{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1007/s13593-023-00911-x", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-25T16:16:40Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-09-04", "title": "The role of conservation agriculture practices in mitigating N2O emissions: A meta-analysis", "description": "Abstract\uffc2\uffa0

Conservation agriculture is often assumed to reduce soil N2O emissions. Yet, studies analyzing the specific effect of conservation agriculture practices on N2O emissions give contradictory results. Herein, we synthesized a comprehensive database on the three main conservation agriculture practices (cover crops, diversified crop rotations, and no-till and/or reduced tillage (NT/RT)) to elucidate the role of conservation practices on N2O emissions. Further, we used a random meta-forest approach to identify the most important predictors of the effects of these practices on soil N2O emissions. Averaged across all comparisons, NT/RT significantly decreased soil N2O emissions by 11% (95% CI: \uffe2\uff80\uff9319 to \uffe2\uff80\uff931%) compared to conventional tillage. The reductions due to NT/RT were more commonly observed in humid climates and in soils with an initial carbon content < 20 g kg\uffe2\uff80\uff931. The implementation of cover crops and diversified crop rotations led to variable effects on soil N2O emissions. Cover crops were more likely to reduce soil N2O emissions at neutral soil pH, and in soils with intermediate carbon (~20 g kg\uffe2\uff80\uff931) and nitrogen (~3 g kg\uffe2\uff80\uff931) contents. Diversified crop rotations tended to increase soil N2O emissions in temperate regions and neutral to alkaline soils. Our results provide a comprehensive predictive framework to understand the conditions in which the adoption of various conservation agriculture practices can contribute to climate change mitigation. Combining these results with a similar mechanistic understanding of conservation agriculture impacts on ecosystem services and crop production will pave the way for a wider adoption globally of these management practices.International initiatives are emphasizing the capture of atmospheric CO2 in soil organic C (SOC) to reduce the climatic footprint from agroecosystems. One approach to quantify the contribution of management practices towards that goal is through analysis of long-term experiments (LTEs). Our objectives were to analyze knowledge gained in literature reviews on SOC changes in LTEs, to evaluate the results regarding interactions with pedo-climatological factors, and to discuss disparities among reviews in data selection criteria. We summarized mean response ratios (RRs) and stock change rate (SCR) effect size indices from twenty reviews using paired comparisons (N). The highest RRs were found with manure applications (30%, N\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff89418), followed by aboveground crop residue retention and the use of cover crops (9\uffe2\uff80\uff9310%, N\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff89995 and 129), while the effect of nitrogen fertilization was lowest (6%, N\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff89846). SCR for nitrogen fertilization exceeded that for aboveground crop residue retention (233 versus 117\uffc2\uffa0kg\uffc2\uffa0C\uffc2\uffa0ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921\uffc2\uffa0year\uffe2\uff88\uff921, N\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff89183 and 279) and was highest for manure applications and cover crops (409 and 331\uffc2\uffa0kg\uffc2\uffa0C\uffc2\uffa0ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921\uffc2\uffa0year\uffe2\uff88\uff921, N\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff89217 and 176). When data allows, we recommend calculating both RR and SCR because it improves the interpretation. Our synthesis shows that results are not always consistent among reviews and that interaction with texture and climate remain inconclusive. Selection criteria for study durations are highly variable, resulting in irregular conclusions for the effect of time on changes in SOC. We also discuss the relationships of SOC changes with yield and cropping systems, as well as conceptual problems when scaling-up results obtained from field studies to regional levels.Soil plays a central role in most aspects of human societies, and there is a large body of literature about sustainable soil management. Nevertheless, soil is currently facing degradation arising from different threats, which undermines sustainable development globally. In order to design effective research and policy strategies, it is necessary to identify the current knowledge level about sustainable soil management. This study summarises the key findings from a systematic stocktake of available knowledge about agricultural soil management practices in 23 European countries, which included the identification of soil management practices in use, the associated impacts and the soil challenges addressed. The aim of the study was to understand the current state of knowledge about the impacts of soil management practices, investigated and/or implemented across Europe. The results were analysed at the European level and were also grouped into European Regions and Environmental Zones. Key findings from this study were the identification of knowledge gaps that are key to climate mitigation and adaptation. There is a knowledge gap about soil management practices to avoid greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils, as the few reported studies evidence the complexity of the processes governing these emissions. Further knowledge is needed on the impact of tillage practices on long\uffe2\uff80\uff90term carbon storage and distribution along the soil profile, as the reported knowledge was not consensual about carbon storage in deeper soil layers.

