Soil structure and its benefits
Read the full reportThe report highlights the vital importance of maintaining well-structured soil, which supports biodiversity, boosts agricultural productivity, manages water effectively, and mitigates climate change by enhancing carbon sequestration. It calls for comprehensive soil monitoring, targeted interventions, and supportive policies to improve soil health. Techniques like reduced tillage, cover cropping, and adding organic matter can lead to increased yields, higher soil carbon levels, and better water management, but policymakers must balance trade-offs to ensure long-term soil health.
The findings emphasise the importance of maintaining well-structured soil for its multiple benefits, including biodiversity support, agricultural productivity, water management, and climate change mitigation. The report highlights the need for comprehensive soil monitoring, targeted interventions, and supportive policies to enhance soil health and carbon sequestration.
Soil structure and biodiversity are closely linked, with soil structure influencing the type and activity of soil organisms, while soil organisms affect the physical structure of the soil.
Good soil structure benefits numerous species and habitats. Soil biodiversity contributes to ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycling, decomposition of dead matter, and climate regulation.
There is a strong correlation between improvements in soil structure and increased grain yields.
Compacted soil often leads to decreased yields due to adverse effects on crop root systems.
Well-structured soil enhances crop productivity by providing a habitat for beneficial organisms like earthworms, which improve soil fertility .
Soil acts as ‘natural flood management infrastructure’ by enhancing water infiltration and storage. This reduces flood risk and improves water quality.
Compacted soil reduces water infiltration, increasing surface runoff, erosion, and pollution of freshwater systems.
Soil is the largest terrestrial store of organic carbon and contains twice as much carbon as the atmosphere.
Soil carbon sequestration occurs when carbon input exceeds carbon losses, significantly influencing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Enhancing soil carbon content through improved soil structure is a key strategy for mitigating climate change.
Various interventions, such as reduced tillage, using cover crops, controlled traffic farming, and adding organic matter, can improve soil structure and provide multiple benefits.
These interventions can lead to increased yields, enhanced biodiversity, higher soil carbon levels, and improved water holding capacity.
Integrated land use policies linking agricultural and forestry productivity with measures to improve soil health and resilience are needed.
Improved support for land managers, including access to benchmarking data and technical advice, is essential for promoting good soil management practices.
Developing a flexible soil management framework that allows for context-specific practices is critical for maximising the benefits of well-structured soil.
Some interventions have multiple benefits, but there can also be trade-offs, such as choosing between tilling the land and using herbicides in no-till systems.
Policymaking needs to consider these trade-offs and ensure that incentives align with long-term soil health goals.
A range of techniques for measuring soil structure, from semi-quantitative visual assessments to satellite measurements, can support improved soil management.
Developing a user-friendly interface or app could help land managers access and interpret soil structure data.
Regular monitoring and a clear understanding of the relationship between interventions and outcomes are crucial for effective soil management.
Recommendations for policy implementation
- Link agricultural productivity with soil health measures, ensuring policies promote both.
- Increase access to technical advice and training on best soil management practices.
- Allow for context-specific practices while focusing on long-term soil health.
- Design policies that carefully consider trade-offs, ensuring alignment with long-term soil health goals.
- Offer financial incentives for practices like reduced tillage and cover cropping to improve soil structure and biodiversity.
- Establish comprehensive soil monitoring programs