Soil Quality Assessment and the Plant Materials Program

1
Soil Quality Assessment and the Plant Materials
Program
Susan S. Andrews, Arlene J. Tugel, Ann
Lewandowski, and Mike Hubbs, NRCS Soil Quality
Institute
Soil Quality is defined as the soils capacity to
function. Critical soil functions include the
ability to support plant growth and productivity,
nutrient cycling, and water partitioning. Soil
quality can affect plant establishment and vigor,
community composition, and colonization of
invasive species. The use of soil quality
assessments may facilitate the technology
development and transfer by plant materials
program across the U.S.
Soil is the foundation for health ecosystems
P
Am. J. Alt. Agric., vol. 7, 1992
The Soil Quality Test Kit
Soil Quality and Restoration
Contents of the SQ Test Kit
Many PMC publications recommend testing soil
properties before planting. The Soil Quality Test
Kit is an in-field assessment tool that could be
used by PMC staff or land-managers (following PMC
recommendations) to rapidly assess soil
properties and function.
Degraded systems lose not only plant species but
also critical soil functions. For successful
plant establishment, proper soil conditions must
be present. Assessing soil quality indicators,
whether using the SQ Test Kit or lab analyses,
could aid in the prescription of soil remediation
steps. Improved soil function (i.e. water or
nutrient storage) can be critical to plant
restoration success.

• The Kit has been used all over the country to
• Assess compare management practice effects on
  soil function
• Monitor trends over time
• Evaluate problem spots
• For example, the test kit was used in Milan, TN,
  to compare soil function in different tillage and
  cropping systems. In this study, no-till and
  diversified cropping improved soil stability
  function and reduced erosion. This can also lead
  to improved yields.

State Transition Models are used to record our
knowledge about ecosystem change. According to
the model, once a threshold between plant
communities (or states) is crossed, it is very
difficult to change back. These changes occur not
only above-ground but also below-ground among
root-soil interactions and other dynamic soil
properties.
State and Transition Models part of ecological
site descriptions
In addition, using the Kit (or lab analyses) to
assess soil function prior to conservation
plantings has the potential to improve seedling
emergence establishment, when indicator results
are used to prescribe soil treatments.

• Soil quality indicators were measured at Big Bend
  National Park, in different states of the same
  ecological site, using the test kit and lab
  analyses. Assessment of soil function will
• benefit assessment and monitoring activities,
• enhance site descriptions of soil-vegetation
  dynamics,
• add value to soil surveys, and
• increase our knowledge of soil change.
• This knowledge could facilitate remediation at
  Big Bend and elsewhere.

When using the Kit, not all tests need to be
performed each time. The selection of Kit
indicators to assess depends on the soil function
of interest.
Soil Quality Test Kit training sessions are
available through the Soil Quality Institute and
NEDC.