Soil is one of the fundamental resources of our lives, and World Soil Day on 5th December provides an annual opportunity to remind ourselves that soils support a quarter of our planet’s biodiversity. Living soil is essential forr food production and, indeed, for our lives. To mark this important day, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Hungary (ÖMKi) has put the spotlight on soil-friendly agricultural practices this year. Their latest experimental results confirm the benefits of organic farming based on reduced tillage. Soil and its fertility have always been at the heart of organic farming, so it is not surprising that organic farmers are particularly interested in soil-conserving and soil-building cultivation methods.
Farmers in Hungary are increasingly using soil-building, so-called regenerative techniques, such as mulching, minimising tillage, or the conscious use of plants helping soil regeneration, thus moving towards more sustainable, soil-friendly agriculture. Organic farming has always focused on the soil, its fertility, health and the sustainability of the agricultural system built on it. The term “regenerative agriculture” was coined in the 1980s by Robert Rodale, an American pioneer of organic farming, whose famous idea was that the world cannot be fed if the soil is not fed. There are several known practices for nourishing the soil, such as composting, crop rotation and rotational grazing.
Figure 1: “Organic farming practices in line with the principles of regenerative agriculture”
“One of the most fundamental but unfortunately often neglected practices for preserving or enhancing soil life is returning organic matter into the soil. We could say that this is the alpha and omega of everything. By increasing the organic matter content, we feed soil organisms, whose life activities guarantee nutrient cycling, thereby improving soil structure, increasing the soil’s water absorption and retention capacity, and ultimately preserving soil fertility. By using organic nutrients instead of chemical fertilisers and avoiding the use of chemical herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, organic farming achieves significant results in preserving soil life and soil fertility. If, in addition to minimising chemical disturbance, we can also reduce mechanical cultivation, we will do even more good for soil life. Our research results also support these positive changes,” said Dr Dóra Drexler, executive director of ÖMKi, on World Soil Day, drawing attention to the positive effects of soil-friendly agricultural systems, such as organic farming.
“Experience also shows that in extreme weather conditions, when farmers have to deal with problems caused by heavy rainfall or prolonged drought, the crops of those farmers who are committed to restoring soil life and soil health are better able to withstand the difficult conditions,” – added the expert.
In pursuit of a sustainable future – research results confirm the effectiveness of soil-friendly methods
The applicability of soil-friendly methods in organic farming has played a prominent role in ÖMKi’s research since 2020: experts are investigating the possibilities of reducing tillage, methods of soil cover (cover crops, intermediate crops, possibilities of using compost) and the combined effect of several regenerative practices on soils cultivated within the framework of organic farming. The studies began five years ago, but as soil changes usually take a long time, the first results were not expected until 2025.
The effects of cultivation methods are examined by the research institute’s experts at their farming partners’ premises: during so-called on-farm research, they monitor changes in the physical, chemical and biological condition of the soil under real farming conditions, using different cultivation methods. A significant part of the research is carried out in Szár, on the Csoroszlya Farm, an organic farm, where experts have established long-term experimental plots. The farm, located on the border of the Vértes and Gerecse mountains, has a slightly south-western exposure and is characterised by neutral, sandy, loamy slope deposits.
Soil moisture was measured by researchers at various times during the 2024 growing season, with 8-10 measurements per plot, on pairs of plots tilled by a cultivator and a plough. At all measurement times, soil moisture was lower in the ploughed plot, even though the topography would suggest the opposite (the ploughed plot is at the bottom of the slope). The difference is particularly pronounced in October, at the time of measurement after ploughing, in the top 10-40 cm of soil, compared to the plots where cultivator was used. In areas frequently affected by drought, there is a significant difference of up to 10% in moisture content between ploughed and non-inversion cultivation. It is important to note that, apart from the method of soil cultivation, all other agronomic practices were identical in the experiment.
In addition to moisture, researchers also regularly measured soil temperature in the same areas using soil probes: the sensors were placed every 10 centimetres, to a total depth of 90 cm. Higher temperatures were consistently measured in the ploughed plots. Close to the soil surface (0-10 cm), on the hottest days, there was a temperature difference of up to 5 °C between the plots tilled by a plough and plots tilled by a cultivator. This difference, together with the difference in soil moisture, can be decisive for the survival and yield of agricultural crops.
Figure 2: The figure shows the temperature data for the top 30 cm, which is most important for vegetation, during the hottest period of 2024, at three different depths, in the 4C, 5A and 5B plots with non-inversion cultivation and in the ploughed 5C plot.
Less disturbance, more life: this is how microbiological activity responds to gentle soil cultivation
Soil microbial activity plays a key role in maintaining soil fertility because microorganisms break down organic matter, ensure nutrient cycling, and directly influence the amount of nutrients available to plants. High microbial activity generally indicates healthy, well-structured, biologically active soil. In addition to measuring soil temperature and moisture content, researchers conducted laboratory tests to determine microbiological activity. Out of the several different indicators, beta-glucosidase enzyme activity was the first to show results. This enzyme is responsible for the final step in the breakdown of cellulose and other plant-derived carbon compounds, i.e. the release of glucose. As this enzyme is directly related to the intensity of carbon decomposition, it is one of the most sensitive indicators of soil organic matter quality, carbon cycling and microbial activity. Laboratory tests carried out at several points in time on plots of land with different locations and different treatments show that enzyme activity varies greatly seasonally, both on regularly ploughed (2A, 5A) and plots recently converted to no-inversion cultivation (5B), enzyme activity varies greatly seasonally and is essentially regulated by environmental factors. In contrast, in plot 3C, which had been cultivated without ploughing for three years prior to the start of the measurements, enzyme activity remained stable, almost independent of environmental variables, and even showed a slight upward trend over time. Statistical analysis confirmed that beta-glucosidase enzyme activity is primarily determined by the time elapsed since the last ploughing (which represents the length of time the soil has been left undisturbed), while environmental factors are secondary.
Figure 3: The figure shows β-glucosidase enzyme activity (expressed in PNP µg/g dry soil) at different measurement times during the experiment in plots 2A and 5A, which were regularly poughed, plot 5B, which was not ploughed since the start of the experiment, and plot 3C, which had not beenploughed for three years at the start of the experiment.
The first step in switching to a soil-conserving approach is to observe our soil
Once we feel that we have equipped ourselves with the theoretical knowledge of soil-friendly cultivation, it is worth starting with getting to know the soil on our farm better as the first step in practical implementation. ÖMKi is also part of an international programme (EIT Food ‘Scale-up Regenerative Agriculture’) dedicated to promoting regenerative agriculture, which bridges the gap between theory and practice and has involved more than 120 farmers in theoretical and practical training in regenerative agriculture over the past three years. An important part of the training is learning about field and laboratory methods, including biological parameters. As part of the programme, a video was made for World Soil Day in which Hungarian experts expain how regenerative farming practices applied at a farm in Tápióbicske.
Background information
The ÖMKi’s practical guide, available for download online, provides detailed information on research results and best practices: The possibilities of regenerative soil cultivation in organic farming
An online publication on the importance of earthworms as indicator species of soil life: Earthworms, the harbingers of healthy soil
A regenerative shift in agriculture – This summary article clarifies the concepts and lists practical arguments in favour of soil-conserving cultivation.
Soil condition in organic farming – Article on the effects of organic and conventional farming on soil life and the possibilities for reducing soil cultivation.
The research was carried out within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and co-financed by the Government of Hungary and the European Union.
