Compost Application Enhances Soil Health and Maintains Crop Yield : Insights From 56 Farmer-Managed Arable Fields
Edlinger, Anna | Herzog, Chantal | Garland, Gina | Walder, Florian | Banerjee, Samiran | Keel, Sonja G. | Mayer, Jochen | Philippot, Laurent | Romdhane, Sana | Schiedung, Marcus | Schmidt, Michael W.I. | Seitz, Benjamin | Wüst-Galley, Chloé | van der Heijden, Marcel G.A.
Introduction: Improving soil health while maintaining crop yield is a key challenge for farmers. So far, only a few studies assessed the effects of compost and solid digestate application on soil health and plant yield under practical on-farm conditions across both organic and conventional cropping systems. Materials and Methods: This study examined 56 arable fields in Switzerland, managed either conventionally (n = 39) or organically (n = 17) by individual farmers. Fields were categorised based on their fertilisation history: standard fertilisation (n = 21), including livestock manure, slurry, and mineral fertilisers (reference), or with additional compost (n = 26) or solid digestate (n = 9) amendments. Soil health was assessed based on eight chemical, biological, and physical soil health indicators. Results: Compost use, but not solid digestate use, was associated with enhanced average soil health (+ 31% over reference fields), driven by increases in basal respiration (+ 45%), cation exchange capacity (+ 42%), fungal richness (+ 18%), and marginally higher soil organic carbon stocks (+ 28%). These differences were consistent across management systems, despite site variability. Clay content and extended periods of crop cover also positively influenced soil health. Wheat yields were 21% lower under organic management but unaffected by compost or digestate use. Conclusion: These findings suggest that using compost alongside practices like extended periods of crop cover can effectively promote soil health while maintaining yields in practical farming scenarios, offering a means to balance multiple sustainability goals simultaneously.
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