ALT This study used a questionnaire to examine how smallholder farmers in Tobago conceptualise and monitor soil health, emphasising biological indicators and the knowledge systems that underlie on-farm decision making. Most of the farmers relied on their own knowledge and peer advice to assess soil quality. Age was significantly associated with lime use and tenure, while education correlated with earthworm observation. Notably, 71% of farmers associated earthworm presence with improved soil function. Framing the findings of the study as components of a farmer knowledge system suggests that soil health monitoring should prioritise simple, visible, low-cost indicators, translate technical outputs into farmer-relevant formats and address structural barriers to support sustained adoption.

ALT This study assessed SOC stocks, POM, MAOM, organic functional groups and soil biological activity at two sites where soybean was grown annually in the main season, followed by different second-season systems. The mix of cover crops, which combined greater residue input with more diverse aboveground biomass quality, was associated with a more chemically diverse organic matter pool, higher biological activity and greater POM. The cover crop mix increased POM by 53%, while MAOM responses varied according to site and soil depth. Structural equation modelling indicated positive associations among aboveground biomass, soil biological activity, MAOM and SOC stocks. The findings provide field-based evidence that diverse cover crops can enhance soil carbon accrual in tropical agroecosystems.

ALT SUM Call for Papers Linking Nematodes to Soil Functions Across Land Use and Environmental Gradients