Soil organic matter is composed of soil microbes including bacteria and fungi, decaying material from once-living organisms such as plant and animal tissues, fecal material, ...

Globally, soil organic matter (SOM) contains more than three times as much carbon as either the atmosphere or terrestrial vegetation. Yet it remains largely unknown why some SOM persists for ...

A recent study created a bit of a mystery for soil scientists -- increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was expected to increase plant growth, increase plant biomass and ultimately beef up the ...

Can a productive crop system increase soil organic matter at an annual rate of 1 percent (20,000 lbs.)? Let’s look at a productive no-till wheat crop in rotation with a cover crop mixture.

Frequent forest fires and agricultural expansion are degrading soil health in the southern Brazilian Amazon. This results in ...

Soil organic matter is the organic component of soils, mostly composed of residues left by dead plants and microorganisms. Understanding how soils break down or preserve organic matter is important ...

Soil organic matter is what makes dirt fertile and able to support plant life – both of which are especially important for agriculture. Organic matter retains water in the soil and prevents erosion.

A new study from Northeastern University and nonprofit research organization The Organic Center (TOC), though, has reached a different conclusion: Soils from organic farms had 26 percent more ...

Ways to increase soil organic matter. Minimise soil disturbance; Maintain living roots in soils as much as possible, such as growing cover crops; Don’t overdo nitrogen fertiliser ...

Soil organic matter is a stabilised form of soil carbon largely composed of dead micro-organisms, the result of microbial degradation of plant and animal tissue.