Soil types and soil health principles

Understanding the inherent properties of different soil types can inform soil health management approaches.

Biological

• Know: Low capacity to hold organic matter
• Act: Add organic matter regularly to maintain biological activity
• Act: Use composted organic matter to improve soil structure and stability
• Act: Move to ley-arable rotations in very sandy soils, where possible

Chemical

• Know: Low cation exchange capacity
• Act: Lime little and often to maintain pH
• Act: Manage nutrients to match supply and demand

Physical

• Know: Drought risk is significant
• Act: Avoid trafficking wet subsoil
• Act: Install and maintain drainage where groundwater is high

Image © Environment Agency, thinksoils

Biological

• Know: Slow to change organic matter content
• Act: Add organic matter regularly to maintain biological activity
• Act: Monitor organic matter levels, at least every five years
• Act: Add diversity to the crop rotation, while maintaining seasonal flexibility

Chemical

• Know: Some capacity to buffer changes in pH and nutrients
• Act: Monitor pH, P and K regularly
• Act: Manage nutrients to match supply and demand

Physical

• Know: Assess soil structure to know its workability and trafficability limits
• Act: Optimise timeliness of operations to minimise damage
• Act: Install and maintain drainage

Image © Environment Agency, thinksoils

Biological

• Know: Naturally high in organic matter
• Act: Add organic matter regularly to maintain biological activity
• Act: Use composted organic matter to improve soil structure and stability
• Act: Move to ley-arable rotations, where possible

Chemical

• Know: High cation exchange capacity and some clay soils have good reserves of K
• Act: Develop good rotational strategies to manage lime, P and K
• Act: Optimise seedbed quality to maximise nutrient use efficiency

Physical

• Know: Waterlogging can be a major issue, especially in soils without active roots
• Act: Optimise timeliness of operations to minimise damage
• Act: Install and maintain drainage

Image © Environment Agency, thinksoils

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