Use of soil amendments in an integrated framework for adaptive resource management in agriculture and forestry

Agricultural practices involving intensive applications of chemical fertilizers can be harmful to the environment. Soil amendments can serve as an alternative source of plant nutrients and simultaneously improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils. Many soil amendments are produced from organic and inorganic waste materials. The amendment application practices therefore not only support the agricultural productivity but also facilitate an environmental friendly disposal and recycling of the wastes. This also helps the farmers to reduce their cost of production. Most of the soil amendments supply nutrients to plants over a longer period of time in a slow release process. However, best management practices should be adapted in order to harness the optimum benefits of soil amendments in agricultural and forestry production systems. This chapter aims to present an overview of various soil amendments in relation to their already existing and/or potential applications for improving the productivity and health of soils.