Grasslands are at risk of degradation due to unsustainable management practices and climate change. Sustainable grassland soil management can promote ecosystem service delivery and improve the resilience of the entire grassland ecosystem to anthropogenic change. Here, we re-view the principal soil quality indicators (SQIs) and how they have been used to evaluate the sustainability of different grassland management practices globally. We then discuss sustainable grazing management practices, before reviewing some novel grassland species which may im-prove grassland resilience with relevance for grassland management in Europe and the UK. We also give an overview of current sustainable grassland management methods and their assessment at field scale. From this, we suggest that sustainable Grazing Management Plans (GMPs), together with the testing of drought-resistant grass species and appropriate SQIs monitoring, is key to increasing resilience of grassland ecosystems to anthropogenic change.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "330", "S", "QH301 Biology", "soil quality indicators; grazing management; ecosystem services; permanent grasslands; management practices", "Agriculture", "15. Life on land", "12. Responsible consumption", "Permanent grasslands", "permanent grasslands", "QH301", "Soil quality indicators", "13. Climate action", "SDG 13 - Climate Action", "agricultural_science_and_agronomy_16", "management practices", "Ecosystem services", "Grazing management", "soil quality indicators", "grazing management", "ecosystem services"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://iris.unito.it/bitstream/2318/1910970/1/A53%20Grassland%20erosion%20Agronomy.pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/5/1366/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202304.0088.v1"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agronomy", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.20944/preprints202304.0088.v1", "name": "item", "description": "10.20944/preprints202304.0088.v1", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.20944/preprints202304.0088.v1"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-04-06T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.60692/wzwcw-szh03", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-25T16:30:30Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-05-30", "title": "Effects of agricultural management practices on soil quality: A review of long-term experiments for Europe and China", "description": "Open AccessIn this paper we present effects of four paired agricultural management practices (organic matter (OM) addition versus no organic matter input, no-tillage (NT) versus conventional tillage, crop rotation versus monoculture, and organic agriculture versus conventional agriculture) on five key soil quality indicators, i.e., soil organic matter (SOM) content, pH, aggregate stability, earthworms (numbers) and crop yield. We have considered organic matter addition, no-tillage, crop rotation and organic agriculture as 'promising practices'; no organic matter input, conventional tillage, monoculture and conventional farming were taken as the respective references or 'standard practice' (baseline). Relative effects were analysed through indicator response ratio (RR) under each paired practice. For this we considered data of 30 long-term experiments collected from 13 case study sites in Europe and China as collated in the framework of the EU-China funded iSQAPER project. These were complemented with data from 42 long-term experiments across China and 402 observations of long-term trials published in the literature. Out of these, we only considered experiments covering at least five years. The results show that OM addition favourably affected all the indicators under consideration. The most favourable effect was reported on earthworm numbers, followed by yield, SOM content and soil aggregate stability. For pH, effects depended on soil type; OM input favourably affected the pH of acidic soils, whereas no clear trend was observed under NT. NT generally led to increased aggregate stability and greater SOM content in upper soil horizons. However, the magnitude of the relative effects varied, e.g. with soil texture. No-tillage practices enhanced earthworm populations, but not where herbicides or pesticides were applied to combat weeds and pests. Overall, in this review, yield slightly decreased under NT. Crop rotation had a positive effect on SOM content and yield; rotation with ley very positively influenced earthworms' numbers. Overall, crop rotation had little impact on soil pH and aggregate stability \u2212 depending on the type of intercrop; alternatively, rotation of arable crops only resulted in adverse effects. A clear positive trend was observed for earthworm abundance under organic agriculture. Further, organic agriculture generally resulted in increased aggregate stability and greater SOM content. Overall, no clear trend was found for pH; a decrease in yield was observed under organic agriculture in this review.", "keywords": ["Soil Science", "Organic chemistry", "Crop", "01 natural sciences", "Long-term field experiments", "Crop