Agriculture & Forestry, Vol. 69 Issue 4: 275-283, 2023, Podgorica 275 Mir, Y.H., Shah, A.M., Shah, T.I., Bangroo, S.A., Jaufer, L., Kader, S., Mincato, R.L., Marković, R. (2023): Methodological challenges in estimating soil organic matter: A review. Agriculture and Forestry, 69 (4): 275- 283. doi:10.17707/AgricultForest.69.4.19 DOI: 10.17707/AgricultForest.69.4.19 Yasir Hanif MIR 1 , Aanisa Manzoor SHAH 1 , Tajamul Islam SHAH, Shabir A. BANGROO 2 , Lizny JAUFER* 3 , Shuraik KADER 4 , Ronaldo Luiz MINCATO 5 , Rastko MARKOVIC 6 METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN ESTIMATING SOIL ORGANIC MATTER: A REVIEW SUMMARY Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a crucial role in soil health, fertility, and carbon cycling, making its accurate estimation essential for sustainable agriculture and ecosystem management. However, the quantification of SOM is fraught with methodological challenges that can introduce variability and uncertainty into assessments. Traditional techniques may lack specificity and accuracy, while advanced methods pose challenges related to calibration and standardization. The selection of an appropriate method is critical and requires careful consideration of soil characteristics, land use, and research objectives. This article reviews the key methodological challenges associated with estimating soil organic matter, aiming to provide an understanding of the complexities involved, and provides insights on the latest instrumentation for SOM measurements. Keywords: sustainable agriculture; soil organic matter (SOM); ecosystem management; land use; instrumentation 1 Yasir Hanif Mir, Aanisa Manzoor Shah, Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, INDIA; 2 Tajamul Islam Shah, Shabir A. Bangroo, Division of Soil Science, Faculty of Horticulture, Sher-e- Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, INDIA; 3 Lizny Jaufer (corresponding author: lizny96@gmail.com), School of Architecture, Liverpool John Moore University, Merseyside L3 5UX, UNITED KINGDOM; 4 Shuraik Kader, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, AUSTRALIA; Green Infrastructure Research Labs (GIRLS), Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4215, AUSTRALIA; 5 Ronaldo Luiz Mincato, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, ICN, Alfenas, BRAZIL; 6 Rastko Markovic, Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Niš, Višegradska 11, 18000 Niš, SERBIA. Notes: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Authorship Form signed online. Recieved:21/08/2023 Accepted:10/10/2023