FFoQSI: Soil organic carbon indicators for sustainable and climate change resilient food production systems
Abstract
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the main components of sustainable cropping systems with relevance for resource efficiency and climate change adaptation/mitigation. Soil microbial processes are recognized as a key driver in SOC formation and stabilization. Currently a major limitation to effectively guide management of cropping systems towards improved SOC levels is the lack of suitable indicators and analytical tools for the relevant biochemical and microbial pathways of SOC formation. This project aims to (1) determine the impact of sustainable food production systems on major SOC fractions, (ii) develop high-throughput indicators based on EUF extraction procedure to monitor management effects on SOC formation pathway, and (iii) to evaluate the potential of soil additives to enhance soil quality and determine the impact on crop stress tolerance, yield and product quality. Based on a state-of the art soil organic carbon framework, sustainable food production systems (high rotational diversity, intense cover cropping, and minimum tillage intensity) on different soil types are analysed for changes in soil organic carbon pools and biochemical/microbial carbon fractions of relevance for soil quality, compared to standard management and permanently vegetated natural reference fields. From the dataset, protocols for the use of EUF analysis as high-throughput procedure for indicators to monitor management impacts on SOC formation pathways are established. Based on the developed indicators the potential of four different soil additives to enhance SOC and soil quality is evaluated and the effect of the obtained changes in soil on crop stress tolerance, yield and product quality is evaluated. The project will reveal the potential of agricultural management systems and biological soil additives to influence SOC formation pathways and improve soil quality parameters enhancing the sustainability of crop production and product quality.
soil organic carbon sustainable production systems indicators climate change
Publikationen
Project staff
Gernot Bodner
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Gernot Bodner
gernot.bodner@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-95115
Project Leader
01.04.2021 - 31.12.2024
Luca Giuliano Bernardini
Luca Giuliano Bernardini MSc.
luca.bernardini@students.boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.05.2021 - 31.12.2021
Katharina Keiblinger
Priv.-Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Katharina Keiblinger
katharina.keiblinger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91141
Project Staff
01.04.2021 - 31.12.2024
BOKU partners
External partners
Agrana Research & Innovation Center GmbH
none
partner
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
none
partner