Soil organic matter is central to soil health in agriculture because it influences several important outcomes such as, crop yield, carbon storage, and nutrient retention, all of which are closely related to human and environmental well-being. The benefits of built up soil organic matter on other working lands, like rangelands, are less quantified. There is generally little quantitative evidence supporting specific soil organic matter target levels that are associated with positive outcomes and avoid negative environmental consequences.
OUR APPROACH: The group aims to advance soil organic matter science to develop specific targets for management—including spatial prioritization—that is associated with positive agronomic outcomes and environmental benefits in both row-crop and rangeland systems. The group is focused on two case studies: rangelands in California and row-crop agriculture in the U.S. midwest.
Team Status:
Relationship Between Soil Carbon, Crop Productivity, and Resilience to Drought
With a focus on row crops in the US Midwest and grazing lands in California, the team established that there is a solid relationship between soil carbon, crop productivity, and crop resilience to drought. Soil management has a large impact on a suite of environmental and agronomic outcomes due to these interconnected relationships.
Specific Recommendations
Soil management impacts the quality of soil for food production and environmental outcomes like water quality, biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions. It is crucial to develop evidence-based indicators for soil management to meet both agronomic and environmental goals. The team developed tools that refine our ability to make specific recommendations since general recommendations lack the specific targets necessary to prioritize where to build soil organic matter and how much.
AgEvidence database
This tool is a site that examines 224 studies conducted in the US Midwest over 47 years and assesses the benefits of common farming practices. It is both a motivational communications device to get partners excited about the impact of soil management, as well as a tool to quantify relationships between agricultural practices and agronomic performance indicators.
“We’ve generated new understanding that building soil carbon is important for agriculture to adapt to climate change. Our AgEvidence tool gives everyone, from farmers to CEOs, access to the science on conservation agriculture in the US Corn Belt.”
– Stephen Wood, Project Leader