Title: Assessing agricultural soil quality on a global scale
Abstract: Abstract Food insecurity due to limited and degraded soil resources is a threat of the 21 st century. The aim of the paper is to analyse potentials and deficiencies of current approaches for assessing agricultural soil quality consistently over a range of spatial scales. The analysis includes both the description of methods of soil quality evaluation and results of field tests across Eurasia. We found that the soil moisture and thermal regime are the main constraints to the soil productivity potential on a global scale. However, most taxonomic soil classification systems provide insufficient information on soil functionality. Visual soil assessment methods have been developed as diagnostic tools for the recognition and evaluation of the morphological and functional status of soil. They offer the potential for use in extension, monitoring and modelling the management-induced changes of agricultural soil quality. A straightforward overall soil functional assessment framework based on soil indicators may explain most of crop yield variability of cereals. Such a system which includes the soil thermal and water regime and management induced and inherent aspects of agricultural soil quality is the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating. This system could serve as a functional supplement to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources, ranking and controlling agricultural soil quality on a global scale.
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 5
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