Extended spade diagnosis
The Extended Spade Diagnosis (ESD) is a pedological examination method . It includes a structural score , a simple aggregate stability test , the determination of the soil moisture and, if necessary, the counting of the root density in the subsoil using a template, the measurement of the pore volume or the storage density with the help of piercing cylinders and the measurement of the shear or penetration resistance.
The extended spade diagnosis is a modern further development of the spade diagnosis . They were tested on the areas of the research project ecological soil management. The project ran from 1994 to 2004, was funded by the State of Rhineland-Palatinate and carried out jointly by the Ecology & Agriculture Foundation (SÖL), Bad Dürkheim and the State Institute for Plant Production and Plant Protection (LPP), Mainz.
In its further developed and tested version, the ESD can make a contribution through a differentiated assessment of the structure to facilitate scientific and yet practical decision-making with regard to resource-saving management systems and measures.
The greatest advantage of the methodology - especially the structural rating - is that it can be carried out by the farmer himself.
At EU level, guidelines for the recommendation of soil investigation methods ( English Guidelines for soil assessment ) are being planned as part of the SCAPE project , which are intended to facilitate and standardize the recording of soil data. A guideline for the further developed spade diagnosis as a simple, practical method is in preparation in cooperation with the Office for Soil Protection and Organic Agriculture.