Assessment under grassland

The principles of soil assessment under grassland are similar to those applicable to arable land, but the method differs. With grass, you start counting the roots at the bottom of a dug-out block of soil: at 20 cm deep, 50 roots on a surface of 25×25 cm is not many, 300 is a lot. At 10 cm deep, 80 roots is not many and 450 is a lot. What is important in grassland is the thickness of the sward. More than 5 cm thick is good, less than 3 cm thick is bad. The structure under grassland is often compact. A good structure has at least 25% crumbly or rounded blocky elements in the top 20 cm.

Sources:
Koopmans, C.J., M. Zanen, en C. ter Berg (2015). Bodemscan zand- en dalgronden. Beoordelingskader veenkoloniale gronden. Publicatie nummer 2015-013 LbP. Louis Bolk Instituut, Driebergen. 22 p.
Koopmans, C.J., M. Zanen, en C. ter Berg (2005). De Kuil. Bodembeoordeling aan de hand van een kuil. Louis Bolk Instituut, Driebergen. p. 16.
Koopmans, C.J., J. Bokhorst, C. ter Berg en N. van Eekeren (2012). Bodemsignalen. Praktijkgids voor een vruchtbare bodem. Roodbont Uitgeverij, Zutphen. 96 p.