Manure and Perennials Leave a Lasting Legacy on Soil Health
A study led by Dr. Louceline Fleuridor found that integrating crops and livestock can support healthier soils, especially when manure and perennial crops are used consistently over several years. The on-farm study in Ohio examined how five years of management history were related to soil biological health.
What Did the Researchers Study?
The researchers collected soil samples from 86 fields across 31 farms in 2022 and 2023. They grouped the fields into four management categories:
- Annual crops only
- Annual crops with manure
- Annual and perennial crops with manure
- Long-term perennial hay or pasture with manure
The researchers measured soil organic matter and several indicators of microbial activity and nutrient cycling. Together, these measurements helped show how actively the soil’s biological community was functioning.-hour soil respiration, ACE protein, β-glucosidase activity, and arylsulfatase activity.
What Did They Find?
Manure alone was not linked to significantly better biological soil health in fields planted mainly with annual crops. The strongest results occurred in fields that had a history of both manure use and perennial crops.
Long-term hay and pasture fields had the highest biological soil health. More frequent manure applications and more years under perennial crops were also associated with better results.
Cover crops did not show consistent effects on the biological indicators measured in this study. Soil clay content also affected the results, showing that soil type should be considered when comparing soil health among fields.
Why Does This Matter?
Perennial crops remain in the soil longer than annual crops and provide living roots for much of the year. When combined with manure, they can supply the soil with repeated sources of organic material that support soil organisms and nutrient cycling.
The findings suggest that improvements in biological soil health develop through the combined effects of management practices used consistently over time—not necessarily from adopting one practice for only a few seasons.
Key Takeaway
Fields with a long history of perennial crops and manure use had the strongest biological soil health. The study suggests that conservation programs should support long-term perennial crop integration and appropriate manure use while recognizing that the effects of cover crops may vary among farms and soil types.
Reference: Fleuridor, L., Haden, V. R., Jackson-Smith, D., Kumar, H., Otaviano, E., Woods, T., Lyon, S., Chiavegato, M., Brown, C., & Hampton, J. (2026). The legacy effects of integrating crop and livestock production on soil biological health. Soil and Tillage Research, 264, 107315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2026.107315
