Soil Health

“Biochar application reduced cumulative N2O–N and CH4–C emissions by 52% and 16%, respectively. Biochar-treated soil had the lowest cumulative N2O–N and CH4–C emissions, reducing net global warming potential (GWP) by 43% and 30%, respectively, compared to compost-treated soil and control”

“Cover crops help suppress weed growth by making weeds smaller and weaker, although they may not reduce the total number of weeds. Fast-growing grass cover crops, such as cereal rye, provide better weed control than most mixed or broadleaf cover crops because they produce more biomass and form a thick mulch. Farmers should aim for a dense cover crop stand, use timely sowing and termination, and combine cover crops with herbicides or cultivation as part of an integrated weed management strategy for the best long-term results.”

“1. Tillage is key for hemp establishment, growth, and yield in organic systems. 2. Cover crop improved hemp and barley yields and soil health under conventional till. 3. Moderate nitrogen (N) fertilization increased hemp fiber/grain and barley yield with better quality. 4. Cover cropping with N management enhances organic hemp–barley production”

“We found an association between increased carbon, aggregation, and AMF biomass. Greater soil aggregation, carbon and AMF were observed in NT at 0–5 cm soil depth. The W-S cropping system had greater soil microbial community composition based on fungi biomass, AMF and fungal to bacteria ratio from phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA). Large macroaggregates were positively correlated with total C and N, microbial biomass, Gram + , and AMF. Soil water content was positively correlated with macroaggregates, total C and N, and AC. No-till increased soil carbon content even after 44 years of cult”

“Manure management in the United States must move from a disposal-based model to a circular resource framework that integrates nutrient recovery, emission mitigation, precision application, supportive policy, and site-specific decision-making.”

“Mapping subsurface water pathways with ground-penetrating radar plus surface elevation explained corn and soybean yield variation far better than topography alone (error dropped from 23.7% to 15.3%, and to 10.0% when remote sensing was added). Even without costly subsurface surveys, adding surface flow accumulation cut error to 18.4%, making hydro-topographic zoning a practical basis for site-specific management.”

“Across 648 soil profiles in North Carolina, particulate organic matter — the fraction most responsive to management — made up 35% of total soil organic C in the top 10 cm but only 10% at 30–60 cm, and was lower in sandier soils. Poultry litter application raised root-zone particulate organic C and N by 17%–32%, and pastures 30 years old held 4%–20% more than newer pastures, while deeper, stable (nonparticulate) carbon was set by long-term soil formation rather than management.”

“After 27 years of no-till in central Ohio, compost and manure raised topsoil (0-20 cm) carbon stocks about 66%-67% above fallow, with compost sequestering 0.85 Mg C/ha/yr and manure adding the most nitrogen (0.061 Mg N/ha/yr); cover crops alone gave a smaller 21%-27% gain. Higher soil carbon tracked better aggregate stability (R2 = 0.76) and lower bulk density, though compost also pushed up salinity near the surface.”

“A 5-year statewide Nebraska on-farm experiment (2016–2021, 17 farmer collaborators, UNL + USDA-NRCS) found cover crop use had the greatest impact on soil organic matter, carbon, and nitrogen dynamics across all practices tested. Effects were practice-specific: cover crops improved biological activity and reduced recommended N inputs; reduced tillage and diversified rotations showed variable results. No single practice improved all soil properties — a systems-level approach combining multiple practices delivered the most consistent gains.”

“Closing wheel type and row unit down force can affect corn germination in notill production systems.”

“Cold climate influences on maize nitrogen management.”

“The LTAR Integrated Common Experiment at Upper Mississippi River BasinPlatteville.”

“Curtailing lead aerosols: effects of primary lead prevention on soil lead, pediatric exposures, and community health.”

“Impacts of corn stover management and fertilizer application on soil nutrient availability and enzyme activity.”

“Nitrate leaching into groundwater as a result of high N fertilizer rates to annual crops presents human health risks and high costs associated with water treatment. Intermediate wheatgrass is a low-input crop has the potential to produce profitable grain and biomass yields while reducing nitrate.”

“Physical and biological Stream Health in an Agricultural Watershed after 30+ Years of Targeted Conservation Practices.”

“The Haney Soil Health Test (HSHT) changes with season, not subsurface drainage.”

“Soil microbial activity profiles associated with organic compost fertilizers in an urban garden.”

“Comparing the short- and long-term impacts of subsurface drainage installation on soil physical and biological properties.”

“Determining an ideal sampling density for microbial community analyses of farm fields.”

“Prioritizing Professional Development at the Interface of Natural Resources and Agriculture.”

