A soil health index

Excerpt

SOIL quality is a lot like the weather. People talk about it, few understand it, and still fewer do anything about it. At least that has been the case in years past.

But I sense an awakening of intense interest, research, and education in the whole area of assessing and understanding the intricacies of soil quality and with this awakening a strong push within the U.S. Department of Agriculture system and among nonprofit organizations, like Rodale Institute. The Soil Conservation Service and Agriculture Research Service are taking early leadership roles in this new initiative. This is a hopeful and much-needed sign.

For too long the concept of soil as part of the environment that needs protection has been neglected or misunderstood by the public. In the 1970s, we recognized the need to clean up the air we breathe. In the 1980s, we recognized the need to clean up the water we drink. In the 1990s and beyond, it's time we acknowledge problems in the soil and study specifically what is happening beneath its surface.

Surprisingly, the intricacies of soil biology remain a virtual unknown. In fact, we know more about the land at the bottom of the …