Managing soil health for climate resilience and crop productivity in a changing environment

Abstract

Healthy soil is essential for life on Earth, valued for its ability to sustain productivity, provide ecosystem services, support biodiversity, socioeconomic structure, food security, and promote environmental health. However, climate-induced changes, such as extreme weather events, shifting precipitation patterns, and rising temperatures, can disrupt essential soil processes. Climate change, combined with unsustainable soil management practices, can accelerate soil degradation, loss soil organic matter, reduce soil moisture retention, intensify erosion, disrupt nutrient cycling, and increase greenhouse gas emission. An increase in temperature of 1 °C is estimated to increase pest incidence by 10-25 % and reduce major crop yields by up to 7.4 %. Enhancing soil health strengthens plant resilience, suppresses disease development, and safeguards agroecosystems against the adverse effects of climate extremes. The growing recognition of the central role of soil in both agricultural and environmental sustainability has therefore driven interest in holistic strategies that integrate advanced agronomic practices, innovative technologies, and enabling policy frameworks to sustainably manage and restore soil health. This review examines recent advances in soil management strategies, highlighting the integration of interdisciplinary approaches to strengthen soil health as a basis for climate change resilience and increased crop productivity. Our synthesis emphasizes the importance of tailoring agricultural management practices such as soil amendments, diverse cropping systems, beneficial microbes, conservation agriculture, precision agriculture, and innovative technologies to specific soil and environmental contexts. By adopting these strategies through an interdisciplinary approach, we can improve soil productivity, sustain agroecosystem functions, and mitigate negative environmental impacts, ensuring the capacity of soil to meet the demands of a changing world.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. The Science of The Total Environment, 2025 · DOI ↗