“Soil organic matter, permanganate oxidizable carbon, and autoclaved citrate extractable nitrogen are positively associated with soybean yield, but planting date remains more influential.”

“Assimilation of remotely sensed soil moisture and vegetation with a crop simulation model for maize yield prediction.”

“The use of biological soil amendments of animal origin plays an important role in organic agriculture in the U.S. However, organic practices, such as untreated manure application, may introduce foodborne pathogens and consequently increase the risk of fresh produce contamination.”

“Crop rotations and poultry litter affect dynamic soil chemical properties and soil biota long term.”

“Crop residue removal may negatively affect soil mechanical properties, which are key components of soil quality. To evaluate potential long-term effects, we assessed the 10-yr impact of corn residue removal on surface soil mechanical characteristics.”

“Mapping crop residue and tillage intensity using WorldView-3 satellite shortwave infrared indices.”

“Longterm tillage with poultry litter application can increase soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization and fertility.”

“Soil microaggregate decay over time and soil carbon change as influenced by different tillage systems.”

“Compost and biochar to promote soil biological activities under sweet potato cultivation in a subtropical semiarid region.”

“Soil carbon maintained by perennial grasslands over 30 years but lost in field crop systems in a temperate Mollisol.”

“Simulated dryland cotton yield response to selected scenario factors associated with soil health.”

“Long-term use of cover crops and no-till shift soil microbial community life strategies in agricultural soil.”

“A Response to “Reanalysis Validates Soil Health Indicator Sensitivity and Correlation with Longterm Crop Yields”.”

“Elucidating relationships between the soil food web, soil processes, and agroecosystem function is a critical step toward a more sustainable agriculture. Soil and crop management practices can alter these relationships, and their effects can persist even after imposing new management practices.”

“Soil Water Holding Capacity Mitigates Downside Risk and Volatility in US Rainfed Maize.”

“Long-term tillage and drainage influences on soil organic carbon dynamics, aggregate stability and corn yield.”

“Lactobionate, a byproduct of cheese production, can be used as a soil amendment in winter wheat and corn production.”

“The AFWA dust emission scheme for the GOCART aerosol model in WRF-Chem v3.8.1.”

“Organic amendments like compost can enhance soil health and climate change mitigation in managed grasslands. Here, we examined plant and soil biota responses over three growing seasons to better understand how plant–soil feedbacks support net soil organic carbon sequestration under compost.”

“Comparing the Soil Management Assessment Framework to the Haney Soil Health Test Across Managed Agroecosystems.”

“Simulated Cropping Season Effects on N Mineralization from Accumulated No-Till Crop Residues.”

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

“Relationship among Different Soil Biochemical Methods to Determine Soil Health.”

“This study investigates the potential benefits of using tectonite dust as a soil amendment in central Oregon.”

“Long-term agro-management strategies shape soil bacterial community structure in dryland wheat systems.”

“This paper presents a processbased investigation of storage and release in the more permeable catchments to explain the longer MTTs and (catchment) areadependent scaling.”

“Soil texture and environmental conditions influence the biogeochemical responses of soils to drought and flooding.”

“Surveying for biotic soil crust lichens of shrub steppe habitats in the Columbia Basin.”

“UC researchers have pioneered many ways of managing soil biology for pest management, including strategies such as soil solarization, steam treatment and anaerobic soil disinfestation.”

“We report on findings from the Healthy Soils for Healthy Communities Initiative in Los Angeles, CA, United States.”

“Spatial distribution of lead in soil in Sacramento, California, USA.”

“Crowding Affects Health, Growth, and Behavior in Headstart Pens for Agassiz's Desert Tortoise.”

“Soil lead distribution in Chicago, USA.”

“Long-term repeated application of fumigants can have greater and longer lasting impacts on soil microbial communities than single fumigation events.”

“Use of historical mapping to understand sources of soil-lead contamination: Case study of Santa Ana, CA.”

“Heavy Metals in California Women Living in a Gold Mining-Impacted Community.”

“We found that mulch groundcover improves soil fertility and water holding capacity in gardens, and that socio-demographic factors may affect people’s access to mulch to affect soil properties.”

“Quantifying and mapping atmospheric potassium deposition for soil ecosystem services assessment in the United States.”

“Human health and environmental sustainability: the 21st century's grand challenges.”

“A regional soil classification framework to improve soil health diagnosis and management.”

“This paper examines the generalization of Tiebout’s model in our understanding of the forced environmental migration of the Great Planes farmers to California during the Dust Bowl period in 1931-1939.”

“This study aimed to characterize the soil bacterial community in selected boxwood gardens across the United States.”

