Linking Indicators in the Cornell Soil Health Test to Management Decisions.

The Cornell Soil Health Test (CSHT) was recently developed in New York State for public soil testing. It measures a set of inexpensive, rapid, but agronomically meaningful, physical, biological and chemical indicators of Soil Quality, and thus takes a significant step forward from conventional soil tests, by integrating these three aspects of soils. In 2007 and 2008, a total of about 2000 soil health tests were performed on soils collected from a diverse set of farms under various commodity production systems. The variety of tillage systems, crop types and soil types under different systems of management has allowed for exploration of soil constraints found in different systems, and management options for alleviating these. The CSHT identifies constraints in agronomically essential soil processes by rating measured indicator values using scoring functions. The test has been shown successful at soil quality monitoring, and assessment and as a guide for management decisions in the Northeastern United States, as well as in Kenya (see Moebius-Clune et. al., A06). It has potential to be used as a basic framework for establishing international SQ standards to facilitate widespread soil monitoring and better management decisions.

By linking indicator measurements to constraints in soil processes the CSHT provides information that farmers can use to target management practices at alleviating quantified constraints. In this demonstration session we will first explain the basic components of a soil health test report. We will then guide participants in interpreting a soil health test report from a NY State Farm, and in using the report information to develop short- and long-term management options that target the constraints found on this farm.