The ‘think soils’ manual is a practical guide to soil assessment. It aims to help farmers, land managers, government and non-government advisers to recognise problems with erosion and runoff from agricultural land. Our changing climate makes this issue increasingly important.

Diagnosing the state of soils on the farm is often not simple. Every field is unique. Soil condition can vary considerably within the field and at different depths, and it can also vary through the year depending on land management. Taking the time to look at soil structure is fundamental to achieving better land management, which supports profitable farming and helps protect the environment.

This guide was developed with help from farmers, soil surveyors, Environment Agency staff and agriculture advisers. With their help we have tried to make the guide accessible, practical and relevant. It covers agricultural soils in England and Wales and considers how weather conditions, landscape, land use and soils can combine to increase the risk of erosion and runoff. Specific guidance is given on how to examine soil in the field. Good and poor soil structure is illustrated and described on a range of soils. The manual also
includes an overview of general land management principles.

For different soils, case studies illustrate the diagnosis of soil problems and provide remedial options. To supplement the manual we have provided a list of further information sources and contacts at the back of the guide.

ABOUT: THINK SOILS™ is an international consulting, advisory and education consortium for soil and landscape management.

The umbrella organisation THINK SOILS™ brings together soil and landscape scientists from the Austral-Asia region, Europe, North America and Africa.

Consortium members are professional soil and landscape scientist working in a wide field of applied soil research and development.