{"id":137,"date":"2018-02-13T10:46:16","date_gmt":"2018-02-13T10:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=137"},"modified":"2018-05-29T23:45:21","modified_gmt":"2018-05-29T23:45:21","slug":"cultural-cross-fertilisation-to-rescue-soils","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/137\/cultural-cross-fertilisation-to-rescue-soils\/","title":{"rendered":"Cultural cross-fertilisation to rescue soils"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sharing best practice farming techniques with farmers from different cultures and traditions could help increase the quality of our soils \u2013 a vital step in ensuring that we can grow enough food for people in the coming decades.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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At Wageningen University in the Netherlands, scientists are coding an app that will allow farmers in countries as far away as China to compare soil quality with their smartphones.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

With a flick of the finger, farmers will be able to post soil test results to the cloud and share details on how they work their fields. The platform will allow food producers in similar climates abroad to assess the long-term impact of these farming techniques and the merits of applying them to their own crops.<\/p>\n

Dr Luuk Fleskens, who is developing the app through the EU-funded iSQAPER project, says that farmers from different cultures have a lot to learn from each other. \u2018The wheat growing area in north-eastern China is comparable to the conditions in eastern Poland,\u2019 said Dr Fleskens. \u2018Same crop and same conditions but different fertilisation strategies.\u2019<\/p>\n

Since the introduction of the Nitrates Directive in 1991, the EU has limited the use of chemical fertilisers. In contrast, China\u2019s wheat fields rely on chemical inputs, which gradually erode the quality of their soil.<\/p>\n

By offering a window into what has worked well in Europe, iSQAPER can help wean Chinese farmers off unnecessary growth additives. Likewise, the app allows vast testing facilities in China to share their results with EU researchers on emerging environmentally-friendly farming techniques.<\/p>\n

Cross-checking<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cross-checking results has long presented a challenge in agronomy. Harvests vary each year depending on uncontrollable variables such as pest invasions and the weather. At present, agricultural records tend to be local and fragmented. Few farmers test their own soil and each country adopts its own metrics to evaluate field outputs and soil quality. Tools like iSQAPER are bringing big data within reach of agronomists for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u2018We now have a simple technology to communicate between researchers and farmers directly,\u2019 said Dr Fleskens. \u2018We are collecting a truly global dataset on soil quality.\u2019<\/p>\n

The iSQAPER consortium will test its app across 14 sites in the EU and China before releasing a full beta version this summer. If the right testing standards and data ownership measures can be introduced, these measurements could turn into the first truly representative data sample on global soil. An archive on this scale would prove useful to check the effectiveness and sustainability of different farming techniques.<\/p>\n

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\u2018We need to produce more food per acre if we want to nourish the world’s growing population.\u2019<\/p>\n

Professor Oene Oenema, Wageningen Environmental Research, the Netherlands<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s a perspective that is urgently needed. According to Professor Oene Oenema at Wageningen Environmental Research, an increasing use of machinery, chemical fertilisers and pesticides in modern-day farming could be masking a worrying decline in soil quality.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018There is a matter of concern if you look at this from a global scale,\u2019 said Prof. Oenema. \u2018We need to produce more food per acre if we want to nourish the world\u2019s growing population.\u2019<\/p>\n

In China and other major food markets, the solution has long been to increase the dose of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. This ticking time-bomb places future agricultural yields at risk.<\/p>\n

As part of a project called SoilCare, funded by the EU, Prof. Oenema is helping identify and evaluate promising soil-improving\u00a0cropping systems from 16 test sites across Europe. These involve, for instance, natural pesticides, smarter crop rotations and tricks to redress local populations of pollinators.<\/p>\n

Scrutiny<\/strong><\/p>\n

SoilCare coordinator Dr Rudi Hessel, also at Wageningen Environmental Research, says that controlled experiments are exposing established farming techniques to the scrutiny of science, sometimes running against millennia of malpractice.<\/p>\n

\u2018In some parts of Europe, farmers consider that fields do not look tidy if there are weeds or plants beneath the crops,\u2019 said Dr Hessel. \u2018That\u2019s a cultural thing, but from a scientific perspective it is good to have other plants there.\u2019<\/p>\n

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The Issue<\/h3>\n

The declining quality of our soils, known as soil degradation, could have dramatic impacts on our food system. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that\u00a095% of our food is directly or indirectly produced on soils<\/a>\u00a0and the vast majority of food-producing plants need healthy soil to grow.<\/p>\n

