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Soil Guidance

A wide variety of publicly available (online) soil management guidance has developed over the last twenty years to help farmers measure, monitor, manage and improve their soils.  It has been developed and promoted by a wide variety of organisations - Defra, NGOs, trade bodies – even supermarkets.

We have looked to collate and present a library of the most recent and authoritative of these resources alongside relevant background detail (date, organisation responsible etc.) here:

2017

Environment Agency

Manual to improve understanding of natural capacity of soils to accept rain water.

2017

Defra

Soil management regulations for compliance with the Water Framework Directive.

2015

Defra

Most recent cross-compliance standards (focus on rules).

2010

Defra / RPA

Practical and rules-based guidance for soil management, soil risk assessment, soil protection and remediation.

2010

Defra / Natural England in association with Environment Agency

Protection of air, water and soil and meeting legal requirements.

2009

Institute of Organic Training and Advice / Defra

Soil analysis guidance.

2008

Environment Agency

A guide to soil management for environmental protection and farm profitability.

2007

EA / AHDB

The ‘think soils’ manual is a practical guide to soil assessment.

2007

Defra

Soil Management Best Practice Information Sheet.

2006

Defra

Practical and rules-based guidance for soil management, soil risk assessment, soil protection and remediation.

2005

Defra

Practical and rules-based guidance for soil management, soil risk assessment, soil protection and remediation.

2005

Defra

Guide to visual soil assessment.