Summary
This systematic review synthesises evidence on soil management strategies across European agriculture, evaluating their capacity to sequester soil organic carbon whilst managing non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen leaching. The authors analysed 87 studies, finding that strategies such as conservation tillage and organic amendments generally increase soil organic carbon stocks and reduce nitrogen leaching, but leguminous cover crops and certain water management practices create trade-offs by stimulating N₂O emissions. The review identifies significant knowledge gaps regarding long-term dynamics and how pedoclimatic conditions influence these complex interactions, whilst noting that organic agriculture and agroforestry clearly mitigate CH₄ emissions.
UK applicability
The findings are directly applicable to UK agriculture, as the review synthesises evidence from European farming systems with similar pedoclimatic conditions and policy contexts (including the EU soil strategy for 2030, which aligns with UK soil health objectives). UK farmers and policymakers can use these insights to select soil management strategies that balance carbon sequestration with emission mitigation, though further experimental research in UK-specific conditions is recommended to clarify trade-offs and long-term dynamics.
Key measures
Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and accrual; non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions (N₂O and CH₄); nitrogen leaching; assessment across soil management strategies including conservation tillage, cropping systems, water management, cover crops, organic amendments, and biochar application
Outcomes reported
The systematic review synthesised evidence on soil management strategies across European agriculture, evaluating their capacity to sequester soil organic carbon whilst managing non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen leaching. The analysis categorised 87 peer-reviewed studies across tillage management, cropping systems, water management, and fertilisation and organic matter inputs.
Topic tags
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