What’s critical about soil health now? 

Soil health matters because:

1. Healthy soils are high-performing, productive soils.

2. Healthy soils can reduce production costs and improve profits.

3. Healthy soils protect natural resources on and off the farm.

4. Franklin Roosevelt’s statement, “The nation that destroys its soil

destroys itself,” is as true today as it was 75 years ago.

5. Healthy soils can reduce nutrient loading and sediment runoff,

increase efficiencies, and improve pollinator and wildlife habitat. 

What are the benefits of healthy soil? 

1. Healthy soil holds more water (by binding it to organic matter),

and loses less water to runoff and evaporation.

2. Organic matter builds as tillage declines and plants and residue

cover the soil. Organic matter holds 18-20 times its weight in

water and recycles nutrients for plants to use.

3. One percent of organic matter in the top six inches of soil holds

approximately 20,000 gallons of water per acre.

4. Most farmers can increase their soil organic matter in

3-5 years if they are motivated about adopting conservation 

practices to achieve this goal. 

Soil Health 

Key Points

www.nrcs.usda.gov

United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Helping People Help the Land

As world population and food production demands rise, keeping our soil 

healthy and productive is of paramount importance. By farming using soil 

health principles and systems that include no-till, cover cropping and diverse 

species and rotations, more and more farmers are actually increasing their 

soil’s organic matter and improving microbial activity. As a result, farmers are 

sequestering more carbon, increasing water infiltration, improving wildlife and 

pollinator habitat—all while harvesting better profits and often better yields.
United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Follow four basic soil health principles 

to improve soil health and sustainability: 

1. Use diverse species to increase diversity in the soil.

2. Manage soils more by disturbing them less.

3. Keep plants growing throughout the year to feed the soil.

4. Keep the soil covered as much as possible.

Develop a Soil Health Management Plan 

February 2016

A Soil Health Management Plan is a road map to soil health. It outlines 

a system of practices needed to enhance crop production and soil 

function, and improve or sustain water quality, air quality, energy 

efficiency and wildlife habitat.

Some of the recommended conservation practices include Conservation 

Crop Rotation, Cover Crops, No Till, Mulching, Nutrient Management, 

Planned Grazing and Pest Management. 

Among their many benefits, soil health management systems help...

 Reduce sedimentation and nutrient run-off;

 Save energy by using less fuel for tillage, and maximizes 

nutrient cycling;

 Save water and increase drought tolerance by increasing 

infiltration and water holding capacity as soil organic matter 

increases;

 Reduce plant disease and pest problems; 

 Improve nutrient cycling; and

 Improve farm and ranch profitability and resiliency.