As our understanding of soil health advances, farmers are increasingly interested in assessing and improving soils on their farms. Several commercial labs now offer soil health analyses but generating values in a lab is only the first step. A frame of reference for what constitutes a typical, low, or high soil health value is essential for understanding these tests and inferring soil function. A common question farmers ask is, “What’s a good soil health number?”
A recent report helps answer this question, by providing a state-wide baseline of soil health values from Ohio. This report can now help farmers and landowners assess soil health in their fields. The full report can be found here: go.osu.edu/SH-baseline with a summary provided below.