Wageningen UR conducts many kinds of soil research. An umbrella programme has been established to coordinate the various types of research. The aim is develop a standard set of parameters that will quickly provide insight into the condition of the soil.
Photo: Heavy machinery can damage the soil structure. Soil quality is under pressure especially on leased farmland.
Leendert Molendijk from Applied Plant Research (PPO) is project leader of the umbrella programme Bodem in breder perspectief (Soil in a broader perspective). ‘We want to standardise the methods that are used in existing research.’ In this way, he hopes to gain more understanding of the most important factors that determine soil fertility. This should ultimately lead to a set of biological, chemical and physical parameters that can tell experts the condition of the soil at a single glance. ‘For example, consider research into reduced tillage systems. If this includes standardised research into nematodes, then the results can be more easily combined with other projects that also look at nematodes.’
Molendijk believes that a clear set of parameters would also contribute to solving the growing problem of poor soil management. This results from more and more farmers who are cultivating leased farmland. For example, Molendijk points out that 20% of seed potatoes and 80% of lilies are grown on leased parcels of farmland. Much of this land is owned by investors such as ASR Vastgoed. These large investors are less interested in the quality of the soil than farmers who till their own soil. An agent who manages farmland on behalf of the investor is often responsible for hundreds of hectares and is much less involved than farmers who own their land. In addition, lessees often have less interest in careful land management. After all, next year they will lease a different parcel. They also do not have sufficient time to carefully study the condition of the soil. ‘If you don't understand the condition of the soil, you tend to use maximum amounts of fertilisers and crop protection agents’, says Molendijk.
With the standard set of parameters from the programme, land owners will have an instrument to determine the quality of the soil. If good soil also yields more, this provides an incentive to invest and to make agreements about sustainable land-use with the farmers. The parameters will also provide farmers with more information about the condition of the land before they start, so they can take more focused measures.