Soil health responses to nature-positive management regulate soil water infiltration in semi-arid agroecosystems

Nature-positive farming, an approach that improves crop production while increasing resilience and harmony between nature and society, is expected to enhance soil health and increase soil water infiltration. However, limited research exists on how diverse nature-positive farming practices affect soil health and soil water infiltration dynamics. This study assessed the impact of three nature-positive farming practices on soil water infiltration and the relationship with other soil properties. For this, soil water infiltration was measured using a SATURO dual-head infiltrometer, and selected soil health parameters were measured in soil samples collected from 0-15 cm depth of the respective fields. The results show significantly higher water infiltration rates in nature-positive practices than their respective controls, with infiltration rates 86% to 198% higher in nature-positive management than in controls. Identifying factors regulating infiltration rate using a linear mixed-effects model shows 70 % of the total variation in infiltration was governed by soil health indicators, with water stable aggregates being the most critical factor, accounting for 49% of the total variation. Nature-positive management could be a sustainable solution to improve soil health and security in semi-arid agroecosystems, and stability of soil aggregates plays a critical role in improved water functions, including soil water infiltration, irrespective of the nature-positive practices.