Understanding Importance of Soil Testing and Significance of SOC on Crop Productivity

Abstract

Healthy soils are important to grow healthy crops, raising healthy animals, and supporting a healthy human population through nutritionally balanced diets. As an indicator for soil health, SOC is important for its contributions to food production, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It supports multiple soil functions determining soil physical, chemical and biological quality parameters contributing to the productive capacity of soil. It improves soil structural stability by promoting aggregate formation which, together with porosity, ensures sufficient aeration and water infiltration to support plant growth. It is one of the factors that help in increasing water holding capacity, improves cation exchange capacity to hold huge quantities of positively charged nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and potassium until the plant needs them.