The concept of soil quality was conceived in the early 1990s as a parallel to those of air
and water quality in response to concerns about soil 'health,' sustainability and environmentally
`friendly' crop production. The concept has the potential to be used by researchers to link soil
research issues to broader environmental issues when applying for funds.
However, unlike air and water, soils have no defined 'pure' state against which measures can be taken
and comparisons made. The physical, chemical and biological composition of soils varies widely and
no single attribute or soil type can be established as a standard. The choice of appropriate soil
properties and their standards depends on the use to which the soil is put.
We suggest concentrating on quality management of the soil, rather than managing generically-chosen
soil properties, collectively called soil 'quality'. Quality management puts the onus on managers to
use the technical tools that are readily available to manage soils and landscapes, and on scientists to
develop new tools
