Conclusions

Redox presents a rapid measurement of soil oxidative-reductive status. When applied to a simplified soil drying-rewetting test, it could be used to classify soils into oxidized and reduced. In addition, the redox status correlated with CO2burst, indicating that it can quantify the amount of readily available substrates for microbial activity. When combined with organic matter concentration, it could explain most of the variability in measured CO2burst results. It also correlated with soil structure and texture, making it a promising general indicator of soil conditions. Simultaneously, the correlation with soil texture and structure and the fact that it is an outcome of several reduction-oxidation reactions, makes interpretation of redox challenging. Currently, it can be used as an index for soil health, but more studies on the mechanisms of redox and it’s change over time could reveal, what are the soil processes it is an indicator of.