Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Soil health and ecological resilience of no-till, organic, and mixed-crop livestock systems in eastern Washington State

Alexandra G. Davis, Lynne Carpenter‐Boggs, K. L. Smith, Jonathan M. Wachter, Garett C. Heineck, David R. Huggins, John P. Reganold

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · 2025

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Summary

This field-based comparative study evaluates soil health and ecological resilience across three contrasting dryland farming systems (no-till, organic, and mixed-crop livestock) in eastern Washington State's semi-arid climate. The research appears to represent among the first regional evaluations to assess both soil function and resilience metrics tailored to the region's specific agro-climatic context. The findings contribute empirical evidence on trade-offs and synergies between farming approaches, informing sustainable dryland agriculture strategy in water-limited environments.

UK applicability

The findings may have limited direct applicability to UK farming, as the study focuses on semi-arid dryland systems in eastern Washington State, where precipitation, temperature regime, and soil types differ substantially from most UK conditions. However, the methodological framework for assessing soil resilience metrics across contrasting farming systems could inform similar comparative studies in UK drier regions or upland farming contexts.

Key measures

Soil health indicators and ecological resilience metrics specific to dryland farming systems in eastern Washington State (specific measures not detailed in available metadata)

Outcomes reported

The study measured soil health indicators and ecological resilience metrics across no-till, organic, and mixed-crop livestock farming systems in semi-arid eastern Washington State. As suggested by the title, the research assessed both soil function and system-level resilience tailored to the region's dryland agro-climatic context.

Theme
Farming systems, soils & land use
Subject
Soil health assessment & monitoring
Study type
Research
Study design
Field trial
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
United States
System type
Mixed farming
DOI
10.1016/j.agee.2025.109639
Catalogue ID
BFmowc29c7-kn98ej

Topic tags

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