Definition

The capacity of soil to function as a living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans by maintaining biological activity, nutrient cycling, water regulation, and structural integrity.

There are three main components of soil health: physical, chemical, and biological. The interactions between these three components are important.

• The physical component relates to soil texture and structure, which determine, among other things, the porosity, water holding capacity, and root- ability of soil.
• The biological component relates to the diversity, abundance, and interactions of organisms in soil, which influence the disease suppressive capacity of the soil, the organic matter and nutrient transformations in soil, and the soil structure.
• The chemical component relates to main and micro (essential) nutrients. 

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