The concept of soil conditioner/improvement or melioration (Latin: meliorare = enhance/improve) used in soil science, landscape conservation and water management differs widely in the different German speaking countries. In Germany, it means that technical cultivation measures are used to increase the value of the soil. Soil conditioners are used to increase the soil’s earning capacity, to simplify its cultivation and to protect it from damage and destruction. The measures include, for example, irrigation and drainage, embankment of flood areas as well as reclamation of wasteland. Typical soil conditioners are for instance humates and humic acids.