NRM, the largest agricultural soil testing facility in the UK, has released data that highlights land management’s significant impact on soil organic matter (SOM) levels.

The data, taken from more than 11000 samples, suggested that less soil disturbance and less intensive farming practices led to better SOM levels.

The agricultural analysis operation, active in soil analysis since 1995, hopes this new data will assist farmers in designing and implementing thorough management plans to reinvigorate soil health.

For the first time, consolidated and anonymised data on SOM has been published by NRM, derived from more than 11000 samples analysed between June 2023 and May 2024.

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The data found that, while the interquartile range for arable soils lies between 3.6% and 6.3%, showing relatively moderate SOM levels, grassland soils exhibit a significantly higher range of 7.3% to 12.9%.

Sajjad Awan, agronomy manager at NRM, said this really stressed the impact of land use on SOM content.

Elaborating further, Mr Awan said: "Adding organic inputs or disturbing your soil less can boost SOM levels, giving you a step up in terms of soil health.

"The broader SOM range we found in grasslands is likely due to system factors such as cutting frequency, grazing intensity, and plant diversity.

"In contrast, the narrower SOM range found in arable soils suggests that, even though levels tend to be more uniform, intensive farming practices tend to reduce SOM over time.”

While approximately 90% of arable farmers routinely use NRM’s standard soil tests, less than 20% conduct tests for organic matter.

The firm highlights this gap as critical, as SOM affects fertility, water retention, aeration, root penetration and bulk density.

An updated SOM analysis is essential to comply with the SFI’s ‘SAM1 action for soils’.

Mr Awan added: "By understanding and managing SOM levels alongside nutrient analysis, growers and advisors can make more insightful management decisions.

"Better decision-making leads to improved soil health and compliance with sustainability objectives, both of which help to bolster the resilience of farming businesses."