Organic carbon in agricultural soils of the Mexican tropics

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an indicator of soil health, so it is a priority to study it. The objective of this paper is to show the crops that have been studied and reported on for their SOC content in Mexico’s tropical region. For this, published scientific references for the states of the Yucatan Peninsula, Guerrero, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco and Chiapas were consulted. The documents were grouped according to use and intensity of agricultural production and descriptive statistical values were estimated. Results indicate that out of a total of 164 crops there is evidence that 21 have been studied. SOC contents are displayed, ranging from 0.8 to 16 %. Agricultural activities that modify SOC content are also highlighted. Finally, the potential for future work and recommendations for priority research areas are analyzed.