It is a locally adapted field tool for farmers, educators, and agricultural support professionals such as soil conservationists, Extension agents, and agricultural industry personnel. Regular use will allow you to assess current soil quality conditions, record changes in soil quality, and compare fields and management practices. It provides you with a qualitative assessment of the soil. The accompanying publication, Soil Quality Card Guide includes detailed information about each indicator, and includes techniques for making further judgments about each indicator. We would like to quote from the section on benefits of cover crops.
Healthy soil contain a complex web of organisms.
For example, an oat and vetch mixture can produce 3-4 tons of dry matter per acre when grown as a winter annual cover crop in the Willamette Valley. Nearly all of this material is consumed by bacteria, fungi, and other soil organisms after it is incorporated or killed. Plant residues and plant material transformed by soil organisms that resist decomposition contribute to soil organic matter content. Cropping systems usually involve tillage, which aerates the soil and increases the rate of organic matter decomposition. Erosion also may increase.