Organic matter is the dead and decaying plant and animal material that gives soil its spongy texture and nice smell. It's the productive capital of agriculture. It's what holds water in the soil in dry years and allows it to drain in wet years. It helps prevent soil erosion and reduces soil compaction. It breaks down gradually to provide nutrients for plant growth, and gets built up with additions of plant residues and manure.
Organic matter can act as a filter, cleaning air and water.
It exchanges gases with the atmosphere and thus influences global climate. It helps prevent erosion and holds on to nutrients. The amount of organic matter in ' soils depends on the balance between formation and decomposition. In our new ledger, we will count the cost of declining soil productivity as a loss. Not surprisingly, the soil organic matter was higher for manured treatments than synthetically fertilized ones.