How can soil infertility be prevented?

Stop tilling. Tillage erodes the soil into the air and water, and destroys the microbes in the soil. Soil is only as good as its microbes, which can even help with problems of geology, I.e., if a certain nutrient or mineral is lacking in the local geochemistry, microbes can help the plant compensate. read more

Rotating crops, if done correctly, can prevent depletion of nutrients in the soil. Fertilizing also replaces and maintains nutrients in the soil. Preventing pollution is an increasingly important issue. Controlling erosion and other runoff is also of major importance, as the top layer of soil is both the most fertile and the first to go. read more

Soil infertility is the result of a physical or chemical problem in the soil that inhibits or prevents the growth of plants. Soil with a poor physical structure can limit your plant's access to oxygen and water, while chemical problems are the result of an imbalance in the naturally occurring elements in your soil. read more