It also impacts climate and health. Soils are one of the largest carbon storage areas on Earth, holding about twice as much organic carbon as above-ground vegetation, except in tropical ecosystems. Poor soil quality could not only reduce this function but also lead to a greater incidence of diseases such as tetanus or parasites such as hookworm.<\/p>\n

In 2012, the EU\u2019s\u00a0Joint Research Centre estimated<\/a>\u00a0that the yearly cost of soil degradation due to human activities and natural causes in the EU could be \u20ac38 billion a year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Originally published on Horizon<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sharing best practice farming techniques with farmers from different cultures and traditions could help increase the quality of our soils \u2013 a vital step in ensuring that we can grow enough food for people in the coming decades. At Wageningen University in the Netherlands, scientists are coding an app that will allow farmers in countries … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":312,"featured_media":138,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[2,4,44,109,78],"class_list":["post-137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-energy-environment","tag-agriculture","tag-environment","tag-food","tag-soil","tag-sustainability"],"yoast_head":"\nCultural cross-fertilisation to rescue soils - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/137\/cultural-cross-fertilisation-to-rescue-soils\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cultural cross-fertilisation to rescue soils\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sharing best practice farming techniques with farmers from different cultures and traditions could help increase the quality of our soils \u2013 a vital step in ensuring that we can grow enough food for people in the coming decades. 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Soil also contains unimaginable numbers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Healthy soil is crucial for life","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/focus_on_soils.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/focus_on_soils.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/focus_on_soils.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1826,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1826\/on-course-for-healthier-more-sustainable-soil\/","url_meta":{"origin":137,"position":2},"title":"On course for healthier, more sustainable soil","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"September 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"If we want to transition to a greener, healthier and more climate resilient Europe, it is important to ensure our soils are in good condition. 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Soil hosts a quarter of our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/HM-Soil-Biodiversity_Amadeu-Biasco-Shutterstock_1967513797-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/HM-Soil-Biodiversity_Amadeu-Biasco-Shutterstock_1967513797-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/HM-Soil-Biodiversity_Amadeu-Biasco-Shutterstock_1967513797-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/HM-Soil-Biodiversity_Amadeu-Biasco-Shutterstock_1967513797-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/HM-Soil-Biodiversity_Amadeu-Biasco-Shutterstock_1967513797-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1820,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1820\/digital-data-drives-better-soil-management\/","url_meta":{"origin":137,"position":3},"title":"Digital data drives better soil management","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"September 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"When we think about limited resources in agriculture, water is normally the first that springs to mind. The bad news is that just like water, soil is a finite resource that is fast deteriorating as a result of human activity. The good news: research is providing farmers, landowners and policymakers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/soil-data17sept.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/soil-data17sept.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/09\/soil-data17sept.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":474,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/474\/recharging-soils-with-carbon-could-make-farms-more-productive\/","url_meta":{"origin":137,"position":4},"title":"Recharging soils with carbon could make farms more productive","author":"Steve Gillman","date":"September 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Turning crop waste and discarded paper into a material called biochar could help to capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil while also helping to enrich farmland. Agriculture has historically been a circular industry where crops use nutrients in the soil to grow\u00a0which\u00a0are then replaced through\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Agriculture should be a good example of a circular economy, but modern farming practices and international markets have changed that.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/fieldcr.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/fieldcr.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/fieldcr.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/fieldcr.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/fieldcr.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/fieldcr.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2918,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2918\/waste-not-want-not-turning-food-waste-into-fertile-soil-for-sustainable-growth\/","url_meta":{"origin":137,"position":5},"title":"Waste not, want not: turning food waste into fertile soil for sustainable growth","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"December 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"EU-funded researchers are turning food processing waste into a valuable resource, transforming discarded biomaterials into natural fertilisers. By Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro In Catalonia there are 7.7 million residents and approximately 7.9 million pigs. That\u2019s over one pig per person. Large-scale pig farming has led to an excess of nitrogen in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Agriculture"","block_context":{"text":"Agriculture","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/agriculture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Efforts to recycle food production waste into natural fertilisers are a win-win for farmers and the environment. \u00a9 LamoonfilmPhoto, Shutterstock.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/04.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/04.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/04.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/04.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/04.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/04.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/312"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}