VISUAL SOIL ASSESSMENT (VSA) Field Guides

The maintenance of good soil quality is vital for the environmental and economic sustainability of annual cropping. A decline in soil quality has a marked impact on plant growth and yield, grain quality, production costs and the increased risk of soil erosion. Therefore, it can have significant consequences on society and the environment. A decline in soil physical properties in particular takes considerable time and cost to correct. Safeguarding soil resources for future generations and minimizing the ecological footprint of annual cropping are important tasks for land managers. Often, not enough attention is given to: the basic role of soil quality in efficient and sustained production; the effect of the condition of the soil on the gross profit margin; the long-term planning needed to sustain good soil quality; the effect of land management decisions on soil quality. Visual Soil Assessment is based on the visual assessment of key soil ‘state’ and plant performance indicators of soil quality, presented on a scorecard. With the exception of soil texture, the soil indicators are dynamic indicators, i.e. capable of changing under different management regimes and land-use pressures. Being sensitive to change, they are useful early warning indicators of changes in soil condition and as such provide an effective monitoring tool.

• Keywords: SLM
• Characteristics:

  Decision Making Scale: Local

  Decision Making Direction: Bottom-up

  Stakeholder Involvement: Expert knowledge needed

  Tool Type: Indicator assessment