*Development of a simple soil quality field test for farmers
To develop a rapid, reproducible, and safe method for measuring a soil C parameter that would be a sensitive indicator of management-induced soil quality changes. To simplify this method for use in a user-friendly kit that farmers could use in the field. This objective required a method that would not require elaborate equipment and would use a minimum number of reagents, none of them highly toxic, hazardous or unstable. To evaluate the suitability of the method for use on soils with a wide range of properties, and assess the relationships between the measured C fraction and soil microbial properties.