Presently, the scientific communities including NGOs, Governments, Policy makers etc.throughout the world are concerned about soil health sustenance. They also focusing sustainable soil fertility. The words soil health and soil fertility always making confusion hence to clear the doubt, the question is raised.
Please see the link below.
https://www.bettermeetsreality.com/soil-fertility-soil-health-soil-quality/
Managing soil fertility is the basic pre requisite for sustaining the soil health. Generally soil fertility considers nutrient status , however soil health considers the holistic approach by managing physical, chemical and biological properties .
A link to Managing Soil Health: Concepts and Practice is attached herewith for your references
https://extension.psu.edu/managing-soil-health-concepts-and-practices
Le mot santé est réservé à l'être humain et aux animaux. La fertilité est réservé au sol.
On dit souvent un sol fertile, et non un sol en bonne santé....
Soil Health. Soil health goes beyond soil fertility and additionally considers factors like soil structure and biological activity. Good soil health means the soil is good for agricultural production, but also does not have any soil health issues such as soil erosion, acidification, and salinity and so on
Ability of the soil to sustain agricultural plant growth and provide consistent yields. Fertile soil contains both macro (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and micro nutrients in the right quantities.
Soil health derives from a strong interaction between the physical, chemical, and biological components of the soils’.Geology, topography, climate, vegetation, human activity, and time, shape these factors … and, in turn, determine soil fertility, biodiversity, nutrient recycling, physical structure, carbon retention, and other ecological functions that make for soil health.
L'eau est un élément essentiel pour la fertilité des sols; mais aussi d'autres éléments....
La fertilité des sols est en général maintenue par le travail régulier de la terre.
Soil fertility refers to the application and management of nutrients that will support the growth and development of plants and agricultural crops. The concept became established in the agricultural sciences since the discoveries of nitrogen needs plants have by August von Liebig in the mid-1840s. Soil health is more holistic concept, which includes soil fertility but the latter is generated by the metabolic reactions occurring in the soil by the soil food web (where microrganisms play a very important role. Therefore with soil health farmers are interested in growing healthy crops yet the management of their soils includes a variety of agronomic practices (eg.: cover crops, green manuring, crop rotations and more) that aim at fostering soil metabolism by a biologically diverse microflora. This soil diversity diversifies metabolic paths too and all this will take care of fertility with nutrients made available for the growing crops.
La plante a besoin des éléments nutritifs N, P, K, et les oligo-élément. Ces éléments sont essentiels pour la croissance de la plante.
Soil fertility is the management of nutritional status of soil for plant production. Soil Health or soil quality is the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils that affects its intended use (for example for plant cultivation, for construction, for wetland, for aquaculture, for waste disposal, etc). Soil fertility can be a small part of soil health or soil quality.
To answer your question, soil fertility and soil health are not synonyms. Soil health comprises of interactions of physical, biological and chemical components of soil, which are shaped by environmental factors such as climate, vegetation and hydrogeology. Soil fertility is part of soil health. A healthy soil is fertile (ie. has macro and micro-nutrients in the right quantities), a good structure and adequate biological activities.
Soil health means to monitor and enhance the vitality of soil whereas fertility refers to the productivity of a soil: “A person needs to be healthy in order to be productive in his/her job”. A soil type is not any different from a person in this case.
On peut dire qu'un sol fertile, est un sol riche.
Riche par quoi? Par sa texture et par les éléments organiques et inorganique.
fertile soil can be considered synonymous with healthy soil, ie soil in which the biotic and abiotic components interact in perfect harmony
soil health is a general term to quantify every aspect of soil physical, chemical biological while is fertility is mainly focussed to nutrition.
In general, Soil quality refers to its characteristics and properties (physical, chemical and biological identity). In contrast, soil health focuses on the soil as a living organism that brings eco systematic services. Please check: Soil Quality: A Concept, Definition, and Framework for Evaluation . Karlen et al. 1997
Les agriculteurs parle de fertilité du sol, mais jamais de santé du sol. Le mot santé étant réservé à être humain.
