Soil Health: Resource Concerns and 

Conservation Planning

David A. LammNational Soil Health Team Leader

Greensboro, NC

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NRCS Soil Health Division

Observation, Adaptation

Soil Health Management Systems

Implementation

Soil Health Assessment

Soil Health Management Planning

Soil health training

Goals of the new NRCS

Soil Health Division

Leverage Partners

Ensure Scientific Basis

Evaluate Economics

Quantify Benefits

Within NRCS and externally (NACD, SARE, TNC, EDF, Soil Renaissance, ARS, NIFA, Hatch, Universities, Nonprofits …)

Soil Health Training

• 250 Training Events• 26,016 Participants

Soil Health Conservation Planner Certification Training1. Soil Health Basics2. Linking Soil Biology to Soil Health3. Soil Health Planning Principles4. Regenerating Soil Health and Planning for a Soil Health

Management System5. Rethinking the Management Paradigm6. Farm visits/Soil Health Assessments7. Implementing a Soil Health Management System 8. Cover Crop Management9. Grazing Management to Improve Soil Health10. Economics of Soil Health11. Overcoming Barriers to Adoption

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SOIL HEALTH:

The continued capacity of a soil to function as a vital, living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.

What is Soil Health?

Soil FunctionsNecessary for Food & Fiber

Nutrient cyclingWater (infiltration & availability)Filtering and BufferingPhysical Stability and SupportHabitat for Biodiversity

Erosion Primary Resource Concern

Western Lake Erie Basin Soils

Flat, poorly drained, compacted, losing organic matter

Dysfunctional Soils with no erosion problem

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Long-term No-Till soybeans then Strip Till Corn

Rotational Tillage: No Till Soybeans then Tilled corn

Same rain event on May 15¾” less than 1/8 mile apart

Western Lake Erie Basin Soils

Toledo Harbor Algae Problem

Impact of Poor Soil Function

Graphs prepared by David Baker, Heidelberg University

Poor Nutrient Cycling• Excessive nutrient runoff• Increase use of limited

materials• Focus on managing materials

rather than solving problem

Poor Water Cycle• Decrease infiltration• Increase runoff• Acceptance of these

conditions as normal

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• Flat, poorly drained• No erosion problem• Poor soil structure• Weak aggregates• Low infiltration • Increase runoff• Poor habitat for soil

microbial community

• Poor soil functions

Applying Existing Soil Quality Concerns

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NRCS Soil Resource Concerns*

• Compaction• Organic matter depletion• Soil organism habitat loss or degradation• Aggregate instability

NRCS Resource Definitions

Resource Concern: An expected degradation of the soil, water, air, plant, or animal resource base to the extent that the sustainability or intended use of the resource is impaired.

Planning Criteria (PC): …Used to determine whether or not there is a resource concern associated with a specified land use….

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Resource Concern Description Objective Land Use

Compaction

Management‐induced soil compaction at any level throughout the soil profile resulting in reduced:• rooting depth and structure• plant growth• soil biological activity • water infiltration and water holding capacity• aeration• soil habitat

Reduce compaction

• Crop• Forest• Associated Ag Land• Designated Protected Area• Other Rural Land

Resource Concern

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Resource Concern Description Objective Land Use

Organic Matter Depletion 

Management induced depletion of soil organic matter pools, (e.g. labile carbon, total soil carbon or nitrogen) resulting in subsidence or limited soil function and processes that support: • plant growth• habitat and food for soil organisms• water and nutrient cycling

Reduce organic matter depletion and/or increase soil organic matter

• Crop• Associated Ag Land

Resource Concern

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Resource Concern Description Objective Land Use

Aggregate Instability

Management induced degradation of water stable soil aggregates resulting in:• reduced water infiltration, water holding capacity, aeration• depressed resilience to extreme weather,• increased ponding, flooding,• increased soil erosion,• plant stress,• reduced habitat and soil biological activity: microbes, plants and animals

Improve aggregate stability

• Crop• Associated Ag Land

Resource Concern

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Resource Concern Description Objective Land Use

Soil organism habitat loss or degradation

Quantity, quality, diversity or connectivity of food, cover, space, shelter and/or water is inadequate to meet requirements of soil organisms and other beneficials

Improve habitat for soil organisms and other beneficials

• Crop• Pasture• Associated Ag Land• Designated Protected Area• Other Rural Land

Resource Concern

In Field Soil Health Assessment

Simple Goal• To develop a process that could be used on-site

to help determine relative soil function (health). • A tool that could be used to document a soil

health related resource concern is present• Can be used within the confines of conservation

planners:• Time (both amount and season of the year)• Conservation Planners Knowledge

Our self-imposed requirements for the protocol• Useful – provides valuable, accurate, meaningful

information• Usable – easily employed and interpreted by planners and

farmers• Works for our systems• Minimizes subjective effects• Quick• No meters, chemicals, paper strips, etc. (essentially

physical and biological)• Representative but reasonable sampling• Human sensory-driven• Encourages a conversation between the planner and the

grower

In Field Soil Health Assessment

Residue Cover

Aggregate Stability

Compaction

Surface Crusting

Roots & Pores

Biological Activity

Soil Color

Residue Breakdown

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Indicator Description Resource Concern Addressed

Those soil or plant characteristics that can be evaluated to gage the health of the soil 

A description of what the indicator is and/or how it 

impacts soil health. 

