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ABSTRACT
A method is given to dynamically evaluate the physical aspects of Parr's SOIL QUALITY. Measurements of two main variables are found to be essential: OHI (Optimal Hydric Interval), and RS (Relative Stability of the soil aggregates). The OHI is a range of the hydric content at which available water is easily used by crops, soil solid mass is capable of being drilled by roots and other useful organisms without offering great resistance, and aeration is non-limiting for breathing. The OHI reflects the properties of the “porous structure” of the soil relative to fluid motion and retention, and the consistency of its ped units. The RS informs about the relation of water infiltration capacity values, gaseous exchange, and resistance to erosion for a parcel of cultivated soil, in comparison with another parcel of the same soil kept untouched for a long time. Sensibility of both variables is illustrated through the analysis of real measurements taken in Argiudoll soils of the Argentine Pampean region.