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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:

Soils and Natural Flood Management

2017

Environment Agency

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

Farming rules for water – getting full value from fertilisers and soil

2017

Defra

Soil management regulations for compliance with the Water Framework Directive.

Cross compliance in England: soil protection standards

2015

Defra

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

Single Payment Scheme Cross Compliance Guidance for Soil Management

2010

Defra / RPA

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

Protecting our Water, Soil and Air: A code of good agricultural practice for farmers, growers and land managers

2010

Defra / Natural England in association with Environment Agency

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

Soil Analysis & Management

2009

Institute of Organic Training and Advice / Defra

Soil analysis guidance.

Best Farming Practices: Profiting from a good environment

2008

Environment Agency

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

Think Soils Manual

2007

EA / AHDB

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

Defra Best Practice Information Sheets

2007

Defra

Soil Management Best Practice Information Sheet.

Single Payment Scheme Cross Compliance Soil Protection Review

2006

Defra

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

Single Payment Scheme Cross Compliance Guidance for Soil Management

2005

Defra

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

Defra Visual Soil Assessment

2005

Defra

Guide to visual soil assessment.