Good soil fertility means that soil is rich with nutrients which results in aggricultural product growth. Soil helath is beyond the soil fertility. It cover the other parameters also soil errosion, acidification and other biological species
Dear Sir,
Since some years, a specific research work has been made about the physicochemical conditions of the plant growth and plant health. We know all by experience that plant nutrition his building plant health, there is no doubt. The quality of photosynthesis is creating an healthier immunitary respons, and is giving energy to all metabolisms. So, we can create health plant, if the genetic potential is present and the better conditions to express them are created. Today, we are accumulating results about the importance of the redox potential / pH situtation of soils, and fertilizers: they define the just area of plant health, reduced, and lightly acid. Please, take a look for the publications of Olivier HUSSON from the CIRAD in France, and you will understand that we can define what if plant health on the base of nutrition parameters.
Soil health/quality status is derived from the physical, chemical and biological properties while soil fertility is the nutrient status of the soil.
Yes, it was considered like this since the beginning of soil sciences, because the analytical laboratories were made or for physical chemical analyses, or for microbial and biological research. But today, the nutrient status of the soil, with organic matter, and amendments, cover crops, and new agronomical strategy of conservation of soils, has an effect on the physico-chemical properties of the soil, creating a buffer effect of redox potential and pH. Biology, microbiology are building plant health, and we can increase the homeostasis potential of the soils and the plants. Soil fertility and plant health are depending of the nutrient status of the crop, and this living ecosystem can give the better conditions for the homeostasis: ability to resist to all kind of stress, biotic and abiotic. We are talking more and more about soil and plant health, like a unique living organism.
Soil fertility is the ability of the soil to provide nutrients to plants in proper amounts and proportions, while soil health is the continued capacity of the soil to function to sustain productivity. The concept of soil fertility is narrow in that it is specific to nutrient availability while soil health is more holistic since it includes both the abiotic and biotic components of the soil. In my view, these two terms are not synonymous.
No....exactly not...soil fertility and soil health are not the name concept....soil quality is very broader term which can include soil fertility as well..
Actually soil fertility is the inherent capacity of the soil to supply nutrients (essential, beneficial and fuctional nutrients required for efficient growth and development of almost all the plants) in adequate amount and in suitable proportions...it means, soil fertility only tells about nutrient status of the soil on the basis of its amount in the soil and its proportion with other nutrient present....
While soil health is very vast and broader term, which include all the physical, chemical and biological properties with an optimum interaction..
Suppose, if soil is having adequate amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash in an adequate amount , but there is problem of water logging, then soil would not be able to provide nutrients(which are present in ideal amount) to the plants...It means, soil is not healthy...soil is not functioning well....why soil got the problem of water logging, it means one if the important soil physical property like porosity and infilteration is not up to the mark...like If soil has very lower or very higher pH value, though it having hood amount of nutrients, it is unhealthy, as due to some of the reason, pH of the soil is not in the neutral range. Actually soil health include all those aspects which directly and indirectly influence soil functioning related to crop production and optimization of all biotic and abiotic components....
No, ..exactly not
In short, soil fertility considered is one of the measures of soil quality
yes you all are correct, Soil is a living system , As per my understanding soil health is balanced soil nutrients along with living microbes very much favorable for plant growth and crop yield
Soil health include physical, chemical and microbial properties, while soil fertility include only all essential elements status.
Fertility is the inherent capacity of the soil to supply nutrients to plants in proportion and quantity whereas, soil health is an indicator of combined interaction effects of the soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Productive soils also sounds as healthy soils.
Un sol est fertile, lorsque il peut donner les éléments nutritifs à la plante.
Ahmed Kettab ce sera mieux si vous répondez ou commentez en anglais, s'il vous plaît monsieur
Soil health is the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living system (within eco-system and land-use boundaries) to sustain biological productivity. It focuses more on biotic components of soil and determines agricultural sustainability and environmental quality that determines the plant, animal and human health. It is the resistance and resilience of soil in response to various stresses and disturbances.
Soil fertility is the intrinsic capacity of soil to provide essential plant nutrients in adequate amounts to ensure optimum plant productivity including maximum economic benefit and minimum environmental degradation.
A. Satish oui je peut écrire en Anglais.
Mais vous pouvez aussi écrire en Français.
Soil health and soil fertility are different concepts. Soil health is a relatively new concept which became popular in the late 1990s (see Doran et al., 1996). It highlights the soil as a living and dynamic system. It is an ecological concept and thus it emphasizes the soil as a habitat for soil organisms. Soil fertility, on the other hand, is about the availability of nutrients for the plants and is as old as soil science itself in that it was the focus of most early soil studies by the great pioneers Justus von Liebig (1803-1873), Albrecht Thaer (1752-1828), Julius Kuhn (1825-1910) and others in the 1800s. Soil fertility can be considered as a component of soil health, the rough equivalent of soil quality.
la capacité naturelle et durable d’un sol à assurer le bon développement des plantes.
