Aggregate Stability — FarmPal
How well soil clumps hold together when wet. Indicates glomalin production by mycorrhizal fungi.
Ideal Range
Aggregates should maintain shape for at least several minutes in water.
How to Test
Slake test: Place dry soil clump in water. Stable aggregates hold together; unstable ones fall apart.
Improvement Strategies
- •Eliminate tillage (destroys fungal networks that create aggregates)
- •Maintain living roots to feed mycorrhizal fungi
- •Reduce synthetic fertilizers (especially phosphorus)
- •Add fungal-dominated compost
- •Use diverse plantings to support diverse fungi
- •Avoid fungicides