Do Soil Amendments Improve Crop Production and Poor Water Infiltration?

Authors

• Matt Yost, Utah State UniversityFollow
• Megan Baker, Utah State UniversityFollow
• Tejinder Singh, Utah State UniversityFollow
• Grant CardonFollow

Document Type

Factsheet

Publisher

Utah State University Extension

Publication Date

10-15-2026

First Page

1

Last Page

7

Abstract

Soil amendments are widely promoted as tools to improve aggregation, porosity, water holding capacity, nutrient availability, and water infiltration of soils. These benefits are possible, but they depend on the specific soil problem being treated, amendment type and rate, soil chemistry, soil texture and structure, and the time since application. Studies at Utah State University provide a useful short-term test of what growers can reasonably expect from a single surface application of these amendments.

Recommended Citation

Yost, M., Baker, M., Singh, T., Cardon, G., Creech, E., Price, S., Briggs, R., Taylor, K., Nelson, M., & Zesiger, C. (2026). Do soil amendments improve crop production and poor water infiltration? [Fact sheet]. Utah State University Extension.