Managing Soil Fertility
10 | Unit 1.1
vi. Finally, the organic system plan must contain the additional information deemed
necessary by the certifying agent to evaluate site-specific conditions relevant to
compliance with these or applicable State program regulations.
- “Sustainable agriculture” defined (see http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu))
Sustainable agriculture can be defined as an approach to agriculture where the aim is to
create environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially just food and agricultural
systems. Maximum reliance is placed on locally or farm-derived renewable resources and
the management of self-regulating ecological and biological processes and interactions in
order to provide acceptable levels of crop, livestock, and human nutrition, protection from
pests and diseases, and an appropriate return to the human and other resources employed.
Reliance on external inputs, whether chemical or organic, is reduced as far as possible. the
objective of long-term sustainability lies at the heart of organic farming and is one of the
major factors determining the acceptability of specific production practices.
Sustainable agriculture is not just the conservation of non-renewable resources (soil,
energy, minerals) used to produce food and fiber. Sustainable agriculture also encompasses
maintenance or restoration of the environmental quality of surrounding landscapes;
the economic viability for all involved in agricultural production; and more equitable
distribution of agricultural products to assure that basic human needs are met (see Unit
3.4, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems).
c. soil fertility and soil Quality in sustainable farming systems
- Soil fertility and soil quality defined (see soils.usda.gov/sqi/)
a) Soil quality: the capacity of a soil to function, within land use and ecosystem boundaries, to sustain
biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant, animal, and human health
b) Soil quality indicators
i. Soil accepts, holds, releases, and mineralizes nutrients and other chemical constituents
ii. Soil accepts, holds, and releases water to plants, streams, and groundwater
iii. Soil promotes good root growth and maintains good biotic habitat for soil organisms
iv. Soil resists degradation (e.g., erosion, compaction)
v. Soil maintains good soil structure to provide adequate aeration
vi. Good soil structure allows for rapid water infiltration
vii. Soil has a moderate ph (~6.0–7.0) at which most essential soil nutrients are available
viii. Soil has low salinity levels
ix. Soil has low levels of potentially toxic elements (e.g., boron, manganese, and aluminum)
x. Balanced fertility that provides adequate levels of macro- and micronutrients that
plants and soil microbes require
c) Soil fertility: the capacity of a soil to provide nutrients required by plants for growth.
this capacity to provide nutrients to crop plants is in part influenced by the physical
properties of soils and is one component of soil fertility. Desirable soil physical
properties and the capacity of the soil to provide nutrients for growing crops are both
soil quality indicators.
- Soil fertility, plant health, and the resistance and resilience of crop plants to pest and pathogens
Soil fertility requires a balance of critical plant nutrients and either deficiency or excess of
nutrients can adversely affect plant growth, susceptibility to pests, and post-harvest quality
d. goals of a sustainable soil fertility Management Program
- to sustain high crop productivity and crop quality in food and fiber production (not
maximum yields, which typically require excessive nutrient inputs to achieve)
a) Crop productivity, crop quality, and the economic viability of a given farming operation
Students’ Lecture 1 Outline