Summary
This observational study examined whether the drought-resilience benefits of soil organic matter are driven by dynamic soil health properties or static soil characteristics using county-level U.S. corn yield data from 2000–2016. A 0.5-point increase in soil health score was associated with a 1.15 ± 0.18 Mg ha⁻¹ yield gain during severe droughts, with smaller but significant effects during less intense droughts. The findings suggest that soil health—rather than inherent soil texture or taxonomy—explains the yield-stabilising effect of organic matter, and that agronomic practices increasing organic matter could enhance drought resilience across diverse soil types and regions.
UK applicability
The mechanistic findings on soil health and drought resilience are likely applicable to UK arable systems, though the magnitude of effects may differ due to the United Kingdom's cooler, wetter climate and lower drought frequency than much of the U.S. Corn Belt. The methodological framework (SHAPE) and emphasis on dynamic rather than static soil properties could inform UK soil health assessment protocols and policy.
Key measures
Soil health score (SHS, range 0–1) derived from soil organic matter concentration using the SHAPE protocol; county-level rainfed corn yield (Mg ha⁻¹); drought severity; soil texture and suborder; climate variables
Outcomes reported
The study measured corn yields across U.S. counties under varying drought conditions and assessed the relationship between soil health scores (derived from organic matter and site-specific variables) and yield stability. It quantified the yield increment associated with improvements in soil health during severe drought events.
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