Soil quality is "the capacity of a soil to function." It is defined based on the intended use of a soil and evaluated by comparing the condition of a particular soil to its potential capacity. Farmers want to ensure that a soil supports ideal crop growth with minimal inputs, season after season. To do so, growers should be familiar with the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of soil quality and soil-management practices that maintain or improve it.
Preventing erosion, sustaining or increasing soil organic matter levels, and encouraging a large, diverse, and active population of soil organisms may be the most important steps growers can take in managing soil quality. Practices such as lengthening and diversifying rotations, minimizing tillage and cultivation, and growing cover crops are useful in accomplishing soil-quality goals. Exercising restraint and not working soil when it is wet (a common urge in springtime planting preparation) helps maintain soil structure, an important aspect of soil quality.
Production of annual vegetables often returns small amounts of crop residue to the soil and involves intense tillage and cultivation and large amounts of fertilizer. Therefore, soil-quality management for vegetables should emphasize the conservation or buildup of organic matter, maintenance of soil structure, fertilizer application based on soil analysis, and scavenging and recycling of residual nutrients. Steps to manage soil quality may be taken at all stages of vegetable production.
Perennial small fruits require a balance between air and water in the root zone and do not grow well in either very dry or water-saturated conditions. The root systems of small fruits are extremely sensitive to compaction, which limits air exchange, water movement, and root penetration. Therefore, soil management for small fruits should emphasize maintenance of soil structure, tilth, and related properties such as internal drainage, porosity, and permeability. Steps to manage soil quality in small fruit production are especially important before planting.