Organic matter

This is an important way to measure the health of soil and it refers to the percentage of the soil that is made up of plant and animal material in various stages of decomposition (like crop residue or manure ). The more organic matter, the more the soil can absorb water and nutrients. Research shows that for every per cent of organic matter, the soil can hold an additional 60,000 litres of water per acre. So this is great for crops on dry years and also reduces rainwater runoff in wet years.

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