A growing interest in soil health and conservation agriculture, as well as criticism of unsustainable farming practices, have increased the need for soil testing techniques that provide a more holistic assessment of soil health. There is a movement towards regenerative agriculture in order to increase resilience and long term sustainability of farming practices. Farmers are fertilizing more efficiently, decreasing their dependency on chemical fertilisers and increasing biological diversity in their soils.  A list of companies and their service offerings can be found in our Agri Directory page.

Hear various experts (audio files) speak at South Africa's first soil health conference (Stellenbosch 2016):

• Nulandis
• GrainSA: Conservation Agriculture

Here are a few links to better understand soil health & soil health testing:

• For a list of the most commonly used indicators for soil health and soil assessment methods evaluated and rated by growers follow this link. 
• Laboratory Soil Health Testing (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education).  
• Tools and systems for assessing soil health (USDA).
• Importance of soil sampling