a more new concept is "Soil Security": as the maintenance and improvement of the world's soil resource to produce food, fibre and freshwater, contribute to energy and climate sustainability, and maintain the biodiversity and the overall protection

of the ecosystem ( McBratney et al. , 2014)....

I recomend you to read paper attached

Soil quality is how well soil does what we want it to do. More specifically, 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, and support human health and habitation. Soil Organic Matter and Soil Biology play a major role in soil Quality.

Soil health is a state of a soil meeting its range of ecosystem functions as appropriate to its environment. Soil Health Testing is an assessment of this status.

Actually these both terms are used interchangeably in literature. The new term referred above "Soil Security" may be accepted over time as well.

Dr Ghafoor has ably narrated the difference between the two , soil health and soil quality. I would define the difference in simplest form : Soil health is the status of soil , while soil quality is the service , soil is providing towards the plant .

Hola Juan,

I have included some literature for your attention. Karlen did some of the early work on soil quality. NRCS in the USA defines soil haelth and soil quality as the same thing so no difference between the two. You can take a look at the NRCS web page.

Hubbard VC, et al. 1999. Earthworm response to rotation and tillage in Missouri claypan soil. Biol Fertil Soils 29:343-7.

Karlen, D.L., Mausbach, M.J., Doran, J.W., Cline, R.G., Harris, R.F., Schuman, G.E., 1997. Soil quality: a concept, definition, and framework for evaluation. Soil Science Society of America Journal 61, 4– 10.

Karlen, D.L., Ditzler, C.A. and Andrews, S.S. 2003. Soil quality: why and how? Geoderma 114: 145– 156

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2001. Guidelines for soil quality assessment in conservation planning. Soil quality institute

Romig, D.E., Garlynd, M.J., Harris, R.F., McSweeney, K., 1995. How farmers assess soil health and quality. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 50, 229–236.

Dear Juan Manuel:

I agree (but only in part) with the answers of my colleagues. However, it is instructive to recall that the term SOIL QUALITY means different things to different people. All depends on SOIL USER. The term involves a balance between different physical, biological and chemical soil properties. I suggest excellent literature and soil quality concepts from the NRCS (United States Department of Agriculture).

cheers Dr. Millan

 Very interesting answers . My question is , which is broader term , soil health or soil quality ?. What precisely  the Soil Health speaks about the soil ?. And  what precisely the Soil Quality speaks about the soil?. Can we decisively make the distinction between the two conventional terms , Soil Health versus Soil Quality or both are same ?

Prof. Dr. Srivastava perhaps there is no precise and decisiveness distinction between soil health or soil quality by now as far as I know.

You are right Dr Ghafoor, there is hardly any sharp distinction of the two terms . But I feel soil quality hints towards some kind of service than soil health . Whats your opinion Dr Ghafoor.

I will agree with the previous comments of Dr Ghafoor and Dr Srivastava. Moreover, according to the very informative paper of Dr Brevic ''Soil Health and Productivity'', the two terms ''soil health'' and ''soil quality''  are essentially synonymous.

Chapter Soil Health and Productivity

To me Soil quality is the quantitative evaluation of soil for agri. productivity assessment, inputs management, sustainable options, whereas soil health to me is qualitative description of soil condition and henceforth recommending suitable options not quantifying. But in literature, both terms are mixed up and practically treated as one and the same

regards

A very interesting scientific discussion. Thank you to the research professors. I benefited a lot from the discussion and for the first time I know the term "Soil Security" as a thanks to researchers, Abdul Ghafoor and Jose Terra.

I would like to communicate more about new information about the concept of"Soil Security".

best regards

Thanks to all for worthy discussion, I need to study the difference between soil health and soil quality further in details.

Yes I agree with Dr Naveen Kalra, soil quality can be describe by some measurable parameters, for better soil health we should maintain the soil quality parameters. soil health is a qualitative term

Although both terms are quitely similar but the little difference is that Soil health is the general condition of the soil at present and Soil quality indicates the properties of soil. Further the difference is depends on the purpose of study whether it analysis by agriculturist or engineer or other science.

Thanks everyone for such interesting and informative discussion.. Can anyone please explained the differnce indicators for soil quality anz soil Health! whats criteria should adopt while choosing the indicators?

I think both terms are similar

Dear Dr Juan Manuel Trujillo-Gonzalez .

1. Soil health describes the biological integrity of the soil community-the balance among organisms within a soil and between soil organisms and their environment.

2. Soil quality is a term that we use when we talk about the physical attributes of soil. See the link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/soil_health_and_soil_quality

Kindly see also the following RG link : Presentation Soil Quality and Soil Health

Also check please the following useful link: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Soil-health-and-its-quality%3A-A-Review-Pachani-Kashyap/64425cb15c3f55327bfbc18566844e29f3eaf4fb

I do agree with Dr. Aref Wazwaz.

Thank you everyone for your kind responses.

I think both terms are similar. Moreover, Soil health describes the biological integrity of the soil community-the balance among organisms within a soil and between soil organisms and their environment. Soil quality is a term that we use when we talk about the physical attributes of soil. Thus the two terms are used interchangeably although it is important to distinguish that, soil quality is related to soil function, whereas soil health presents the soil as a finite non-renewable and dynamic living resource.

For more information in detailed go through this following link:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/soil_health_and_soil_quality#:~:text=Soil%20health%20describes%20the%20biological,the%20physical%20attributes%20of%20soil.

https://bettermeetsreality.com/soil-fertility-soil-health-soil-quality/