Soil value (german: Bodenwertzahl) or BWZ is a comparative assessment of
soil quality
Soil quality refers to the condition of soil based on its capacity to perform ecosystem services that meet the needs of human and non-human life.Tóth, G., Stolbovoy, V. and Montanarella, 2007. Soil Quality and Sustainability Evaluation - An integr ...
used in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It is determined from
soil sampling data and ranges from 0 (very low) to 100 (very high).
According to the Geological Service of the state of
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
, the soil value of
arable land
Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ...
is based on a field assessment framework which combines an assessment of soil type, soil condition (soil development) and the parent material of which the soil is composed. The result, the soil value, expresses the relative net income that, under normal and proper management, is determined only by the profitability of the soil. Additions or deductions in this value to take account of variations in yield due to terrain and climate (e.g. average annual temperature) give the field value (''Ackerzahl'').
Range of values
The following colour scheme is used referring to the soil quality for certain ranges of values:
[''Wertzahlen der Bodenschätzung''](_blank)
at www.gd.nrw.de. Accessed on 2 Sep 2012.
The values exhibited by different types of soil are:
Antragsunterlagen Raumordnungsverfahren für den Neubau einer MonoDeponie, p. 70
Landkreis Wesermarsch, 5 November 2014, PDF file, 55,5 MB, p. 79
Origins
As a yardstick for soil quality, a "Reich Standard Farm" was set up during the Third Reich
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
in the parish of Eickendorf in the Magdeburger Börde, an exceptionally rich arable region. During the Reich Soil Assessment (''Reichsbodenschätzung'') following the Soil Assessment Act in 1934 a soil value of 100 was established in the leading Reich farm of ''Haberhauffe/Jäger''. It was the basis of comparison for the tax rating of farms in Germany. Since this farm was no longer available for comparisons within West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
after the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, a farm in Machtsum near Harsum
Harsum is a village and a municipality in the district of Hildesheim, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 6 km north of Hildesheim, and 25 km southeast of Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is t ...
in the Hildesheim Börde The Hildesheim Börde (german: Hildesheimer Börde or ''Braunschweig-Hildesheimer Lössbörde'') is a natural region, 272 km2 in area, in the northern part of Hildesheim district, which is known for its especially rich black earth loess soil.
L ...
was designated as the Federal Standard Farm. During later measurements, an even higher value of BWZ - 102.8 - was measured in Mölme, about 20 km east of Hildesheim within the municipality of Söhlde
Söhlde is a village and a municipality in the district of Hildesheim, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 20 km east of Hildesheim, and 10 km northwest of Salzgitter.
Notable residents
* Gottfried von Cramm (1909- ...
. It is the highest value ever recorded in Germany.
Another measure, the field value (''Ackerzahl'') is derived from the soil value, taking account of other factors such as climate and location e.g. along the edge of woodland.
See also
* Soil classification
Soil classification deals with the systematic categorization of soils based on distinguishing characteristics as well as criteria that dictate choices in use.
Overview
Soil classification is a dynamic subject, from the structure of the system, ...
* Soil quality
Soil quality refers to the condition of soil based on its capacity to perform ecosystem services that meet the needs of human and non-human life.Tóth, G., Stolbovoy, V. and Montanarella, 2007. Soil Quality and Sustainability Evaluation - An integr ...
* Soil science
Soil science is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to th ...
* Soil Use Efficiency Soil Use Efficiency (SUE) is the use of individual and inter-related factors (inherent and dynamic) related to soil quality, soil nutrient availability and nutrient uptake potential as effective reference points for improvement of crop productivi ...
* Crop yield
In agriculture, the yield is a measurement of the amount of a crop grown, or product such as wool, meat or milk produced, per unit area of land. The seed ratio is another way of calculating yields.
Innovations, such as the use of fertilizer, the c ...
References
External links
''Wertzahlen der Bodenschätzung''
at www.gd.nrw.de. Accessed on 2 Sep 2012.
{{soil science topics
Soil science
Pedology
Agronomy