What are the determinants of healthy soil?Soil is a living entity. It is full of life. The weight of living organisms in a healthy soil is about 5 ton per hectare.
The activity and species diversity of soil biota are responsible for numerous essential ecosystem services. Soil organic matter content is an indicator of soil health, and it is about 2.5% to 3.0 % by weight in the root zone (top 20 cm).
Land misuse and soil mismanagement can adversely affect soil health and undermine ecosystem services. Extractive farming practices such as in-field burning of crop residues (common in north-west India), removal of crop residues, excessive tillage, flood based irrigation, and indiscriminate of use of chemicals can degrade soil health.