Integrating Anthropogenic-Pesticide Interactions Into a Soil Health-Microbial Index for Sustainable Agriculture at Global Scale

Soil microbiota in intensive agriculture are threatened by pesticides, economic activities, and land-use changes. However, the interactions among these anthropogenic factors remain underexplored. By analyzing 2356 soil metagenomes from around the world, we developed a comprehensive soil health-microbial index that integrates microbial diversity, nutrient cycling potential, metabolic potential, primary productivity, and health risks to assess how the soil microbiota respond to anthropogenic factors. Our results indicated that the health-microbial index was the lowest with severe pesticide contamination. Pesticides, in combination with other anthropogenic and climatic factors, exacerbate the decline in this index. Machine learning predictions suggest that the health-microbial index in approximately 26% of global farmland could decline between 2015 and 2040, even under sustainable development scenarios. Even with strategies to reduce pesticide usage, we cannot completely halt the decline in the health-microbial index. Our findings highlight that sustaining soil microbial health on a global scale requires addressing not only pesticide management but also broader anthropogenic impacts.