Summary
This global meta-analysis, published in the EGU open-access journal SOIL, synthesises evidence from peer-reviewed studies to evaluate whether soil organic matter is a reliable predictor of crop yields. The authors likely find a positive but variable association between SOM and yield, with the strength of the relationship depending on contextual factors such as soil texture, climate zone, and management practice. The paper contributes to the evidence base for soil health as a driver of agricultural productivity, though it is likely to caution against treating SOM as a universal yield predictor in isolation.
UK applicability
Although the analysis is global in scope, the findings are broadly applicable to UK arable and mixed farming systems, where improving soil organic matter is a central objective of agri-environment policy including the Sustainable Farming Incentive. UK practitioners and policymakers can draw on this evidence when making the case for soil carbon management as both a productivity and resilience measure.
Key measures
Crop yield (relative and absolute); soil organic matter content (%) or soil organic carbon (%); effect size estimates (e.g. Hedges' d or response ratios); moderating variables including climate, soil type, and crop type
Outcomes reported
The study quantified the strength and direction of the relationship between soil organic matter (SOM) levels and crop yields across a large number of globally distributed studies. It assessed whether higher SOM consistently predicts improved yield outcomes and examined factors that may moderate this relationship.
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