The big picture: using wildflower strips for pest control
They may be beautiful, but these strips prove pretty deadly for every farmer's mortal enemy: aphids
News
New field test shows how farming reshapes underground life
A simple research tool links soil pore networks to respiration, offering fresh insights into soil health
25 September, 2025
Beneath our feet lies a hidden architecture of channels and cavities that keeps soils alive. Now researchers at Rothamsted have developed a simple, field-ready test that reveals how these pore networks change under different types of farming, and why they matter.
The focus is on macropores: larger openings formed by roots, worms and natural cracking. These pores don’t just let water drain quickly; they also control how air and nutrients circulate underground, shaping the activity of microbes that drive soil health.
Until now, studying macropores in detail often meant costly laboratory imaging. The Rothamsted team refined an infiltration test so that it detects when the biggest pores begin to empty. By comparing these field results with high-resolution X-ray scans and direct measurements of soil respiration, they showed the new method reliably captures differences in soil structure and function.
For the first time, we have a straightforward field method that links this hidden structure directly to how soils function. That means we can track the fingerprints of land management on soil health directly in the field.
Results from the long-running Highfield experiment revealed clear contrasts. Grassland soils, rich in macropores, supported consistently higher microbial respiration than arable or bare fallow soils — even though all three had similar overall capacity to transmit water.
Lead author Dr William Rickard said, “We often think of soil as solid but in reality, it’s more like a sponge full of passages and chambers. These pores are where roots grow, microbes breathe, and water moves. For the first time, we have a straightforward field method that links this hidden structure directly to how soils function. That means we can track the fingerprints of land management on soil health directly in the field.”
Because the test is simple, and can be applied widely in field conditions, it could complement advanced imaging and support long-term monitoring of how farming practices reshape soil structure. Beyond research, it offers a practical way to see soils not just as dirt beneath our feet, but as living systems whose architecture underpins food production and environmental resilience.
Publication
Contacts
Dr Xiaoxian Zhang
Soil Scientist
Mr Imrul Hossain
Scientific Specialist
Dr William Whalley
SOIL SCIENTIST
ABOUT ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH
Rothamsted Research is the longest-running agricultural research institute in the world. We work from gene to field with a proud history of ground-breaking
discoveries in areas as diverse as crop management, statistical interpretation and soil health. Our founders, in 1843, were the pioneers of modern
agriculture, and we are known for our imaginative science and our collaborative approach to developing innovative farm practice.
Through independent research, we make significant contributions to improving agri-food systems in the UK and internationally, with
economic impact estimated to exceed £3 bn in annual contribution to the UK economy. Our strength lies in our systems approach, which combines strategic research,
interdisciplinary teams and multiple partnerships.
Rothamsted is home to three unique National Bioscience Research Infrastructures which are open to researchers from all over the world:
The Long-Term Experiments,
Rothamsted Insect Survey and the
North Wyke Farm Platform.
We are strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), with additional support from other national and
international funding streams, and from industry. We are also supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust (LAT).
ABOUT BBSRC
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid
from the UK government.
BBSRC invests to push back the frontiers of biology and deliver a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future. Through our investments, we build and support a vibrant,
dynamic and inclusive community which delivers ground-breaking discoveries and develops bio-based solutions that contribute to tackling global challenges,
such as sustainable food production, climate change, and healthy ageing.
As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), we not only play a pivotal role in fostering connections that enable the UK’s world-class research and innovation system
to flourish – we also have a responsibility to enable the creation of a research culture that is diverse, resilient, and engaged.
BBSRC proudly forges interdisciplinary collaborations where excellent bioscience has a fundamental role. We pioneer approaches that enhance the equality, diversity,
and inclusion of talent by investing in people, infrastructure, technologies, and partnerships on a global scale.
ABOUT LAT
The Lawes Agricultural Trust, established in 1889 by Sir John Bennet Lawes, supports Rothamsted Research’s national and international agricultural science through the provision of land, facilities and funding. LAT, a charitable trust, owns the estates at Harpenden and Broom's Barn, including many of the buildings used by Rothamsted Research. LAT provides an annual research grant to the Director, accommodation for nearly 200 people, and support for fellowships for young scientists from developing countries. LAT also makes capital grants to help modernise facilities at Rothamsted, or invests in new buildings.