Growers can now assess and benchmark their soil health, and obtain management recommendations using the Soil Health Scorecard. Emma Penny reports.
The availability of soil health benchmarks and management recommendations is the final part of a five-year AHDB and British Beet Research Organisation-funded soils project. The Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership initially developed and validated a set of practical indicators for routine measurement and monitoring of soil health. These include:
- Visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS)
- pH
- Extractable nutrients (P, K, Mg)
- Soil organic matter
- Earthworms
- Measures of microbial activity (this includes respiration and potentially mineralizable nitrogen)
The researchers then worked with farmers, industry, and scientists using the data generated to develop the Soil Health Scorecard and to group the soil health indicators. The scorecard combines physical observations of topsoil in the field with results of analysis of soil samples sent for testing.
Researchers say it captures the interactions between physics, chemistry and biology that underpin soil health in a concise, practical format for use in cropping systems and lowland grassland.
However, the latest piece of project work, which has involved benchmarking soils across Great Britain, offers huge potential, says AHDB senior environment manager Amanda Bennett.
Although putting the indicators in one place was a great step, it is the inclusion of benchmark values that offers a potential revelation for soil management.
For each indicator, the research partnership identified typical benchmark values expected ranges for UK soil types and climate regions.
Using their own farms Soil Health Scorecard allows users to quickly see the benchmarking results of their soil analyses and how they compare to typical values using a traffic-light system:
- Green (monitor): Typical or optimum result, with low risk of sub-optimal soil conditions (continue to monitor on a rotational basis);
- Amber (review): Moderate risk of sub-optimal soil conditions (further examination, such as more frequent or detailed sampling, may be needed);
- Red (investigate): Potential risk of sub-optimal soil conditions (more immediate management intervention may be required).
The guidance, which is published in one online guide for England and Wales, and another for Scotland due to variations in the analytical methods used across GB regions, highlights management recommendations for the current traffic-light soil condition for each soil type (light, medium or heavy), says Dr Bennett.
This should help you maintain or improve your soils. The structured way to evaluate soils is also useful if you want to assess changes to soil management. For example, if you plan to change your cultivation technique, complete the Soil Health Scorecard first, then subsequent analyses will provide valuable insight into how soil condition has been affected.
The Soil Health Scorecard does not tell you what to do, per se. It focuses attention on the aspects of soil health that warrant closer attention, allowing you to make more informed decisions to benefit your unique farm business, she says.
Researchers say the measurements and scorecard can be used as part of a routine health check every three to five years (ideally at the same point in a crop rotation), as well as identifying areas where more focus or further detailed sampling may be needed. It is also designed to support farmers and agronomists when they are evaluating changes in farming systems or management practices.
Current conditions may make soil sampling, completing the scorecard and benchmarking an option now. The guidance says soil sampling is best done after harvest and when the topsoil has wetted up in autumn, and that it should be done one month after any cultivations, moderate soil disturbance and/or applications of organic inputs such as manures or composts.
AHDB says an Excel version of the Soil Health Scorecard will be available soon.
SET IN PANEL
More information
Find out more about the Soil Health Scorecard, including the separate guidance for England and Wales and Scotland which contains benchmark values for different soil types, here: .
This page contains the research and information generated as part of the five-year, 1 million Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership project which ends this year.
