--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Routine assessments of agricultural soils…" description: "\"“Routine assessments of agricultural soils rarely extend beyond the top 10 to 15 centimeters and are generally limited to determining the status of a s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/judith-d-schwartz-9338_quote_routine-assessments-of-agricultural-soil_1860558.jpg" --- # Routine assessments of agricultural soils rarely extend… ![“Routine assessments of agricultural soils rarely extend beyond the top 10 to 15 centimeters and are generally limited to determining the status of a small number of elements, notably phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Overemphasis on these nutrients has masked the myriad of microbial interactions…” quote by Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/judith-d-schwartz-9338_quote_routine-assessments-of-agricultural-soil_1860558.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/judith-d-schwartz-9338_quote_routine-assessments-of-agricultural-soil_1860558.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/judith-d-schwartz-9338_quote_routine-assessments-of-agricultural-soil_1860558.jpg) > ““Routine assessments of agricultural soils rarely extend beyond the top 10 to 15 centimeters and are generally limited to determining the status of a small number of elements, notably phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Overemphasis on these nutrients has masked the myriad of microbial interactions that would normally take place in soil; interactions that are necessary for carbon sequestration, precursor to the formation of fertile topsoil.”” [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Typical soil testing focuses shallowly on a few nutrients, ignoring deeper microbial processes crucial for carbon storage and soil fertility. **In simple terms:** Soil tests miss key microbial activity needed for healthy soil. Key Takeaway Broaden soil analysis to include microbes. Themes soil health carbon sequestration microbial ecology fertility Mood concerned analytical Type scientific informative When to use this quote - agricultural management - environmental monitoring - policy making Key Concepts nutrient cycling microbial diversity soil structure Questions to Reflect On - How can farmers integrate microbial testing affordably? - What policies could support broader soil health assessments? A Different Perspective Microbial analysis can be costly and technically demanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agricultural Soils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agricultural-soils-2501647/) [Soil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soil/) [Soil Interactions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soil-interactions-2501646/) [Soils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soils-173594/) [Soils Rarely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soils-rarely-2501648/) ## Related quotes > [All soils are not fertile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/all-soils-are-not-fertile/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [If one finger brings oil it soils the others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/if-one-finger-brings-oil-it-soils-the-others/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“In that moment and the moments surrounding, walls were there, but not for me, soils were there, but not for me, times were there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-pokhrel/in-that-moment-and-the-moments-surrounding-walls-were-there-but-not/) [Suman Pokhrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-pokhrel/) > [As soils are depleted, human health, vitality and intelligence go with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-bromfield/as-soils-are-depleted-human-health-vitality-and-intelligence-go-with/) [Louis Bromfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-bromfield/) > [“On rich soils only abundant harvests of produce for ordinary consumption grow. On poor soils the most misshapen trees, and flowers of the rarest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-giroux/on-rich-soils-only-abundant-harvests-of-produce-for-ordinary/) [Roger Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-giroux/) > [“It is not only the viability and variety of the seed that makes the harvest look plumpy. Sometimes, the soil must value the value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/it-is-not-only-the-viability-and-variety-of-the-seed-that-makes-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“The most vibrant of flowers often come from the filthiest of soils.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-w-van/the-most-vibrant-of-flowers-often-come-from-the-filthiest-of-soils/) [Zack W. Van](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-w-van/) > [“Organisms we can’t see are accorded the same respect as those that are big and flashy or promise to give a nice immediate kick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/organisms-we-can-t-see-are-accorded-the-same-respect-as-those-that/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [Things happen too quickly, crisis follows crisis, the soil of our minds is perpetually disturbed. Each of us, to relieve his feelings, broadcasts his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-struther/things-happen-too-quickly-crisis-follows-crisis-the-soil-of-our-minds/) [Jan Struther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-struther/) > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [To husband is to use with care, to keep, to save, to make last, to conserve. Old usage tells us that there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/to-husband-is-to-use-with-care-to-keep-to-save-to-make-last-to/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Vegetables, which are the lowest in the scale of living things, are fed by roots, which, implanted in the native soil, select by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/vegetables-which-are-the-lowest-in-the-scale-of-living-things-are-fed/) [Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/) > [Spade! Thou art a tool of honor in my hands. I press thee, through a yielding soil, with pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/spade-thou-art-a-tool-of-honor-in-my-hands-i-press-thee-through-a/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) ## More by Judith D. Schwartz > [“grasslands, grazing mammals, and pack-hunting predators evolved together. So if domestic herbivores can be managed such that their behavior mimics that of their wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/grasslands-grazing-mammals-and-pack-hunting-predators-evolved/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“Steven Apfelbaum, a restoration ecologist in Wisconsin, says that every 1 percent increase in soil carbon holds an additional sixty thousand gallons of water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/steven-apfelbaum-a-restoration-ecologist-in-wisconsin-says-that-every/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“First you’ve got to change the ideology,” she says. “Until you can show people that they’re losing profits, you can’t get them to change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/first-you-ve-got-to-change-the-ideology-she-says-until-you-can-show/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“According to Christine Jones, soils hold more carbon than the atmosphere and all the world’s plant life combined—and can hold it longer, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/according-to-christine-jones-soils-hold-more-carbon-than-the/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“from a soil microorganism point of view, a crop monoculture is akin to junk food: “If there’s just wheat or any one thing, it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/from-a-soil-microorganism-point-of-view-a-crop-monoculture-is-akin-to/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“Organisms we can’t see are accorded the same respect as those that are big and flashy or promise to give a nice immediate kick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/organisms-we-can-t-see-are-accorded-the-same-respect-as-those-that/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“One farmer I met, Gene Goven of Turtle Lake, North Dakota, put it more succinctly: “You build soil where the roots go—down!