Soil Management Guidelines for Sustainable Cropping

Good management practices minimise or prevent the degradation of arable soil resources. As these resources are finite and non-renewable, their sustainable management is of prime importance. Sustainability is a balance between production , degradation and conservation, where maintenance of the productive capacity is critical. These guidelines will help arable farmers and vegetable growers manage their soils sustainably. The focus of these guidelines is to sustain soil health by looking after soil structure and soil organic matter. The guidelines address issues related to machinery compaction , erosion and loss of soil organic matter, and do not consider fertiliser, pesticide/herbicide and pollutant issues. The intention is to provide information that allows arable farmers to ensure their soil management is sustainable.