“Agricultural plastic pollution reduces soil function even under best management practices.”

“Using Waste Ceramic Dust in Stabilization of Clay Soils.”

“Whole orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems.”

“Boosting soil health and crop nutrients with locally sourced biochar and compost in Sacramento urban agriculture.”

“Assessing the impact of manure application in commercial swine farms on the transmission of antimicrobial resistant Salmonella in the environment.”

“Potential carbon mineralization assays are confounded by different soil drying temperatures.”

“Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to study the effect of drainage on seedling health.”

“A conceptual evaluation of sustainable variable-rate agricultural residue removal.”

“Rowcovers and strip tillage provide an alternative to plasticulture systems in summer squash production.”

“Spatiotemporal Analysis of Soil Quality Degradation and Emissions in the State of Iowa (USA).”

“Divergent extremes but convergent recovery of bacterial and archaeal soil communities to an ongoing subterranean coal mine fire.”

“Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) has begun a potentially irreversible decline due to the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid.”

“Interstate comparison of soil remediation standards among six Mid-Atlantic states, USA.”

“The presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and resistance genes in soil exposed to wastewater treatment plant effluent.”

“Enhanced tolerance of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) plants on abandoned mine land soil leads to overexpression of cannabinoids.”

“Landscape heterogeneity drives contrasting concentration–discharge relationships in shale headwater catchments.”

“Lead Pollution, Demographics, and Environmental Health Risks: The Case of Philadelphia, USA.”

“Identify potential soil legacy effects and recovery time delays after land transformation and place those effects in the context of EGS tradeoffs.”

“Soil biological and physical measurements did not improve the predictability of corn response to phosphorus fertilization.”

“A deep learning-based tool that automates soil sampling site selection using spectral images.”

“Reanalysis Validates Soil Health Indicator Sensitivity and Correlation with Longterm Crop Yields.”

“Impacts of stocking densities on soil biochemical and microbial properties in a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem at two landscape positions.”

“In situ soil respiration is driven by annual patterns of temperature and soil moisture, but what about extracellular enzyme activities responsible for depolymerizing soil organic matter?.”

“Use of compost as a soil amendment to increase soil health and to improve crop yields.”

“Biodegradation of dispersed oil in Arctic seawater at -1°C.”

“The comparison of three environmental metrics for Cd, Cu, and Ni in the agricultural region of the Mid Continent of USA.”

“Marshes in the urban Jamaica Bay Estuary are disappearing at an average rate of 13 ha/yr, and multiple stressors (e.g., wastewater inputs, dredging activities, groundwater removal, and global warming) may be contributing to marsh losses.”

“Soil profile distribution of nutrients in contrasting soils amended with struvite and other conventional phosphorus fertilizers.”

“Assessing how cover crops close the soil health gap in onfarm experiments.”

“Quantification of salt dust pathways from a groundwaterfed lake: Implications for solute budgets and dust emission rates.”

“Asclepias dynamics on US rangelands: implications for conservation of monarch butterflies and other insects.”

“The comparison of three environmental metrics for Cr, Pb, and Zn in the agricultural region of the Mid-Continent of USA.”

“Understanding the influence of soil moisture on heatwave characteristics in the contiguous United States.”

“The need for sustainable agricultural practices to meet the food, feed, and fuel demands of a growing global population while reducing detrimental environmental impacts has driven research in multifaceted approaches to agricultural sustainability. Perennial cropping systems and microbial biofertilizer supplements are two emerging strategies to increase agricultural sustainability that are studied in tandem in this study.”

“Woody plant encroachment enhances soil infiltration of a semiarid karst savanna.”

“Comparison of Soil Quality Index Using Three Methods.”

“Multivariate Analysis and Visualization of Soil Quality Data for NoTill Systems.”

“APEXSENSUN is an opensource package in R that automates global sensitivity analysis and assists with calibration of the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender model.”

“The economics of processing tomatoes are driven by soluble solids content, viscosity, color, and uniformity of the fruit. Ripening disorders that affect color are a major limitation to the economic success of processing whole-peel and diced products.”

“Plant biomass, not plant economics traits, determines responses of soil CO 2 efflux to precipitation in C 4 grass Panicum virgatum.”

“Soiltest biological activity with the flush of CO 2: VI. Economics of optimized nitrogen inputs for corn.”

“Soil Science: Selected Historical Highlights in Celebration of the Upcoming International Year of Soils.”

“Predicting crop yields and soil N dynamics in the US Corn Belt.”

“Relationship of inseason soil nitrogen concentration with corn yield and potential nitrogen losses.”

