Soil conditioners are amendments that can be applied to the soil to improve properties such as structure and water retention to improve soils for their intended use, but not specifically for soil fertility, although many soil amendments can alter the soil fertility. Some typical amendments include: lime, gypsum, sulfur, compost, wood wastes, peat, manure, biosolids, and biological amendments. In order to be effective, soil conditioners must be spread evenly across the field, be applied at the correct time to prevent nutrient loss, and have the correct nutrient content. Additionally, application of soil conditioners is site specific, and should be approached on a case by case basis, as a soil conditioner may not work on all soils equally (Hickman & Whitney, 1988Hickman, J. S. and D. A. Whitney. 1988. Soil conditioners. North Central Regional Extension Publication 295. 4 pp.).
