Soil Functions

“Across 41 farm sites and five soil series in Central Ohio, woodland soils had consistently lower bulk density and penetration resistance and higher porosity than cropland or meadow, while no-till and minimum till fields showed no clear physical advantage over conventional tillage even after 15+ years. Soil organic carbon explained a moderate share of variation in porosity, bulk density, and compaction (R² ≥ 0.33), suggesting building SOC is the lever — and that structural gains from reduced tillage may take longer than 15 years to show up.”

“Twenty-seven years of organic no-till in central Ohio, comparing compost, manure, cover crop and fallow treatments, produced measurable differences in soil physical quality — bulk density, penetration resistance, water-stable aggregates, saturated hydraulic conductivity, organic carbon and plant-available water — at two depths, combined into a single soil physical quality index. The dataset offers a rare long-term benchmark for how organic amendments and continuous cover shape soil structure and water-holding ability.”

“Conservation practices induce tradeoffs in soil function: observations from the northern Great Plains.”

“Standard soil health frameworks built around raising organic matter in humid regions don't transfer well to arid and semi-arid Great Plains soils, where low rainfall caps SOM gains; dryland assessments need indicators tied to water-related functions instead. Gains in soil health indicators are largest when practices are stacked — reduced tillage plus residue retention, organic amendments, and more diverse, intensified rotations — rather than adopted singly.”