Management Effects on Soil Quality of the Geary Soil Series in Thayer County, Nebraska

The CGIAR reports that around 40% of global crop yield variability is explained by climate. While global food consumption is expected to soar in 2050, the impact of climate change accounts for approximately 5% decrease in crop productivity. FAO estimates a 60% increase in global food demand by 2050, with global population reaching 9.8 billions. Sustainable soil management was also noted to boost agricultural food production by 58%. The evaluation of the impact of different management practices on dynamic soil properties was conducted on Geary silty clay loam, 3 to 7 %, eroded soils, which are mainly used for crop production and pasture in east-central Nebraska and central Kansas. To restore and/or preserve soil health, it is critical for future agronomists to understand potential impacts of different management practices on soil quality indicators at a global scale. For example, farmers in Rwanda undergo high pressure to produce more to feed the growing population, and to achieve this goal they need to rely on up-to-date, easy-to-interpret soil quality data to inform their agronomic practices.