“Soil organic carbon is more strongly related to soil moisture than soil temperature in temperate grasslands.”

“Soil geochemistry as a driver of soil organic matter composition: insights from a soil chronosequence.”

“Land management affects soil structural stability: Multi-index principal component analyses of treatment interactions.”

“This study evaluated soil quality characteristics in urban sites currently used for vegetable production across an urban to periurban gradient in Chicago, IL, USA.”

“Organic matter: a critical soil health indicator in agrosystems within the Cerrado of Bahia, Brazil and South Florida, USA.”

“Organic cropping systems enhance soil health indicators in a Mollisol of the US Corn Belt.”

“Positive associations of soil organic matter and crop yields across a regional network of working farms.”

“Rootzone enrichment of soil organic carbon and nitrogen under grazing and other land uses in a humidtemperate region.”

“Can Low-Cost, Handheld Spectroscopy Tools Coupled with Remote Sensing Accurately Estimate Soil Organic Carbon in Semi-Arid Grazing Lands?.”

“Cropping system and rotational grazing effects on soil fertility and enzyme activity in an integrated organic crop-livestock system.”

“Degradation of tetracycline, sulfamethazine, and tylosin in soil from prairie strips and row crops in Iowa.”

“This study investigated the impacts of longterm agricultural practices on soil quality and yields following 16 yr of a wheat–soybean doublecrop system.”

“Plant–soil microbe feedbacks depend on distance and ploidy in a mixed cytotype population.”

“The degree to which spatial variation in soil microbial communities modulates plant species’ distributions remains largely untested.”

“Soil microbes weaken the positive effect of an aquatic–terrestrial subsidy on plant performance.”

“An improved method for quantifying total fine root decomposition in plantation forests combining measurements of soil coring and minirhizotrons with a mass balance model.”

“Life-history strategies of soil microbial communities in an arid ecosystem.”

“Continuous grazing degrades soil C and N and increases compaction vs no grazing. Rotational grazing improves SOC vs continuous and can be SOC-neutral relative to no grazing, with less compaction than continuous. Aridity effects were small, but rotational data gaps limit certainty.”

“The study demonstrates the utility of the USDA-NRCS ecological site approach for defining dynamic soil property benchmarks and thresholds associated with management alternatives, and can guide other global soil health benchmarking efforts.”

“Improvement in the soil health of pasturelands can result in amplified ecosystem services which can help improve the overall sustainability of the system.”

“Native warm-season grasses have potential to increase the ecosystem services associated with grazing lands and to provide a source of forage for livestock.”

“Alfalfa had better persistence than red or white clover in horse pastures.”

“Soil stoichiometry, driven by plant chemical traits, appeared to be the strongest driver of priming. This shows that shifts in plant communities involving increases in N relative to P can cause carbon loss.”

“Treat soil health as dynamic natural capital, not just fertility. Use optimal control models to quantify long-run tradeoffs, timing, and incentives of management actions, producing policy-relevant metrics for cost-effectiveness.”

“A techno-economic analysis of biochar production and the bioeconomy for orchard biomass.”

“Predicting Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen at the Farm Scale Using Quantitative Color Sensor Measurements.”

“Land Suitability Evaluation for Organic Agriculture of Wheat Using GIS and Multicriteria Analysis.”

“Croplands at sites with manuring and no-till recorded lower soil organic matter depletion from reference-site levels (28%) than sites under continued conventional management.”

“CNV–RT had highest grain ERGO/partitioning with higher OSEI, while organic systems stored more soil ERGO but partitioned less. Reduced tillage boosts grain ERGO; uptake is oxidative stress-regulated.”

“Oat and its mixture with other cover crops show promises to improve soil health and resilience in semi-arid systems”

“State-and-transition models and rangeland health procedures have developed in parallel and should be considered together at the beginning.”

“Rotations with a minimum duration of bare fallow periods and integration of cover crops contribute to structural soil properties.”

“This study provides insight into how land use centered on agroecological principles affords greater water resilience, at multiple scales.”

“Little is known about the impacts and effects of exotic, invasive grasses on wildlife in the Southeast United States.”

“Alfalfa–grass mixtures are a good alternative to alfalfa and grass monocultures.”

“Land use change from native grasslands to arable lands globally impacts soil ecosystem functions, including the storage of soil organic carb”

“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.”

“Cropland soil nitrogen oxide emissions vary with dairy manure incorporation methods.”

“Land application of manure can lead to an overabundance of nutrients and introduction of emerging contaminants into agricultural fields. Subsurface injection has been shown to reduce nutrients in surface runoff.”

