RDE568 Evaluating Approaches for the Restoration of Degraded Soils

Arable soils, which cover approximately 35% of England, have been demonstrated to have the lowest organic matter content, and the highest dry bulk densities of all soils in the country. This has resulted from their repeated cultivation, and from low inputs of organic matter, which have caused soils with low biomass and activity of the soil organisms such as earthworms and fungi, which would normally maintain soil structure in soils where there is lower disturbance and higher organic matter inputs. These arable soils tend to have low soil aggregate stability, and any soil particles present collapse easily when wet and/or under pressure from livestock or machinery.