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/one-farmer-i-met-gene-goven-of-turtle-lake-north-dakota-put-it-more/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“Every field that’s turned into a parking lot or industrial park means more water siphoned off into gutters and culverts and less water in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/every-field-that-s-turned-into-a-parking-lot-or-industrial-park-means/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“the problem isn’t the amount of carbon per se—the quantity of carbon on earth is constant—but where that carbon is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/the-problem-isn-t-the-amount-of-carbon-per-se-the-quantity-of-carbon/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“understand that the greatest danger to wildlife was not poaching but habitat destruction—the same thing that ultimately threatened humans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/understand-that-the-greatest-danger-to-wildlife-was-not-poaching-but/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“Slaps in the face like this provide opportunities for change. A drought definitely gets people thinking about how they can manage resources better. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/slaps-in-the-face-like-this-provide-opportunities-for-change-a/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“the planet’s current vegetative cover captures around 3000 EJ of the sun’s energy. This photosynthetic capacity would appear to be sufficient to feed only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/the-planet-s-current-vegetative-cover-captures-around-3000-ej-of-the/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“The use of chemical fertilizers and other treatments has increased worldwide as large tracts of agricultural land are turned over to commodity mono-crops. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/the-use-of-chemical-fertilizers-and-other-treatments-has-increased/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“Consider that farmers are sued when genetically manipulated seeds they don’t even want sprout on their soil. (The pretext: This is “patent infringement” and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/consider-that-farmers-are-sued-when-genetically-manipulated-seeds/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“The concept of the biotic pump, if correct, brings a new urgency to the need to conserve forests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/the-concept-of-the-biotic-pump-if-correct-brings-a-new-urgency-to-the/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) [Explore all 73 Judith D. Schwartz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) ## More Soil quotes > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Spade! Thou art a tool of honor in my hands. I press thee, through a yielding soil, with pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/spade-thou-art-a-tool-of-honor-in-my-hands-i-press-thee-through-a/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Vegetables, which are the lowest in the scale of living things, are fed by roots, which, implanted in the native soil, select by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/vegetables-which-are-the-lowest-in-the-scale-of-living-things-are-fed/) [Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/) > [To husband is to use with care, to keep, to save, to make last, to conserve. Old usage tells us that there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/to-husband-is-to-use-with-care-to-keep-to-save-to-make-last-to/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [Things happen too quickly, crisis follows crisis, the soil of our minds is perpetually disturbed. Each of us, to relieve his feelings, broadcasts his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-struther/things-happen-too-quickly-crisis-follows-crisis-the-soil-of-our-minds/) [Jan Struther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-struther/) > [There is one, and only one solution, and we have almost no time to try it. We must turn all our resources to repairing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/there-is-one-and-only-one-solution-and-we-have-almost-no-time-to-try/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [The art music of the West has developed through out its history by means of individual geniuses, and out of the soil supporting them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toru-takemitsu/the-art-music-of-the-west-has-developed-through-out-its-history-by/) [Toru Takemitsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toru-takemitsu/) > [Yes, I am positive that one of the great curatives of our evils, our maladies, social, moral, and intellectual, would be a return to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wagner/yes-i-am-positive-that-one-of-the-great-curatives-of-our-evils-our/) [Charles Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wagner/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [The best thing for you to do is shop at your local farmer's market and support the organic growers who are there. Because those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/the-best-thing-for-you-to-do-is-shop-at-your-local-farmer-s-market/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [The soil is the great connector of our lives, the source and destination of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-soil-is-the-great-connector-of-our-lives-the-source-and/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [We do not have to be ashamed of what we are. As sentient beings we have wonderful backgrounds. These backgrounds may not be particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-do-not-have-to-be-ashamed-of-what-we-are-as-sentient-beings-we/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) [Browse all 1,301 Soil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Routine assessments of agricultural soils rarely extend beyond the top 10 to 15 centimeters and are generally limited to determining the status of a small number of elements, notably phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Overemphasis on these nutrients has masked the myriad of microbial interactions that would normally take place in soil; interactions that are necessary for carbon sequestration, precursor to the formation of fertile topsoil.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Judith D. 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