Cattle and carbon: Soil organic matter associates with physical properties

Authors: Franzluebbers, Alan

Submitted to: Trade Journal Publication
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/16/2025
Publication Date: 5/5/2025
Citation: Franzluebbers, A.J. 2025. Cattle and carbon: Soil organic matter associates with physical properties. Trade Journal Publication. Vol. 39, Issue 5, p. 30-32.

Interpretive Summary: Water infiltration and retention are physical characteristics of soil that make land productive and healthy. These characteristics can be changed with land management, particularly with grassland management using different forage species, stock densities, and frequencies of harvest. An ARS scientist in Raleigh North Carolina described how soil organic matter affected these important soil physical properties among a diversity of farms in North Carolina. Soil organic matter negatively associates with bulk density and positively associates with soil aggregation and water-holding capacity. This article is the ninth of an educational series targeting cattle producers as the primary audience in the monthly Carolina Cattle Connection, a trade journal for the cattle industry in the Carolinas. The intent of this series of articles is to provide reliable information that can strengthen pasture management practices for the future.

Technical Abstract: Water infiltration and retention are physical characteristics of soil that make land productive and healthy. These characteristics can be changed with land management, particularly with grassland management using different forage species, stock densities, and frequencies of harvest. An ARS scientist in Raleigh North Carolina described how soil organic matter affected these important soil physical properties among a diversity of farms in North Carolina. Soil organic matter negatively associates with bulk density and positively associates with soil aggregation and water-holding capacity. This article is the ninth of an educational series targeting cattle producers as the primary audience in the monthly Carolina Cattle Connection, a trade journal for the cattle industry in the Carolinas. The intent of this series of articles is to provide reliable information that can strengthen pasture management practices for the future.