Topsoil Degradation Threatens Global Food Production, New Study Reveals

Agricultural researchers have emphasized the critical role that topsoil plays in global food production, highlighting the need to address topsoil degradation to ensure sustainable agricultural practices. A recent study published in the scientific journal Agronomy has shed new light on the impact of topsoil degradation on crop yields and nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency. The research, conducted by a team of scientists from the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, found that increasing topsoil depth can significantly improve maize grain yield and nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency.

Key Takeaways:

• The study revealed that topsoil degradation poses a significant threat to global food production, with approximately 49.4% increase in grain yield observed with increasing topsoil depth from 10 cm to 50 cm.
• The study found that the nitrogen use efficiency (NFUE) rose from 14.2% to 64.9% with increasing topsoil depth from 10 cm to 50 cm, while the grain nitrogen use efficiency (G-NFUE) climbed from 9.0% to 36.2% between 10 cm and 40 cm depths.
• The research concluded that a topsoil depth threshold of 30 cm is required for maize to achieve high yields and efficiency.
• The study provided evidence that increasing topsoil depth can effectively increase the source of nutrients absorbed by a crop by increasing access to additional resources stored in deeper soils.
• The research also found that nitrogen fertilizers applied during the season were generally enriched in soil at a depth of 30-40 cm.

Statistics:

• 49.4% increase in grain yield observed with increasing topsoil depth from 10 cm to 50 cm.
• 14.2% to 64.9% rise in nitrogen use efficiency (NFUE) with increasing topsoil depth from 10 cm to 50 cm.
• 9.0% to 36.2% climb in grain nitrogen use efficiency (G-NFUE) between 10 cm and 40 cm depths.
• 30 cm identified as the threshold topsoil depth required for maize to achieve high yields and efficiency.

Sources:

• VerticalNews. (2025, October 16). Researchers detail new data in Topsoil Degradation Research. Agriculture Week.
• Zhang, X., et al. (2025). Increasing topsoil depth improves yield and nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency in maize. Agronomy, 15(9), 2160.