According to Dr. Chad Hutchinson, Functional Sustainability in agriculture means measurable improvements in soil health, resource efficiency, and overall crop system performance — without sacrificing yield.

Advances in genomic soil analysis now allow us to evaluate soil health at the microbiome level, using DNA sequencing to assess bacterial and fungal populations. By comparing soils before and after practices such as soil fumigation, this technology provides objective insight into how inputs influence disease suppression, biological diversity, and long-term soil function.

Because meaningful sustainability starts below the surface, soil health data is becoming one of the most important tools for guiding better production decisions.

# Australia # Dr. Chad Hutchinson # Environmental Stewardship # Sustainability # TriCal Australia