To use the new soil health scoring tool, enter soil test results for key biological indicators and select the soil zone. The tool provides a soil health ranking
and description of the relative soil health status for that sample.

Try the soil health assessment tool

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KEY RESULT:

To use the new soil health scoring tool, enter soil test results for key biological indicators and select the soil zone. The tool provides a soil health ranking and description of the relative soil health status for that sample.

PROJECT NAME, PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:

“Enhancing the Saskatchewan Soil Health Assessment Protocol – Phase 2” Kate Congreves, Rich Farrell, Melissa Arcand, Athena Wu, University of Saskatchewan

FUNDING:

SaskOilSeeds, SaskWheat

This study evaluated biological indicators of soil health. These indicators include organic and total carbon, total nitrogen, mineralized carbon, extracellular enzyme activity, and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis for microbial biomass and adaptation response ratio.

Researchers collected 153 soil samples from different fields in the Black, Dark Brown and Brown soil zones in Saskatchewan. They found that biological indicators of soil health generally improved with more regenerative crop production practices such as cover cropping.

Researchers used these results to develop a soil health scoring tool. Users input a soil test result for key biological indicators (i.e., soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, carbon dioxide mineralization, and PLFA microbial biomass) and select their soil zone. The tool provides a soil health ranking and description of the relative soil health status for their sample.

A test version of the tool is available at Kate Congreves’ website: researchers.usask.ca/kate-congreves/index.php. Look under the Research tab.