Soil health

In soil, ectorhizosphere and the rhizoplane microbial populations develop that can vary in size, complexity, and activity. The interactions between the microbial populations in these environments and between the.se populations and plants can have important consequences for plant and soil health. An understanding of the microbial population is therefore central for soil management. 

Meanwhile, new questions have been raised. Is there indeed a relation between soil health, plant health and human health as expected in organic agriculture Is the quality of genetically modified and hybrid varieties less coherent , and if so, is this a health concern Do food crops with increased levels of vitamins or phenols enhance health What do coherence and ripeness mean in terms of taste and consumer health These questions are very topical, but they are based on vague notions of food quality. A new conceptual framework for these topical questions is needed, as well as better-defined concepts to operationalise these questions. 

Doran JW (2002) Soil health and global sustainability translating science into practice. Agric Ecosys Environ 88 119-127... 

Doran JW, Sarrantonio, M, Liebig MA (1996) Soil health and sustainability. In Advances in agronomy. Springer, New York... 

Abawi GS, Widmer TL (2000) Impact of soil health management practices on soilbome pathogens, nematodes and root diseases of vegetable crops. Appl Soil Ecol 15 37-47... 

Gupta VVSR, Yeates GW (1997) Soil microfauna as bioindicators of soil health. In Pankhurst CE, Doube BM, Gupta VVSR (eds) Biological indicators of soil health. CABI, Wallingford, UK, pp 201-234... 

Uchida, S Sato,T. Okuwaki, A. (1993) Synthesis of monodispersed micaceous iron oxide by the oxidation of iron with oxygen under hydrothermal conditions. J. Chem. Techn. Biotechn. 57 221-227 Ugwuegbu, B.J. Prasher, S.O. Ahmad, D. Dutilleul, P. (2001) Bioremediation of residual fertilizer nitrate II. Soil redox potential and soluble iron as indicators of soil health during treatment. J. Environ. Qual. 30 Ills... 

In addition to maintaining soil health, microbes are also important in converting manures, crop residues and other organic materials into composts, humus and plant available nutrients (Welbaum ef al. 2004, see also Chapter 2 and Special topic 2), providing biological control of certain pests and diseases (Trejo-Estrada ef al. 1998, Brimner and Boland 2003) and decomposing crop residues in the paddock (Vazquez ef al. 2003). 

Yamamoto et al., 2007), including evaluation of the level of maturation of organic matter in composts (Dell Abate et al., 2000) and evaluation of relative soil health (Nunez-Regueira et al., 2006) through use of thermal analysis to evaluate relative microbial activity. Table 18.3 summarizes materials, methods employed, and relevant citations. 

Nunez-Regueira, L., Proupin-Castineiras, J., Rodriguez-Anon, J. A., Villanueva-Lopez, M., and Nunez-Fernandez, O. (2006). Design of an experimental procedure to assess soil health state. J. Therm. Anal. Calorim. 85(2), 271-277. 

Shinn, J.H., Essington, E.H., Miller, F.L., O Farrell, T.P., Orcutt, J.A., Romney, E.M., Shugart, J.W. Sorom, E.R. (1987) Results of a cleanup and treatment test at the Nevada Test Site evaluation of vacuum removal of Pu-contaminated soil. Health Physics, 57, 771-9. 

Sturz A. V., Christie, B.R. Beneficial microbial allelopathies in the root zone die management of soil quality and plant disease with rhizobacteria. Soil Agro-ecosystems Impacts of Management on Soil Health and Crop Diseases - Special Issue. Soil Till Res 2003 72 107-123. 

Hoare, B. (2000) Personal communication. President of Soil Health Association, New Zealand. 

Soil Health Association (1999) Soil Health, Nov/Dec 1999, Vol 58, No 6. (Journal of the Soil Health Association of New Zealand.)... 

A crop rotation plan must be in place to protect against pest problems and to maintain soil health. Row crops should be raised for no more than four out of five years, and the same row crop cannot be grown in consecutive years on the same land. Legumes (e.g., alfalfa, red clover, berseem clover, and hairy vetch) alone, or in combination with small grains (e.g., wheat, oats, and barley), should be rotated with row crops (corn, soybeans, amaranth. 

Miller KM, Shebell P, Kemic A. 1994. In situ gamma-ray spectrometry for the measurement of uranium in surface soils. Health Phys 67(2) 140-150. 

Paton, G.I., Campbell, C.D., Cresser, M.S., Glover, L.A. Killham, K. (1996a) Use of genetically modified biosensors for soil ecotoxicity testing. Bioindicators of Soil Health. C.F. Parkhurst, B.M. Doube, V.V.S.R. Gupta (eds), CAB International, Wallingford, pp. 397-418. 

Avidano L., Elisa G., Paolo C. G., Elisabetta C., Characterisation of soil health in an Italian polluted site by using microorganisms as bioindicators, Appl. Soil Ecol., 30, 21-33, 2005. 

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