Summary
Published in Plant and Soil in 2018, this review by Mariotte and colleagues synthesises evidence on the mechanistic links between belowground biodiversity and the quality of food produced above ground. The paper argues that soil communities — including bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and earthworms — influence plant nutrient uptake, secondary metabolite production, and ultimately food nutritional value. The authors likely draw on multiple lines of evidence to contend that biodiversity-mediated soil processes are an underappreciated determinant of food quality, with implications for sustainable agricultural management.
UK applicability
The findings are broadly applicable to UK arable and grassland systems, where soil biodiversity is increasingly recognised in policy frameworks such as the England Soil Health Action Plan and agri-environment schemes under the Environmental Land Management (ELM) programme. UK farmers and advisers could use this evidence to support practices that enhance soil biological diversity as a route to improving crop nutritional quality.
Key measures
Food quality indicators (mineral content, secondary metabolites, nutritional composition); soil biodiversity metrics (microbial diversity, soil fauna diversity); plant nutrient uptake
Outcomes reported
The study examined how belowground biodiversity — including soil microbial communities, fauna, and plant-soil interactions — affects the nutritional and chemical composition of food crops. It likely reported effects on mineral concentration, secondary metabolites, and broader food quality parameters across different soil biodiversity contexts.
Topic tags
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