SOIL IMPROVEMENT, A LIFETIME’S DUTY

What is good soil? Good soil is rich in organic matter, excellent drainage, and rich in plant, animal and microbial communities, which usually can only be found in virgin or undeveloped forests. In view of commercial planting concept, topsoil is often flattened and removed in order to facilitate operation and management, resulting in damage to the high-quality topsoil that has gone through the test of time for millions of years.

Topsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil. It is soft, unstable, highly variable and high in water content, commonly by the top layer of 20 to 30 cm. Topsoil is where lays the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms.

In order to attain bountiful harvest, the unrestrained use of agricultural products such as chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and fungicides has led to deterioration of soil. The concept of sustainable management is the ultimate goal of agriculture, not by means of ruining long-term benefits while aiming at immediate results,