Soil. Soil and soil fertility 

SOIL1: Chemical aspects of soil fertility

At the end of the 19^th century soil testing started assessing the soil fertility status. At first only ‘total’ stocks of N, S, P, K, Ca, Mg, and also Fe were measured. An important discovery was that nutrients were present in the soil in several chemical forms, which vary in availability for uptake by plant roots. Since then, the search has started for suitable soil extractants and (much later) sensor techniques to relate soil fertility status to crop production potential and to the response of crops to nutrient inputs. In this theme state-of-the-art developments in chemical soil fertility testing will be reviewed and discussed for different parts of the world.

SOIL2: Physical aspects of soil fertility

Soil physical characteristics greatly influence crop yield potential and soil management options. Knowledge about assessing and improving soil physical conditions is therefore key to close yield gaps and increase resources use efficiency. There is a great need for tools and approaches to rapidly assess spatial variation in soil structure, subsoil compaction, water infiltration and holding capacity, soil workability, etc..  In this theme state-of-the-art developments in tools to assess spatial and temporal variations in soil physical conditions will be reviewed and discussed for different parts of the world.  

SOIL3: Biological aspects of soil fertility

Farmers in many areas of the world increasingly realize the importance of the soil biological fertility for producing healthy crops in a sustainable manner. Soil harbours a huge biodiversity but many species are still unknown. Soil life is also involved in soil-borne diseases, which may negatively affect crop yield and resource use efficiency. In recent years a wide range of new approaches and techniques have been developed to assess soil biodiversity and the role of this biodiversity in sustainable crop production systems. In this theme state-of-the-art developments in tools to assess soil biological conditions will be reviewed and discussed for different parts of the world. Contributions on assessing soil organic carbon sequestration and the immobilization - mineralization of nutrients are also invited.

Sessions and poster presentations (to be confirmed)

• Implementation of routine soil life analyses for agricultural practices
• The role of soil tests in monitoring climate change, nitrate emissions, precision farming and soil fertility
• Organic matter dynamics via pyrolysis and Phospholipid Fatty Acid Analysis
• Potassium pool dynamics and soil texture
• Improvement of water-holding and nutrient uptake capacity of sandy soil in North Queensland
• NIR LIBS and XRF in the next generation of soil analysis tools

MANURE: Manure/compost and mineral fertilizer

Animal manures, composts and organic wastes are valuable sources of organic matter and nutrient elements, and serve to improve soil fertility, feed soil life, and nourish crops. However, manures, composts and organic wastes may also contain unwanted substances that may compromise soil quality and crop quality. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse these manures, composts and organic wastes, to be able to optimise nutrient supply to nutrient demand and to be able to guarantee food safety and quality. In this theme cutting edge tools and instruments for analysing manures, composts and organic wastes will be presented and discussed, for different parts of the world. Presentations on methods and procedures to implement manure testing into agricultural practice in different parts of the world are also welcomed.

Sessions and poster presentations (to be confirmed)

• Fractioning of manure
• The beneficial role of animal manure for life cycle analysis
• Development of a toolbox with on-farm quick tests for nutrient analysis in liquid manures

PLANT: Plant-nutrition/ growth

Optimal plant growth is needed to get sufficient product of high quality with low impact on the environment. Presentations on cutting edge tools to obtain insight in plant available nutrients, soil nutrient buffering capacity, actual uptake of nutrients, and tools that will optimise seasonal adjustments (of e.g. fertilization or water application) in different parts of the world are encouraged here. Tools can also include plant growth information by satellites, drones or sensor measurements.

Sessions and poster presentations (to be confirmed)

• The effect of soil fertility determined by nutrient status of crops (smart combination of soil and plant analyses)
• Space-time statistical analysis and modelling of nitrogen use efficiency indicators at provincial scale in China
• The impact of chelates on availability of micro nutrients
• Measuring P deficiency in maize leaves: comparing spectral and wet chemical measurements under tropical conditions

PRODUCT: Product (quantity and quality)

Soil fertility is also linked to food quality. It has been argued that long-term single N/P/K fertilizer applications and the growth of high yielding crops have decreased the amounts of secondary nutrients (e.g. calcium) and micro nutrients in the soil. This may have resulted in lowered levels of (micro)nutrients in vegetables or forage and as a consequence in a lower intake of micronutrients by humans or animals, respectively. Unbalanced inputs of nutrients may cause quality problems in potato (internal brown spot), lettuce (tipburn), and forages (milk fever). In this theme cutting edge tools and instruments for analysing product quality and for optimising product quantity and quality while producing sufficient food to feed the world will be discussed for different parts of the world.

Sessions and poster presentations (to be confirmed)

• Using satellite images to show soil heterogeneity within fields
• Site specific fertilizer recommendation for maize in Ethiopia: analytical approach
• System approach: the interactions between soil fertility, nutrients uptake and product quality
• Nutritional composition of sugarcane residues
• Effect of biochar and various sources of organic manures in soil properties and yield of cabbage
• Investigation of Influence organic matter compost on soil chemical and physical properties in silty clay field
• The impact of field headlands on crop performance in Irish arable fields
• Do rhizosphere modifications lead to complementary phosphorus uptake by species mixtures?

SYSTEM: System approach

Consumers, policy makers, retail and processing industries increasingly demand certi­fied products with guaranteed quality, which are produced in a sustaina­ble manner. Such demands require system thinking and new approaches, combining arable and animal husbandry systems and avoiding losses in the field, in the processing chain and after consumption focussing on recirculating nutrients where possible.  This requires better utilization of organic manures and optimization of nutrient supply and demand in time and space following the 4R principles (right place, right type, right amount and at the right time). In this theme, novel approaches, techniques and tools to analyse and improve circularity of farming systems and food production – consumption chains will be presented and discussed, for different parts of the world. Possible contributions include systems analyses, nutrient budgeting and greenhouse gas accounting, life-cycle and foot-print analyses, simulation modelling, food quality cer­tification procedures and decision support systems. 

Sessions and poster presentations (to be confirmed)

• Using satellite images to show soil heterogeneity within fields
• Site specific fertilizer recommendation for maize in Ethiopia: analytical approach
• System approach: the interactions between soil fertility, nutrients uptake and product quality
• Nutritional composition of sugarcane residues
• Effect of biochar and various sources of organic manures in soil properties and yield of cabbage
• Investigation of Influence organic matter compost on soil chemical and physical properties in silty clay field
• The impact of field headlands on crop performance in Irish arable fields
• Do rhizosphere modifications lead to complementary phosphorus uptake by species mixtures?