Aggregate stability

This is a measure of how well soil holds together in water and it is a good indication of the health of the soil. Micro-organisms and roots exude glues that hold soil in aggregate clumps to keep them from disintegration under stress of wind and water.

These are examples of the slake test in which a clump of dried soil is placed gently in water. The results are quite telling – if the water remains murky, it indicates that this soil has less aggregate stability and is more susceptible to erosion .

In test after test, fields under long term no-till and with diverse cropping rotations come out ahead

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