Productivity", "Soil quality", "Environmental science", "Organic Matter Dynamics", "Tillage", "Agricultural and Biological Sciences", "Soil quality indicators", "Crop rotation", "Management of Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity", "Soil water", "FOS: Mathematics", "Agricultural management practices", "Monoculture", "Crop Yield Stability", "Biology", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "Literature review", "Response ratio", "Soil science", "2. Zero hunger", "Soil organic matter", "Soil Fertility", "Conventional tillage", "Geography", "Life Sciences", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Soil Nutrient Management", "15. Life on land", "Agronomy", "Chemistry", "Archaeology", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Organic matter", "Intercropping in Agricultural Systems", "Soil Carbon Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling in Ecosystems", "Agronomy and Crop Science", "Mathematics"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.60692/wzwcw-szh03"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agriculture%2C%20Ecosystems%20%26amp%3B%20Environment", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.60692/wzwcw-szh03", "name": "item", "description": "10.60692/wzwcw-szh03", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.60692/wzwcw-szh03"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-10-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.7910/DVN/3BLW7E", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-25T16:30:51Z", "type": "Dataset", "created": "2020-02-20", "title": "Soil organic carbon in agricultural systems of six countries in East Africa \u2013 a literature review of status and carbon sequestration potential", "description": "Open AccessA systematic literature review of existing evidence on soil organic carbon (SOC) responses to agronomic best management practices (BMPs) in cultivated soils of East Africa, focusing on Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Burundi. Examining current evidence on the extent to which BMPs can increase SOC stocks and whether net SOC sequestration is attainable in this region. The study also sought to identify knowledge gaps and make recommendations for future research. Independent variables: \u2022 Annual rainfall (mm year-1), as semi-arid (<600), sub-humid (601-1200), moist sub-humid (1201-1500), or humid (>1500) \u2022 Temperature \u2022 Location, \u2022 Altitude - lowland (<1500 m above sea level (a.s.l.)) or highland (\u2265 1500 m a.s.l.). \u2022 Soil characteristics \u2013 type, bulk density, texture \u2022 The time period after which changes in SOC were measured - short-term (<10 years), medium-term (10-25 years), and long-term (>25 years). \u2022 Soil depth: 0-30 cm, 0-50 cm, and 0-100 cm. Dependent variables \u2022 Soil organic carbon stock (t C ha 1) \u2022 Soil organic carbon sequestration (t C ha 1 year-1) \u2022 Soil organic carbon loss (t C ha 1 year-1)", "keywords": ["soil organic carbon", "carbono organico del suelo", "Agricultural Sciences", "Soil organic carbon", "Earth and Environmental Sciences", "cropland", "Africa", "Cropland", "Multifunctional Landscapes", "tierras agricolas", "Best management practices", "East Africa"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Namirembe, Sara, Piikki, Kristin, Sommer, Rolf, S\u00f6derstr\u00f6m, Mats, Tessema, Bezaye, Nyawira, Sylvia,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/3BLW7E"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.7910/DVN/3BLW7E", "name": "item", "description": "10.7910/DVN/3BLW7E", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.7910/DVN/3BLW7E"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/279377", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-25T16:31:09Z", "type": "Other", "title": "Managing water scarcity European and Chinese cropping systems", "description": "Open AccessPeer reviewed", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Conservation agriculture", "Cover crops", "Cropping systems", "Best Management Practices", "Water use efficiency", "SHui", "15. Life on land", "Remote sensing", "6. Clean water", "EU-China engagement", "13. Climate action", "Tree deficit irrigation", "Crop modeling", "Precision irrigation"], "contacts": [{"organization": "G\u00f3mez Calero, Jos\u00e9 Alfonso, Alarc\u00f3n Caba\u00f1ero, Juan Jos\u00e9, Intrigliolo, Diego S., Dost\u00e1l, Tom\u00e1\u0161, Quaranta, Gianni, Lannoy, Gabrielle de, Dodd, Ian C., Salvia, Rossana,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10261/279377"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10261/279377", "name": "item", "description": "10261/279377", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10261/279377"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/394489", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Embargo", "updated": "2026-06-25T16:31:16Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Effect of regenerative agriculture in a commercial olive orchard in southern Spain after six years of implementation", "description": "EmbargoThis work has been supported by the Projects: \u201cMonitoring, reporting and verification of soil