Technical References
The references below are in-depth theoretical and technical books and journal articles, organized by topic.
Soil Quality Concepts
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, vol. 7. 1992. Special issue on soil quality.
Batie, S.S. and C.A. Cox. 1994. Soil and water quality: an agenda for agriculture. A summary. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 49(5):456-462.
Carter, M.R. 2002. Soil Quality for Sustainable Land Management: Organic Matter and Aggregation Interactions that Maintain Soil Functions. Agronomy Journal 94: 38-47.
Doran, J.W. and A.J. Jones (Eds). 1996. Methods for Assessing Soil Quality. SSSA Spec. Pub. 49. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI. (608-273-8080)
Doran, J.W., and T.B. Parkin. 1994. Defining and assessing soil quality. p. 3-21. In: J.W. Doran et al., (ed.) Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment. SSSA Spec. Publ. No. 35, Soil Sci. Soc. Am., Inc. and Am. Soc. Agron., Inc., Madison, WI.
Doran, J.W., D.C. Coleman, D.F. Bezdicek, and B.A. Stewart (Eds). 1994. Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment. SSSA Spec. Pub. 35. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI. (608-273-8080)
Doran, J.W., M. Sarrantonio, and M. A. Liebig. 1996. Soil health and sustainability. p.1-54. In: D.L. Sparks (ed.) advances in Agronomy. Vol. 56. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
Gregorich, E.G. and M.R. Carter (Editors). 1997. Soil Quality for Crop Production and Ecosystem Health. Developments in Soil Science 25. Elsevier, New York. (1-888-437-4636)
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. Vol. 50 (3). May-June, 1995.
Karlen, D.L., S.S., Andrews, and J.W. Doran. 2001. Soil quality: Current concepts and applications. Advances in Agronomy, Vol. 74. pp. 1-39.
Karlen, D.L., M.J. Mausbach, J.W. Doran, R.G. Cline, R.F. Harris, and G.E. Schuman. 1997. Soil quality: A concept, definition, and framework for evaluation. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 61:4-10.
Seybold, C.A., M.J. Mausbach, D.L. Karlen, and H.H. Rogers. 1998. Quantification of soil quality. p. 387-404. In: R. Lal, J.M. Kimble, R.F. Follett, and B.A. Stewart (Eds.) Soil Processes and the Carbon Cycle. CRC Press, Boca Raton.
Soil and Water Quality: An agenda for agriculture. 1993. National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington D.C.
Soils and Environmental Quality: A European perspective. 1997. Vol. 27. Journal of Environmental Quality.
The Health of Our Soils: Towards sustainable agriculture in Canada. 1995. Research Branch Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. Publication 1906/E.
Wander, M.M., G.L. Walter, T.M. Nissen, G.A. Bollero, S.S. Andrews, and D.A. Cavanaugh-Grant. 2002. Soil Quality: Science and Process. Agronomy Journal 94: 23-32
Soil Quality Assessment
Soil Health Cards
Ditzler, C.A. and A.J. Tugel. 2002. Soil Quality Field Tools: Experiences of USDA-NRCS Soil Quality Institute. Agronomy Journal 94: 33-38.
NRCS Soil Quality Card Design Guide - available upon request
Romig, D.E., M.J. Garlynd, and R.F. Harris. 1996. Farmer-based assessment of soil quality: A soil health Scorecard. In: Doran, J.W. and A.J. Jones (Eds). Methods for Assessing Soil Quality. SSSA Spec. Pub. 49. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI. (608-273-8080)
Soil Quality Field Test Kits
Ditzler, C.A. and A.J. Tugel. 2002. Soil Quality Field Tools: Experiences of USDA-NRCS Soil Quality Agronomy Journal 94: 33-38.
Liebig, M.A., J.W. Doran, and J.C. Gardner. 1996. Evaluation of a field test kit for measuring selected soil quality indicators. Agronomy Journal 88:683-686.
Sarrantonio, M., J.W. Doran, M.A. Liebig, and J.J. Halvorson. 1996. On-Farm Assessment of Soil Quality and Health. In: Doran, J.W. and A.J. Jones (Eds). 1996. Methods for Assessing Soil Quality. SSSA Spec. Pub. 49. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI. (608-273-8080)
Walter, G., M.M. Wander, and G.A. Bollero. 1997. A farmer-centered approach to developing information for soil resource management: the Illinois Soil Quality Initiative. Am. J. Altern. Agric. 12:64-72.
Soil Quality Lab-based Assessments
Andrews, S.S. and C.R. Carroll. 2001. Designing a decision tool for sustainable agroecosystem management: Soil quality assessment of a poultry litter management case study. Ecol. Applic. 11 (6): 1573-1585.
Andrews, S.S., J.P. Mitchell, R. Mancinelli, D.L. Karlen, T.K. Hartz, W.R Horwath, G.S. Pettygrove, K.M. Scow, and D.S. Munk. 2002. On-farm assessment of soil quality in California's Central Valley. Agronomy Journal 94:12-23.
