Soil quality (SQ) is the capacity of a specific kind of a soil to function, within natural and managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation1.In the mid-sixties due to introduction of dwarf varieties, which need high inputs in terms of fertilizers, water and pesticides increased agricultural production but discriminate and imbalanced use of fertilizer, deteriorated inherent capacity of the soil to supply plant nutrients. It examines spatial and temporal variations induced by land-use policy or management. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the most reliable, versatile and easily assessable indicator, encompassing the interactive effect of severalfactors. Plataeuing or decreasing trend of crop yields at current levels of management indicates declining soil health (SH). Erosion, drought and desertification, irrigation induced salinity and sodicity, paradigm shift in land use, nutrient depletion and intensive cultivation are the causes of SH deterioration. Erratic rainfall and exploitation of land, water and vegetation resources by the ever increasing human and livestock populations further accentuate the problems of SH. Increasing salinity, residual carbonate, alkalinity and contamination of surface and groundwater through heavy metals, nitrates, fluoride and arsenic are the reflection of deteriorating SH.
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