Vidi grant to explore how soil life can help crops access nutrients during drought

Phosphorus is essential for crop growth, but Europe remains heavily dependent on imported phosphate rock, a finite resource. At the same time, large amounts of phosphorus are lost through waste streams. Struvite, a fertiliser recovered from wastewater, offers a promising alternative. However, it releases phosphorus relatively slowly, particularly under dry conditions. This makes farmers uncertain about its effectiveness as droughts become more frequent due to climate change.

With UP-LIFE (Unlocking the Power of Soil Life for Future-proofing Crops), Alix aims to discover whether soil organisms can help crops access phosphorus from struvite, even when water is scarce. While previous research on recycled fertilisers has mainly focused on soil chemistry, UP-LIFE places soil biology at the centre.

Through laboratory and field experiments, isotope tracing and computer modelling, Alix will investigate how roots, microbes and earthworms influence phosphorus availability under drought conditions. The findings will help predict when and where struvite can be used effectively, supporting farmers in making informed decisions about recycled fertilisers.

"Biology and chemistry are closely intertwined, yet soil life is often overlooked when developing new fertilisers. I want to understand how soil organisms can help unlock nutrients that would otherwise remain unavailable to crops. Ultimately, this could contribute to an agricultural system that is more resilient to drought and less dependent on finite resources."

The Vidi grant will allow Alix to establish her own research team, supervise two PhD candidates and further develop her research on plant-soil interactions and circular agriculture. She also looks forward to bringing the project's findings into her teaching at Wageningen University, strengthening the connection between research and education.