13 September

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has published its Commissioned Research on Sustainable Management of Agricultural Soils. The report provides a review of existing soil regulatory frameworks, and of schemes supporting the sustainable management of agricultural soils in England. This will support the OEP in monitoring the government’s aim to bring 40% of agricultural soils into sustainable management by 2028.

The Welsh government's new Integrated Natural Resources Scheme (INRS) policy is now open for applications for farmers. The scheme aims to provide funding for regenerative natural resource stewardship, including enhancing carbon-rich soils and natural flood risk management.

Defra has released findings from the Farming and Countryside Programme annual report which confirm a £358 million underspend of the promised agriculture budget over the past 3 years. As a result, the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has expressed its doubt over achieving its target for agriculture in England and Wales to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.

Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland and farmer has been appointed chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee - the body responsible for assessing DEFRA’s expenditure and policy. Carmichael has promised to give a voice to rural land stewards and communities.

Scientists have found yet another way to improve potential plant productivity on the moon. Researchers at the China Agricultural University in Beijing have found three species of bacteria which, when introduced to lunar soils, can rapidly increase soil phosphorus (a crucial plant-growing nutrient) fixation by more than 200%.

A new study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology has shown that ecoacoustics - the study of environmental sounds - can be used to identify structural and toxin content differences between healthy and degraded soils in addition to its typical use in soil organism detection.

As temperatures dip and Autumn rolls around, an increasing number of gardeners, farmers, and soil stewards across the Northern Hemisphere begin to turn to cover crops to keep their soil healthy over the colder, wetter seasons. Cover crops can reduce nutrient leaching, improve soil structure, and increase soil organic matter.

Three teenagers have completed a 1000km cycle from Bristol to Munich in the name of soil awareness. The three cyclists, working with the Save Soil campaign, saw an opportunity to raise awareness for the global movement working to progress soil health policies, completing their cycle in little over a week.