“Soil solarization in high tunnels is a viable and effective management strategy for root-knot nematodes.”

“Application of an Ultrasonic Sensor to Monitor Soil Erosion and Deposition.”

“We developed a method combining visible near infrared spectra and deep learning to predict topsoil arsenic content.”

“Trends in soil organic matter and topsoil thickness under regenerative practices at the University of Washington student farm.”

“Dynamic soil properties for soil health (DSP4SH) database 1.0 – Phase 1 and 2 datasets.”

“Long-term biosolids applications improve key soil health functions for semi-arid dryland systems.”

“The LTAR Cropland Common Experiment at R. J. Cook Agronomy Farm.”

“Unmanned aerial vehicles can be used to monitor soil moisture in semiarid regions. We collected high resolution RGB imagery concurrently with hundreds of SM samples across nine sites over a latitudinal gradient in the western USA. We used RGB bands, texture metrics, and vegetation indices to predict SM using machine learning.”

“Assessing biological soil crusts as agents of Ca–Mg silicate dissolution and COsub>2 sequestration.”

“A cultureindependent approach to understanding the role of soil fungal communities in i>Bromus tectorum/i> stand failure.”

“Trace Element Export from the Critical Zone Triggered by Snowmelt Runoff in a Montane Watershed.”

“Indaziflam is a promising herbicide for conservation purposes in areas where the invasive species seed bank needs to be depleted with as little disturbance to biocrusts as possible.”

“A field study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of two commercially available time domain reflectometry (TDR) soil water sensors for irrigation scheduling in a clay loam soil near Bushland, Texas.”

“The Spruce and Peatland Responses under Changing Environments experiment was conducted in northern Minnesota to warm peat profiles to 2 m deep while keeping water flow intact.”

“Deepening roots can enhance carbonate weathering by amplifying CO sub>2/sub> rich recharge.”

“We use a catchment-scale reactive transport model, BioRTHBV, with hydrometeorology and stream carbon data to illuminate the “invisible” subsurface processes at Sleepers River.”

“Contamination Assessment and Potential Human Health Risks of Heavy Metals in Urban Soils from Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA.”

“No Tillage Improved Soil Pore Space Indices under Cover Crop and Crop Rotation.”

“Cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop improves soil physico-chemical properties with no influence on soybean root growth parameters.”

“The Snowmelt Niche Differentiates Three Microbial Life Strategies That Influence Soil Nitrogen Availability during and after Winter.”

“SHAPEv1.0 Scoring curves and peer group benchmarks for dynamic soil health indicators.”

“Linking soil health indicators to management history and soybean yield.”

“Interaction of soil health indicators to different regenerative farming practices on mineral soils.”

“The impact of repeated application of alkaline biosolids products over more than a decade on soil concentrations of nutrients and trace metals, and potential for uptake of these elements by crops was investigated by analyzing soils from farm fields near Oklahoma City.”

“Evaluation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) leaching from biosolids and mitigation potential of biochar through undisturbed soil columns.”

“Microbiome of Field Grown Hemp Reveals Potential Microbial Interactions With Root and Rhizosphere Soil.”

“Cropping system and soil texture shape soil health outcomes and scoring functions.”

“Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming.”

“Midinfrared spectroscopy for prediction of soil health indicators in the United States.”

“We investigated soil properties and climate variables influencing soil organic carbon concentrations across sub-Saharan Africa.”

“Soil microbiomes play a key role in driving biogeochemical cycles of the Earth system. As drought frequency and intensity increase due to climate change, soil microbes and the processes they control will be impacted.”

“We collected permafrost from five distinct locations within the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory's Permafrozt Tunnel (PT) near Fairbanks, Alaska and warmed them in a laboratory incubation study.”

“Nitrate leaching reduced with DynamicAdaptive nitrogen management under contrasting soils and tillage.”

“Lowintensity frequent fires in coniferous forests transform soil organic matter in ways that may offset ecosystem carbon losses.”

“Iron-mediated organic matter decomposition in humid soils can counteract protection.”

“The HYPROP method was used to measure soil-water retention curves and estimate soil physical and hydraulic properties under different tillage systems in clay loam soil.”

“The effects of soil depth on the structure of microbial communities in agricultural soils in Iowa.”

“The soil health cycle is proposed as a soil health management cycle encompassing human dimensions, management practices, and their effects on soil health indicators, leading to subsequent impacts on soil functions.”

“Soil health and nutrient dynamics in pasturelands: A decadal study on the effects of alternative grazing management.”

“Long-term manure application improves soil health and stabilizes carbon in continuous maize production system.”