The Soil Health Resource Concerns that are 

assessed by using this indicator

Residue Cover 

Residue cover is the percent of the soil surface that is covered by plant residue, organic mulch and/or live plant.Lack of residue cover exposes the soil to erosion and detachment of soil particles from rain and reduces the food source for soil microbes.The C:N ratio and amount of residue will impact how long it will last before breakdown.

Primary Resource Concern1. Aggregate Instability2. Soil organism habitat loss 

or degradation3. Soil Organic Matter 

depletionSecondary Resource  Concern1. Compaction

In-Field Assessment

In Field Measurement Method Rating Criteria

1. Farmer interview of management systema. Document tillage system, crop rotation, 

high biomass crops2. Use Photo‐comparison method or state 

approved estimation methodsOR

1. Use line transect as described in –https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_022074.pdf

Assessment is based on the amount of the soil surface covered by  living plants or the residue of previous crops

High‐‐Year round surface cover from plants, plant residue or mulch; cover 50% to 100% after planting

Medium ‐‐ Year round surface cover plants, plant residue or mulch; cover 30% to 50% after planting

Low ‐‐ Year round surface cover plants, plant residue or mulch; cover < 30%fter planting

In-Field Assessment

In Field Qualitative Soil Health Assessmentfor Conservation Planning

Table 1.  Draft In‐Field Soil Health Card

Indicator ConditionsRelatively Healthy Relatively Unhealthy

Residue CoverGreater than 75% of the soil surface covered by plant residue after crop harvest or termination. No tillage to incorporate.

Less than 25% of the soil surface is covered by plant residue after crop harvest or termination. Tillage may or may not be used.

Residue Breakdown (assumes no tillage to incorporate) Will need to be adjusted for crop and environment.

Some cover crop residue remains at the end of the cash crop season. OR Previous crop residue is still visible at the end of the current crop season.

Plant residue visible after 12 months. OR All residue of moderate to high biomass crop broken down within 2 months.

Surface Crusting (influenced by texture) No crust visible. Crusts visible in >50% of the field. Average

thickness >0.5 cm.

Soil Structure & Compaction(influenced by texture)

Penetration resistance the same as non-trafficked area. Structure is granular in the surface, and blocky or granular in the sub-surface.

Obvious penetration resistance anywhere in the surface 12”. Visible platy or sometimes massive structure anywhere in the surface 12”.

Water-stable Aggregates(influenced by texture)

Golf ball-sized clod remains intact after being submerged in water for 5 minutes. Center of the clod is wet after emergence.

Golf ball-sized clod disintegrates by >25% after being submerged in water for 5 minutes.

Roots & Pores

Many tubular pores. Roots are white, and remain covered with soil after shaking the intact plant. Minimal horizontal root growth resulting from a restrictive layer.

Few to no pores visible. Roots are yellow and/or stunted. Root growth restricted to the surface soil. Soil does not cling to root surface when intact plants are shaken.

Biological ActivityEarthworms and earthworm activity is apparent throughout the surface layer. Macro-invertebrates and fungi observable.

No earthworms or evidence of earthworm activity, (casts, burrows). No sign of invertebrates or fungal hyphae.

Soil Color

Surface soil is obviously darker than subsoil. Surface soil color is similar to a nearby healthy reference site of the same soil type.

Soil color similar throughout the surface 12”. Surface soil color is lighter than a nearby reference site of the same soil type.

Soil Health Principles To Support High Functioning Soils

• Protecthabitat

(aggregates, structure, water, air,

temperature)

• Feed diverse, continuous inputs (C sources, energy, nutrients)

Maximize living roots

Minimize disturbance

Maximize cover

Maximize diversity

NRCS Soil Health Message to producers: Care for your belowground livestock as you

would your aboveground livestock

NRCS Conservation Practice Standard

161 different practice standards– 97 CED has lead– 21 ESD Agronomist has lead

• 13 Erosion primary resource concern• 4 Residue Management

– 9 ESD Grazing Specialist has lead

Limited number of practices to choose fromSoil Health requires more than controlling erosion

Core Soil Health Conservation Practices

Cover Crop (340)

Conservation Crop Rotation (328) Must Do!!!

No Till (329)

Synergistic PracticesPractice that increase soil health enhancement when applied in conjunction with a core practice

– Nutrient Management (590)– Pest Management (595)

As Applicable

Practices that address resource concerns that may not occur on all fieldsSite specific

– Irrigation water management– Buffer practices

Best Accepted New Technology

Conservation activities that might not be in an NRCS conservation practice standardImprove soil health

• Controlled traffic pattern

• Precision application of nutrients and pesticides

• Use of floatation tires

We can package a system of practices that Improve Soil Health!

Quality No-Till

Adapted Nutrient Management

Prescribed Cover Crops Diverse Crop Rotation

New Technologyand

Integrated Weed &Pest Management

Where are some of the best soils in the United States?

How did nature make all that prairie soil in the first place?

• Intense grazing • Long Rest periods• Managing the Hoof

and Mouth of the cow

Questions and Discussion?Contacts: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/soils/health/?cid=nrcseprd1315420

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