Project
Towards a mechanistic understanding of interventions for improving soil functions
Healthy soils are at the heart of this research defined in the SoilProS project, as they are pivotal for the development of sustainable production of food. My project focuses on the mechanistic understanding of soil chemical processes to improve specific soil functions in sustainable agricultural practices by applying interventions like soil amendments, micro organism inoculation, and plant mixtures. The project's objective is to enhance our comprehension of how soil functions can be effectively improved by implementing interventions, promoting soil health and long-term sustainability.
Background
Healthy soils are vital for supporting a wide range of ecosystem functions and ensuring productive agriculture. They play a crucial role in nutrient cycling, carbon storage, and water filtration, thanks, among others, to the wealth of biodiversity present in soils. However, intensive agriculture have led to soil degradation, posing significant challenges to maintaining soil health. Therefore, it is essential to understand the complex interactions between soil processes, microbial communities, and agricultural practices in order to develop effective strategies for enhancing soil functions and promoting soil resilience.
Description
In this research project, which is part of the SoilProS project, I will investigate the soil chemical mechanisms when intervening in the soil system via soil amendments, micro-organism inoculation, and plant mixtures for improving soil functions towards a more sustainable food production. The project aims to explore the impact of these interventions on key soil functions including soil carbon storage, soil structure, nutrient supply, soil filter function, and soil resilience. Various experimental approaches will be utilised at different scales, including batch and column experiments, mesocosm studies, using chemical and biological analyses in combination with chemical speciation and reactive transport modelling to gain mechanistic insights into how these interventions enhance soil functions, contributing to soil health and sustainability.
Results
The expected outcome of this research is that specific soil amendments, inoculants, and plants, or a mix of them, can be utilised to influence critical soil properties, which are directly linked to important soil functions. For example, we expect that by adding iron sludge soil's iron oxide content will increase, leading to improved soil filtration capacity and carbon storage, ultimately resulting in healthier soils. Depending on soil type and specific function to be improved, the chemical mechanisms involved will be different and will determine how well these interventions work. As a result, with the findings of this research we aim to be able to advice soil managers and farmers with tailored interventions to enhance relevant soil properties, offering important direction for long-term soil management and ecosystem health.