Measuring Soil Health in Florida Citrus Groves
Posted August 2025
Researchers: Sarah Strauss, Yaslin Gonzalez, Adesuwa Erhunmwunse, Elena Karlsen-Ayala, Brittney Monus, Gabriel Maltais-Landry
Contact: Sarah Strauss, UF/IFAS SWFREC strauss@ufl.edu
Summary:
Soil health, similar to soil quality, is not a new concept, but it is receiving increased attention because of its impact on crop production. Healthy soils have greater water-holding capacity, nutrient availability, and microbial activity, all of which can impact root growth and nutrient uptake. Several management practices are associated with soil health improvements, including cover cropping and compost. To assess changes in soil health, measurements can be made of different indicators. However, over 20 indicators can be used to measure soil health, ranging from relatively simple measurements of soil pH to more complicated measurements of soil microbes. Most research on soil health indicators has been conducted in annual crops and soils that are very different from Florida citrus systems, and not all soil health indicators may be appropriate for our Florida systems. Therefore, we are conducting a farm-scale study to identify indicators that will provide short-term (months) and long-term (years) assessments of changes to soil health in Florida citrus groves. Preliminary results found soil organic matter (long-term indicator), carbon mineralization (short-term indicator), and permanganate oxidizable carbon (short-term indicator) indicated changes in soil carbon with the use of a management practice intended to improve soil health. Soil protein and carbon mineralization were also predictors of fruit yield and juice quality at one grove, illustrating the important role soil health can play in tree production. This study is ongoing as we hope to provide information to growers on how these indicators can provide inform management of soil health and production.
Take Home Message:
- The sandy sub-tropical soil of Florida requires calibration and assessment of soil health indicators, as most previous soil health indicator work has been conducted in other parts and different agricultural systems of the United States.
- There is a wide range of indicators that can be used to measure soil health, but variations in methodology can make comparisons difficult.
- Measurements of soil carbon appear to be good indicators of soil health for Florida citrus groves.