There is a similarity in terms of soil fertility between soil health.But it is wrong to use it as a synonym.
Soil quality is the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality. However, Soil health is the condition of the soil in relation to its inherent (or potential) capability, to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant and animal health. A healthy soil is productive, sustainable and profitable.
Soil health includes soil fertility. But soil fertility may not include soil health. Soil fertility is defined as the quantity of nutrients supplying or release capacity of soil alone for a crop which is mainly depends upon the chemical property of the soil, whereas the soil health relates the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soil. It is not only important for production of the crop but also quality of the crop produce. However, the soil health also includes the health of the soil itself.
Soil quality is the capacity of each soil to function, within its natural or managed ecosystems, to sustain productivity, enhance water and air quality, support human and animal health, and habitation. This is not limited to agriculture, but most work and evaluation has occurred on agricultural lands.
Soil health is the condition of the soil and its potential to sustain biological functions, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant and animal health.
These are not synonyms. The condition of the soil is a broader concept than the level of fertility. The fertility level is only one of the many factors that characterize a specific soil condition.
Best regards,
Dariusz Prokopowicz
Soil fertility=soil physical+chemical properties
Soil health=soil physical+chemical+biological properties
soil fertility implies the inherent characterestics of soil properties that support growth of plant. It comprises the physical characterestics of soil The parametrs define fertile soils are favorable temperature, soil moisture, availability of micro and macro nutrients
Soil health is the biological(micro organism)and chemical characterestics of the soil. Soil health comprises the distribution and abundance of micro organisms (fauna and flora)
All health soils are fertile but the reverse may not be true.
No, these are not synonyms at all. Soil health referrers the over all condition of a soil where may include physical, chemical and biological properties of a soil. Alternatively, soil fertility means the potentiality of a soil to produce any crop providing some particular nutrient elements needed for that specific crop.
Fertility is the inherent capacity of the soils to supply nutrients to the plants in proportion and quantity. It's a component of the soil health which includes the combined physical chemical and biological parameters.
Soil fertility is a sub set of soil health. It is also used as indicator of soil health. Generally, soil health is the capacity of soil to function as a vital living system to sustain biological productivity,
Soil fertility focuses on the plant; it is about its ability to supply nutrients for plant growth. Soil health focuses on the 'soil environment' ; it is about the positive interaction of biotic and abiotic factors. If you introduce pollutants to the soil, it compromises soil health, but it may not necessarily compromise its fertility.
I agree with Yihenew G.Selassie He mentioned that soil health is a broad term that covered all parameters of physical, chemical, and biological of soil. However, soil fertility is one part of it.
Healthy soil needs to be fertile. to be productive the soil needs to be healthy which is a dynamic concept including physical, chemical, biological, and ecological factors.
The question is so far good to make clarity between the exchangeably used including soil quality in different sources but the fact on ground is they are different in their scope.
soil health deals broadly with the soil ecosystem and its function in terms of physical, chemical and biological indicators and their positive interactions which is more holistic concept compare to the concept of soil fertility.
whereas, soil fertility deals with the plant grow on it, so the point of focus in soil fertiity is the ability of the soil to supply soil nutrients for healthy growth of the plant grown on it.
Soil fertility is a subset of soil health. It is also used as an indicator of soil health. Soil health is the capacity of soil to function as a vital living system to sustain biological productivity.
the fertility of a soil allows us to see its potential. this allows us to choose the type of crops to plant.
depending on the different types of soil; we can plant different things
Soil physical + chemical properties = soil fertility
Soil physical + chemical + biological properties = soil health
As other colleagues said, for me they are not synonymous but have many things in common. In general, soil fertility is a component of soil health. Soil fertility is more of the capacity of the soil to provide essential nutrients for plant growth (and manly used for soil's role for agricultural production) where as soil health is more on the capacity of the soil to sustainably support the ecosystem to function - plants, animals ,human, air, water (fertility + other soil conditions). So for the soil to supply the essential nutrients(fertile) is has to be healthy (no issues of for instance pH, water , compaction etc). Both depend on soil physical, chemical and biological properties.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Engineering
- Modeling