Blog 002

Soil health and management 



The value of soil


How important is soil to agriculture and the wider environment?


Soil materials include:

  • Tiny pieces of rocks and minerals (about 45% of volume)
  • Organic matter (about 5% of volume)
  • Soil solution, which is water that fills the spaces between soil particles. It is where the dissolved elements or nutrients are found (about 20-30% of volume)
  • Air (about 20-30% of volume)



Healthy soils are sometimes described as having good tilth, which means that the soil:

  • Is loose and crumbly
  • Has plenty of air pockets
  • Drains water well
  • Can hold nutrients
  • Is easy to dig

Other characteristics of healthy soil:

  • Has good depth to allow plant root systems to develop
  • Contains a high population of beneficial organisms
  • Is free of chemicals that are harmful to plants and beneficial organisms


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