carbon and greenhouse gases balance\u201d (https://www.project-marvic.eu/) and Transforming Unsustainable management of soils in key agricultural systems in EU and China, Developing an integrated platform of alternatives to reverse soil degradation, under grant agreements No 101112942 and No 101000224, respectively.", "keywords": ["Agricultura sostenible", "Agroecolog\u00eda", "Cultivo le\u00f1oso", "Management practices", "Pr\u00e1cticas de manejo", "Woody crop", "Sustainable agriculture", "Agroecology"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Torr\u00fas-Castillo, Milagros, Macan, Giovana P. F., Landa, Blanca B., G\u00f3mez Calero, Jos\u00e9 Alfonso,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10261/394489"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10261/394489", "name": "item", "description": "10261/394489", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10261/394489"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2025-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2807448259", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-25T16:33:07Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-05-31", "title": "Effects of agricultural management practices on soil quality: A review of long-term experiments for Europe and China", "description": "Open AccessIn this paper we present effects of four paired agricultural management practices (organic matter (OM) addition versus no organic matter input, no-tillage (NT) versus conventional tillage, crop rotation versus monoculture, and organic agriculture versus conventional agriculture) on five key soil quality indicators, i.e., soil organic matter (SOM) content, pH, aggregate stability, earthworms (numbers) and crop yield. We have considered organic matter addition, no-tillage, crop rotation and organic agriculture as 'promising practices'; no organic matter input, conventional tillage, monoculture and conventional farming were taken as the respective references or 'standard practice' (baseline). Relative effects were analysed through indicator response ratio (RR) under each paired practice. For this we considered data of 30 long-term experiments collected from 13 case study sites in Europe and China as collated in the framework of the EU-China funded iSQAPER project. These were complemented with data from 42 long-term experiments across China and 402 observations of long-term trials published in the literature. Out of these, we only considered experiments covering at least five years. The results show that OM addition favourably affected all the indicators under consideration. The most favourable effect was reported on earthworm numbers, followed by yield, SOM content and soil aggregate stability. For pH, effects depended on soil type; OM input favourably affected the pH of acidic soils, whereas no clear trend was observed under NT. NT generally led to increased aggregate stability and greater SOM content in upper soil horizons. However, the magnitude of the relative effects varied, e.g. with soil texture. No-tillage practices enhanced earthworm populations, but not where herbicides or pesticides were applied to combat weeds and pests. Overall, in this review, yield slightly decreased under NT. Crop rotation had a positive effect on SOM content and yield; rotation with ley very positively influenced earthworms' numbers. Overall, crop rotation had little impact on soil pH and aggregate stability \u2212 depending on the type of intercrop; alternatively, rotation of arable crops only resulted in adverse effects. A clear positive trend was observed for earthworm abundance under organic agriculture. Further, organic agriculture generally resulted in increased aggregate stability and greater SOM content. Overall, no clear trend was found for pH; a decrease in yield was observed under organic agriculture in this review.", "keywords": ["Soil Science", "Organic chemistry", "Crop", "01 natural sciences", "Long-term field experiments", "Crop Productivity", "Soil quality", "Environmental science", "Organic Matter Dynamics", "Tillage", "Agricultural and Biological Sciences", "Soil quality indicators", "Crop rotation", "Management of Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity", "Soil water", "FOS: Mathematics", "Agricultural management practices", "Monoculture", "Crop Yield Stability", "Biology", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "Literature review", "Response ratio", "Soil science", "2. Zero hunger", "Soil organic matter", "Soil Fertility", "Conventional tillage", "Geography", "Life Sciences", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Soil Nutrient Management", "15. Life on land", "Agronomy", "Chemistry", "Archaeology", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Organic matter", "Intercropping in Agricultural Systems", "Soil Carbon Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling in Ecosystems", "Agronomy and Crop Science", "Mathematics"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/2807448259"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agriculture%2C%20Ecosystems%20%26amp%3B%20Environment", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2807448259", "name": "item", "description": "2807448259", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2807448259"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-10-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2164/20743", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-25T16:32:45Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-04-07", "title": "A Review of Permanent Grassland Grazing Management Practices and the Impacts on Principal Soil Quality Indicators", "description": "

