Response of soil organic matter (SOM) properties from 180 years of mineral versus organic fertilisation in the Broadbalk experiment at Rothamsted (UK)

Summary

This long-term field study from Rothamsted examines how 180 years of contrasting fertilisation practices—mineral versus organic inputs—have shaped soil organic matter properties and cycling. Drawing on one of the world's longest-running agronomic experiments, the authors characterise SOM quantity, quality, and stability under these two divergent management systems, as suggested by multimethod soil analytical approaches. The findings contribute evidence on how fertilisation strategy influences soil carbon accumulation and composition over decadal timescales, with implications for soil health and carbon sequestration in arable farming.

UK applicability

The Broadbalk experiment is conducted at Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire, making these findings directly applicable to UK arable farming conditions and policy. The results are likely to inform UK soil management guidance and sustainability frameworks for mineral versus organic inputs in cereal production.

Key measures

Soil organic matter content, composition, chemical and biochemical properties; as suggested by spectroscopic and molecular characterisation techniques (NMR, FTIR, or similar, given author expertise)

Outcomes reported

The study characterised soil organic matter properties accumulated over 180 years of continuous mineral versus organic fertilisation treatments at Rothamsted's Broadbalk experiment. Key measurements likely included SOM quantity, quality, composition, and stability indices across the contrasting fertilisation regimes.

Topic tags