5 Vital Risks That Make Soil Diagnostics MANDATORY for Agricultural Land 👌🪱
Soil is both an unusual and vital resource.
It is home to 50% of the world’s biodiversity and serves as the primary tool for farmers' production.
The quality of our food and ecosystems is directly linked to the quality of the soil on which we grow our crops.
Soil can be evaluated through simple methods, such as the spade test or soil analysis, to check essential parameters for both agricultural performance and the health of the natural environment.
These combined tests are low-cost and, through observation, allow farmers to manage major risks!
Here are 5 critical risks that should prompt regular soil diagnostics:
- Compaction : Compacted soil limits water storage capacity, infiltration, and root access to nutrients. Calcium and nitrogen are transported to roots via water diffusion. Compaction disrupts the essential vertical structure of fertile soil.
- Soil Life : Soil with low biological activity and biodiversity is less resilient, with limited capacity for nutrient recycling, organic matter processing, and natural structuring.
- Chemistry : Unassessed chemical imbalances can cause nutrient lockups and major structural issues. The Ca/Mg and K/Mg ratios, along with the ionic balance of the CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity), are key indicators to assess.
- Acidity : Excessive acidity impairs the development of healthy microbiology and reduces the effectiveness of humus utilization. In extreme cases, aluminum toxicity due to high solubility can severely degrade soil productivity. Saturation levels and pH should be evaluated as part of an effective soil liming strategy.
- Organic Matter : Soil with humus levels below 17% of the clay content has poor mechanical capacity. Furthermore, below 2.5% organic matter, soil struggles to support strong biological activity. At less than 1%, there’s no chance of benefiting from any biological regulation… the soil is "dead," and no amount of claims or prayers will bring it back. However, a balanced diet of cover crops and organic amendments will help. Assessing organic matter percentage, field observations, and organic matter fractions will be valuable to anyone looking to cultivate an effective population of earthworms, bacteria, and fungi!
These are just 5 key risks, but there are many more, and soil diagnostics are not optional for those who want to keep their soil in TOP condition !
PS : For the farmer whose photo appears here, there are no issues… the soil’s potential is being fully exploited. 🫣
How many soil profiles or spade tests have you conducted in the last 5 years? I await your answer in the comments. 😉
