A database for global soil health assessment

Abstract

Field studies have been performed for decades to analyze effects of different management practices on agricultural soils and crop yields, but these data have never been combined together in a way that can inform current and future cropland management. Here, we collected, extracted, and integrated a database of soil health measurements conducted in the field from sites across the globe. The database, named SoilHealthDB, currently focuses on four main conservation management methods: cover crops, no-tillage, agro-forestry systems, and organic farming. These studies represent 354 geographic sites (i.e., locations with unique latitudes and longitudes) in 42 countries around the world. The SoilHealthDB includes 42 soil health indicators and 46 background indicators that describe factors such as climate, elevation, and soil type. A primary goal of this effort is to enable the research community to perform comprehensive analyses, e.g., meta-analyses, of soil health changes related to cropland conservation management. The database also provides a common framework for sharing soil health, and the scientific research community is encouraged to contribute their own measurements.

Measurement(s)	organic material • grain yield trait • mass density of soil • concentration of carbon atom in soil • soil organic carbon sequestration rate • concentration of nitrogen atom in soil • phosphorus • potassium • pH measurement • soil cation exchange capability • electrical conductivity • soil base saturation • aggregate stability • porosity of soil • soil penetration resistance • soil infiltration rate • field saturated hydraulic conductivity • soil erosion • flood • soil nutrient leaching • temperature of soil • soil water content • available water holding capacity • parasitic weed • diseases of the cropland • pests • Lumbricus terrestris • Arthropoda • Nematoda • Bacteria • Fungi • mycorrhiza • enzyme activity • dinitrogen oxide • carbon dioxide • methane gas emission process
Technology Type(s)	digital curation
Factor Type(s)	conservation management method
Sample Characteristic - Environment	soil environment
Sample Characteristic - Location	United States of America • Canada • Germany • Brazil • French Republic • Italy • Sweden • Kingdom of Denmark • Nigeria • Argentina • Kenya • Zimbabwe • China • South Korea • Kingdom of Spain • Kingdom of the Netherlands • Greece • Kingdom of Norway • New Zealand • Russia • Australia • Ghana • Malawi • Benin • Zambia • Cameroon • Peru • Indonesia • The Philippines • Rwanda • Uganda • Togo • Guinea • Tanzania • Turkey • Moldova • England • India • Costa Rica • Switzerland • Bangladesh • Poland

Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.10748210