1999/09/01 by R.E. Sojka, D. R. Upchurch · 1 voice · 2 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Pesticide and Herbicide Environmental Studies #Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics #Weed Control and Herbicide Applications
paper · doi:10.2136/sssaj1999.6351039x
openalex publication_date 1999/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/04/04
We consider the appropriateness of institutionalizing soil quality\nas a defined parameter in soil science. The soil management research\nof land grant universities and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS)\nand the mission and goals of state, federal, and private conservation\nagencies stand to be significantly affected. We feel that a non-advocative\nexamination of this concept could provide a positive contribution.\nThe definition of soil quality has proven elusive and value laden.\nThere is concern by some that the concept has developed arbitrary\npolicy overtones. Our reservations stem from concerns regarding premature\nacceptance and institutionalization of an incompletely formulated\nand largely untested paradigm, potential unintended negative\noutcomes, promotion of a narrowly defined environmental policy in a\ncontext normally associated with value-neutral science, and taxonomic\nand/or regional bias in establishing the paradigm. To date, soil quality\nassessments have drawn from a relatively narrow crop production and\necological perspective to positively or negatively weight soil quality\nassessment factors. Although the soil quality paradigm acknowledges\nmulti-defined soil functions, it has yet to operationally recognize and\nintegrate the simultaneity of diverse and often conflicting functions\nand soil property requirements. Thus, we are attempting to articulate\nthe concerns of many of our colleagues who are reluctant to endorse\nredefining the soil science paradigm away from the value-neutral\ntradition of edaphology and specific problem solving to a paradigm\nbased on variable, and often subjective societal perceptions of environmental\nholism. Traditionally, it has been the soil science profession's\nrole to perform the science to enable resource management policy\nand problem solving, not to establish relational-based value systems\nwithin the science. We suggest emphasizing quality soil management\nrather than soil quality management as a professional and scientific\ngoal.