DATE: 28 March 2025
SECTOR: Conservation Practices, Soil Organic Carbon, No Till
SOURCE: South Dakota State University (SDSU), via Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio)
TOPIC: Soil organic carbon storage and the factors that affect it
SUMMARY: A comprehensive study examining the relationship between soil organic carbon levels, reduced tillage and crop yields in the U.S. Midwest
DESCRIPTION: This pivotal study across key agricultural states in the U.S. Midwest demonstrates the extent to which reductions in tillage intensity, combined with higher crop yields and better equipment, contribute to sustained increases in soil organic carbon (SOC). Drawing on over two decades of grower surveys, state-level yield data and millions of surface soil samples, the research highlights a positive trajectory for carbon sequestration in U.S. croplands, indicating that soils are not yet approaching carbon saturation.
Access the report: Tillage intensity reductions when combined with yield increases may slow soil carbon saturation in the United States.
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