What is a healthy soil?

What is a healthy soil?

Author/s:
Tony Pattison

Publication details:
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, South Johnstone Research Station

Published:
February 2006

Article summary:

Healthy soils have physical, chemical and biological properties that promote sustainable production. For the production of turf, the soil must support profitable plant growth without impacting on the surrounding environment and without degrading the soil resource.

The article ‘What is a healthy soil?’ defines soil health and looks at symptoms manifested in unhealthy soils.

Readers are encouraged to take a holistic view of how a soil environment is created and to monitor key physical, chemical, biological and production indicators.

The article is extracted from the proceedings of the workshop ‘Healthy soils for great turf’, held at Cleveland on 20 February 2006 by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland.