Topsoil organic matter comparison tool

 

Soils are a critical resource, not only for food production and biodiversity, but also for managing water and storing carbon. Efficient management of agricultural soil is thus a key element of long-term sustainability.

CXC commissioned the James Hutton Institute to develop a free, easy-to-use tool for land managers to enable them to compare the measured organic matter and carbon content of their topsoil to typical values for Scotland.

The tool is based on the National Soils Map of Scotland data (as currently available on Scotland’s Soils website) and provides reference/context information for the measured organic matter value at any site.

The soils data is processed within the platform so that the input required by the land manager is as simple as possible and optimal data is used.

The tool aims to help land managers understand quickly whether the soil in a particular area has good organic matter content, and alert them to the need for further action.

The tool can be accessed on the James Hutton website at: https://om.hutton.ac.uk/

Lead researchers: David Donnelly and Allan Lilly