Soil Health and Sustainable Management Practices

Soil health constitutes the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans. A healthy soil combines favourable physical structure, balanced nutrient availability, active microbial communities and adequate water retention, together underpinning ecosystem services such as crop production, carbon sequestration, water purification and biodiversity support. Sustainable management practices aim to maintain or enhance these properties through crop rotations, cover cropping, minimum tillage, organic amendments and precision nutrient management. Integrating these approaches can mitigate soil erosion, restore organic matter and foster resilient agroecosystems. Emerging practices such as agroforestry, integrated livestock–crop systems and biochar amendment show promise in diversifying soil functions and reducing reliance on synthetic inputs. Advances in sensor technologies and data-driven decision tools enable site-specific interventions that optimise resource use efficiency and minimise environmental impacts. Policy frameworks at global and regional levels increasingly recognise the centrality of soil health to achieve food security, climate mitigation and biodiversity targets, calling for cross-sectoral collaboration among researchers, land managers and policymakers.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Soil Health and Sustainable Management Practices publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in soil health and sustainable management practices across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Soil health: The ability of soil to function as a living ecosystem, maintaining productivity, water and nutrient cycling, and biological activity.

Soil quality: The inherent attributes of a soil type, representing its capacity to perform functions under given management and environmental conditions.

Pedogenesis: The natural process of soil formation and development influenced by factors such as climate, organisms, topography, parent material and time.

Ecosystem services: Benefits provided by ecosystems, including food provision, carbon storage, water regulation and habitat for biodiversity.

Cover cropping: The practice of growing specific crops, such as legumes or grasses, between cash crops to protect soil, enhance organic matter and manage nutrients.

Biochar: Charcoal produced through pyrolysis of organic material, applied to soil to improve fertility, water retention and carbon sequestration.

References

1. Systems knowledge for sustainable soil and land management. The Science of The Total Environment (2022).
2. Barriers and opportunities of soil knowledge to address soil challenges: Stakeholders’ perspectives across Europe. Journal of Environmental Management (2022).
3. Refining physical aspects of soil quality and soil health when exploring the effects of soil degradation and climate change on biomass production: an Italian case study. The Soil (2019).