Soil fertility encompasses the chemical, physical, and biological properties that allow land to sustain high crop yields. It relies on a balance of macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, alongside sufficient organic matter, proper pH, and active microbial life. Farmers maintain it through crop rotation, cover crops, and targeted fertilizer applications.
Years of continuous corn have really drawn down the soil fertility on the north forty, so we're planting a legume cover crop this fall.
Related terms
Crop rotation
The practice of planting different types of crops sequentially on the same plot of land.
Topsoil
The uppermost layer of earth, rich in organic matter and biological activity.
Organic farming
An agricultural system that relies on ecological processes and natural inputs rather than synthetic chemicals.