Andrews, S.S., D.L. Karlen, and J.P. Mitchell. 2002. A comparison of soil quality indexing methods for vegetable production systems in northern California. Agric. Ecosy. & Environ. (in press)
Hussian, I., K.R. Olson, M.M. Wander, and D.L. Karlen. 1999. Adaptation of soil quality indices and application to three tillage systems in southern Illinois. Soil Till. Res. 50: 237-249.
Idowu, O.J., H.M. van Es, G.S. Abawi, D.W. Wolfe, J.I. Ball, B.K. Gugino, B.N. Moebius, R.R. Schindelbeck, and A.V. Bilgili. 2007. Farmer-Oriented Assessment of Soil Quality using Field, Laboratory, and VNIR Spectroscopy Methods. Plant and Soil.
Karlen, D.L. and D.E. Stott. 1994. A framework for evaluating physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. Pages 53-72 in J. W. Doran, D. C. Coleman, D. F. Bezdicek and B. A. Stewart, editors. Defining soil quality for a sustainable environment. SSSA, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Karlen, D.L., T.P. Parkin, and N.S. Eash. 1996. Use of soil quality indicators to evaluate conservation reserve program sites in Iowa. In: Doran, J. W. and A. J. Jones (Eds.), Methods for assessing soil quality. SSSA Spec. Publ. No. 49. SSSA, Madison, WI. pp. 345-355.
Soil Quality Indicators
Physical Properties
Erosion and Carbon Sequestration , Lal, R. (Editor). 1998. Soil Quality and Soil Erosion. CRC Press, Boca Raton. (1-800-272-7737)
Lal, R. (Editor). 1998. Soil Quality and Soil Erosion. CRC Press, Boca Raton. (1-800-272-7737) NRCS: Soil Biology Primer - available upon request
Moebius, B.N., H.M. van Es, R.R. Schindelbeck, O.J. Idowu, J.E. Thies, and D.J. Clune. 2007. Evaluation of Laboratory-Measured Soil Properties as Indicators of Soil Physical Quality. Soil Science 172:895-912.
Pankhurst, C.E., B.M. Doube, and V.V.S.R. Gupta (Eds). 1997. Biological Indicators of Soil Health. CAB International, New York. (1-800-528-4841)
Chemical (Fertility-Inorganic Nutrition) Testing
Lal, R. (Editor). 1998. Soil Quality and Soil Erosion. CRC Press, Boca Raton. (1-800-272-7737)
NRCS: Soil Biology Primer - available upon request
Pankhurst, C.E., B.M. Doube, and V.V.S.R. Gupta (Eds). 1997. Biological Indicators of Soil Health. CAB International, New York. (1-800-528-4841)
Power, J.F. 1994. Understanding the basics: Understanding the nutrient cycling process. Pages 16-23 in Nutrient management. Special Supplement to Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 49(2).
Soil Biology and Organic Matter Assays
Coleman, D.C., and D.A. Crossley, Jr. 1996. Fundamentals of Soil Ecology. Academic Press, San Diego CA. http://www.academicpress.com
Lal, R. (Editor). 1998. Soil Quality and Soil Erosion. CRC Press, Boca Raton. (1-800-272-7737)
Magdoff, F. 1992. Building Soils for Better Crops: Organic Matter Management. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE. (1-800-755-1105) NRCS: Soil Biology Primer - available upon request
Pankhurst, C.E., B.M. Doube, and V.V.S.R. Gupta (Eds). 1997. Biological Indicators of Soil Health. CAB International, New York. (1-800-528-4841)
Soil Quality Management
Tillage, Residue Management
Carter, M.R. 1994. A review of conservation tillage strategies for humid temperate regions. Soil & Tillage Research 31(4):289-301.
Lal, R., J.M. Kimble, R.F. Follet, and B.A. Stewart (Eds). 1998. Management of Carbon Sequestration in Soil. CRC Press, Boca Raton. (1-800-272-7737)
Rotations and Cover Crops
Hargrove, W.L. (ed.). 1991. Cover crops for clean water. Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ankeny, Iowa. 198 pp.
Amendments
Gershuny, G. and J. Smillie. 1995. The Soul of the Soil: A Guide to Ecological Soil Management. agAcess, Davis, CA. (916-756-7177)
Lal, R., J.M. Kimble, R.F. Follet, and B.A. Stewart (Eds). 1998. Management of Carbon Sequestration in Soil. CRC Press, Boca Raton. (1-800-272-7737)
Magdoff, F. 1992. Building Soils for Better Crops: Organic Matter Management. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE. (1-800-755-1105)
Soil and Water Quality: An agenda for agriculture. 1993. National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington D.C.
Additional Topics to be added...
Carbon sequestration
Soil-borne diseases and pest management
Heavy metals
Traffic management
Nutrient and pH management
Organic matter management
Irrigation
Buffer strips, contour strips
Manure management
Soil biology
Updated: September 19, 2011
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