Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialGrey literature

Long-term experiments at Rothamsted

Goulding, K.W.T. et al.

2016

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Summary

This report draws on data from Rothamsted Research's long-term field experiments, some of which date back to the 1840s, to examine how different fertiliser and management regimes influence soil health, nutrient dynamics, and crop productivity over extended timescales. The Rothamsted long-term experiments are among the most historically significant agricultural datasets in the world, providing rare evidence on the trajectory of soil organic matter and yield under continuous arable management. The report likely synthesises key findings relevant to sustainable nutrient management and soil stewardship in temperate farming systems.

UK applicability

Directly applicable to UK conditions, as all experiments are conducted on English soils under temperate climate conditions representative of much of lowland Britain. Findings are highly relevant to UK agricultural policy on soil health, fertiliser regulation, and sustainable intensification.

Key measures

Soil organic carbon (%), crop yield (t/ha), nutrient concentrations in soil and grain, soil pH, microbial activity

Outcomes reported

The report likely summarises findings from Rothamsted's classical long-term experiments, including the Broadbalk wheat experiment and Park Grass, covering soil organic matter, crop yields, and nutrient cycling over decades. It probably addresses the effects of organic and inorganic fertiliser inputs on soil health and productivity.

Theme
Farming systems, soils & land use
Subject
Soil health & nutrient cycling
Study type
Research
Study design
Field trial
Source type
Grey literature
Status
Published
Geography
UK
System type
Arable cereals
Catalogue ID
XL0902

Topic tags

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