Sustainable  Subsoil Management

Hidden under the organic matter rich surface soil  the subsoil is widely ignored as ressource for nutrients and water for plant production. The SOIL³ project aims at investigating the ressources of subsoils on a national scale. Options for an enhanced sustainable use and management of subsoil ressources will be evaluated.

Background and Objective

Plants extract between 10 and 80% of their nutrient and water demand from subsoils, but including the subsoil into sustainable management strategies is still in its fledging stages. In the SOIL³ project we evaluate how and to which degree the subsoil can be managed to secure or even increase plant yields and yield security by improving the overall nutrient and water use efficiency for field crops.

 

Approach

The rooting depth of crops is the key for agricultural subsoil management. We investigate the factors that determine rooting depth and distribution and evaluate options to facilitate deeper roots. The data from the German soil inventory agricultural and several long-term field experiments will be used to assess for the first time status and options of subsoil ressource use in Germany.

Thünen-Contact

• Don, Axel Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture

Involved Thünen-Partners

• Flessa, Heinz Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture
• Schneider, Florian Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture

Involved external Thünen-Partners

• Universität Bonn
  (Bonn, Deutschland)
• Technische Universität München
  (München, Deutschland)
• Forschungszentrum Jülich
  (Jülich, Deutschland)
• Ecologic Institut
  (Berlin, Deutschland)

Funding Body

• Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
  (national, öffentlich)

Duration

10.2015 - 9.2021

More Information

Projekt type:
Project funding number: FKZ 031B0026E
Funding program: BMBF - BonaRes
Project status: ongoing

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