Blog post by Indigro independent agronomists
With an ever-increasing population and a constantly reducing area of productive land to feed them with, it has never been more important to understand the condition our soils are in. Healthy soils are crucial for producing high quality productive crops as well as storing carbon, hosting biology, reducing erosion and nutrient run off thereby helping to keep water clean. To understand and manage soil health we first need to assess the current condition. In the past, the chemical composition of the soil has been the key measure of a well-managed soil. Today, the approach is more holistic, accounting for the chemical, physical and biological aspects.
The first step to understanding your soils is to get out in the field and have a dig to look at what is below ground, then record what is found. Indigro have created a visual soil assessment which is an in-depth analysis based around widely accepted criteria including soil texture, porosity, structure, earthworm counts, water infiltration rate, soil smell, colour, and mottling. These are scored in conjunction with other site-specific factors such as erosion risk, surface ponding, cover and crusting and potential plant rooting depth. The location of the visual assessment dig is GPS located so that subsequent assessments can be carried out in the same location. A range of physical, chemical, and biological factors are tested through a soil sample sent to the lab, alongside a microBIOMETER test.
The tables and chart below show an example of the visual soil assessement and susequent laboratory analysis
This information is fed into Indigro’s Record of Condition Report which provides an in-depth overview of the condition of the different soil types on a farm. The report highlights and interprets areas that need improvement and provides suggestions as to how these improvements can be made. The report couples the visual soil assessment with an in-depth laboratory test which is presented alongside images of soil structure. The information from this report is used to create a management plan and provide a baseline which can be compared to future assessments to measure and monitor progress.
Landowners and farmers are custodians of the countryside and the soil. Through the visual soil assessment and record of condition, Indigro clients are investing in their soils for increased productivity, profitability and for long term sustainability for future generations.
An example of an Indigro record of condition report, including colour coding to highlight areas that need improvement and arrows indicating where changes have occurred over time. 
To find out more about Indigro independent agronomists follow this link Indigro https://indigro.co.uk/
