential to long-term sustainable agricultural productivity with minimal environmental impact. Thus, soil health provides a overall picture of soil functionality. Soil provides the habitats for a wide range of living organisms (Lee and Foster, 1991). The soil health can be inferred by measuring specific soil properties (eg. organic matter) and by observing soil status (eg, fertility). Studying the soil microorganisms in their particular environments has generated interest as microbial diversity is intimately related to soil structure and function. The main objective in determining soil health is to acquire indicators that can be used to evaluate the soil’s current status and hence to develop sustainable agricultural systems. In this regard, significant progress has been made over the last few years in the development of specific biomarkers and macro-molecular probes, enabling rapid and reliable measurements of soil microbial communities. In addition, the modern analytical techniques have provided data on soil chemistry. The combination of these two approaches offers promise in determining soil health status.