Soil Health Assessment and Management Framework

Desta, G and Agegnehu, G and Patil, M D and Choudhari, P L and Legesse, G and Desalegn, H and Botoman, L (2025) Soil Health Assessment and Management Framework. Monograph. ICRISAT, Ethiopia.

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Global Research Program - Resilient Farm and Food Systems
Research Program : East & Southern Africa

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UNSPECIFIED

Abstract

Soils deliver valuable ecosystem services, such as the release of nutrients from soil organic matter, water storage and transfer (Tahat et al., 2020), water and air quality (Doran and Zeiss, 2000), food security (Lal and Stewart, 2010), cultural heritage, etc. Hence, it is vital to the environment and society that soil functions and its quality are maintained (Blum, 2005). Soil quality and soil health are often used interchangeably, but generally refer to the same concept (Bünemann et al., 2018), i.e., a soil's capacity to function as a dynamic living ecosystem to sustain plant and animal health and environmental quality. Although both terms address the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of soil, soil health is a broader, more holistic concept that encompasses the long-term sustainability and vitality of the soil as a living system, while soil quality sometimes focuses on more specific, land-use-dependent functions and attributes. Improving the soil quality of marginal lands is critical for improving agricultural productivity and food security (Li et al., 2017). Soil health is defined as “the capacity of a soil to function as a vital living system within ecosystem and land use boundaries to sustain plant and animal production, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and promote plant and animal health (Doran and Zeiss, 2000).” Soil management can be divided into three overlapping domains. The two widely known soil properties include physical management (e.g., tillage and deep ripping for compaction) and chemical management (e.g., soil amendments and fertility management). The last domain is biological management, which is mostly overlooked in soil management. Soil health is described as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans (Kopittke et al., 2024).

Item Type:	Monograph (Monograph)
Divisions:	Global Research Program - Resilient Farm and Food Systems Research Program : East & Southern Africa
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Series Name:	CGIAR Sustainable Farming Science Program Report
Uncontrolled Keywords:	soil health, soil conservation, landscape, sustainable agriculture, soil health management
Subjects:	Others > Soil Others > Soil Science
Depositing User:	Mr Nagaraju T
Date Deposited:	16 Jan 2026 05:09
Last Modified:	16 Jan 2026 05:09
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/13423
Links:	Google Scholar

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