Grasslands are at risk of degradation due to unsustainable management practices and climate change. Sustainable grassland soil management can promote ecosystem service delivery and improve the resilience of the entire grassland ecosystem to anthropogenic change. Here, we re-view the principal soil quality indicators (SQIs) and how they have been used to evaluate the sustainability of different grassland management practices globally. We then discuss sustainable grazing management practices, before reviewing some novel grassland species which may im-prove grassland resilience with relevance for grassland management in Europe and the UK. We also give an overview of current sustainable grassland management methods and their assessment at field scale. From this, we suggest that sustainable Grazing Management Plans (GMPs), together with the testing of drought-resistant grass species and appropriate SQIs monitoring, is key to increasing resilience of grassland ecosystems to anthropogenic change.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "330", "S", "QH301 Biology", "soil quality indicators; grazing management; ecosystem services; permanent grasslands; management practices", "Agriculture", "15. Life on land", "12. Responsible consumption", "Permanent grasslands", "permanent grasslands", "QH301", "Soil quality indicators", "13. Climate action", "SDG 13 - Climate Action", "agricultural_science_and_agronomy_16", "management practices", "Ecosystem services", "Grazing management", "soil quality indicators", "grazing management", "ecosystem services"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://iris.unito.it/bitstream/2318/1910970/1/A53%20Grassland%20erosion%20Agronomy.pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/5/1366/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2164/20743"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agronomy", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2164/20743", "name": "item", "description": "2164/20743", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2164/20743"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-04-06T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3036384722", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-25T16:33:33Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-06-22", "title": "The effect of crop residues, cover crops, manures and nitrogen fertilization on soil organic carbon changes in agroecosystems: a synthesis of reviews", "description": "Abstract

International initiatives are emphasizing the capture of atmospheric CO2 in soil organic C (SOC) to reduce the climatic footprint from agroecosystems. One approach to quantify the contribution of management practices towards that goal is through analysis of long-term experiments (LTEs). Our objectives were to analyze knowledge gained in literature reviews on SOC changes in LTEs, to evaluate the results regarding interactions with pedo-climatological factors, and to discuss disparities among reviews in data selection criteria. We summarized mean response ratios (RRs) and stock change rate (SCR) effect size indices from twenty reviews using paired comparisons (N). The highest RRs were found with manure applications (30%, N\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff89418), followed by aboveground crop residue retention and the use of cover crops (9\uffe2\uff80\uff9310%, N\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff89995 and 129), while the effect of nitrogen fertilization was lowest (6%, N\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff89846). SCR for nitrogen fertilization exceeded that for aboveground crop residue retention (233 versus 117\uffc2\uffa0kg\uffc2\uffa0C\uffc2\uffa0ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921\uffc2\uffa0year\uffe2\uff88\uff921, N\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff89183 and 279) and was highest for manure applications and cover crops (409 and 331\uffc2\uffa0kg\uffc2\uffa0C\uffc2\uffa0ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921\uffc2\uffa0year\uffe2\uff88\uff921, N\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff89217 and 176). When data allows, we recommend calculating both RR and SCR because it improves the interpretation. Our synthesis shows that results are not always consistent among reviews and that interaction with texture and climate remain inconclusive. Selection criteria for study durations are highly variable, resulting in irregular conclusions for the effect of time on changes in SOC. We also discuss the relationships of SOC changes with yield and cropping systems, as well as conceptual problems when scaling-up results obtained from field studies to regional levels.