General Archives - SoildiverAgro

Soil and Climatic Characteristics Shape Fungal Communities in European Wheat Fields

28 November, 2024

Another study titled “Soil and Climatic Characteristics and Farming System Shape Fungal Communities in European Wheat Fields.” has been published. This collaborative research developed by some of our country leaders among the different regions, examines the role of soil fungi in wheat farming across Europe through the study of 188 wheat fields across nine European pedoclimatic zones comparing both conventional and organic farming systems. It highlights how soil fungi, which play a pivotal role in decomposing plant residues and enhancing…

Wheat field earthworms under divergent farming systems across a European climate gradient

28 November, 2024

SoildiverAgro has published a new scientific article titled “Farming Systems and Climate Gradients: Understanding the Impact on Earthworm Communities in European Agricultural Soils“. The study, recently published in Ecological Applications (2024), provides valuable insights into how farming systems influence earthworm communities across diverse climatic gradients in Europe. Conducted across nine pedo-climatic zones—from the Mediterranean to Boreal regions—the research investigates the effects of both conventional and organic farming on earthworm communities in wheat fields. The study also explores how climate conditions,…

Fostering Sustainable Potato Production – A Collaborative European Approach

28 November, 2024

SoildiverAgro has just published a new article focus on fostering sustainable potato production. This collaborative research delves into the agronomic challenges faced by potato growers across Europe and the need for more sustainable farming practices. The study focuses on identifying critical agri-environmental challenges and exploring sustainable strategies to reduce the reliance on external inputs like pesticides and fertilizers. A survey conducted with 203 potato stakeholders across six European pedoclimatic areas provided valuable insights into the problems growers face, their priorities…

Solanum Sisymbriifolium’s Effectiveness in Combating Potato Cyst Nematode

27 November, 2024

SoildiverAgro has just published a new study titled “Development and Effectivity of Solanum sisymbriifolium Against Potato Cyst Nematode Under Field Conditions in Soils from the Southern Atlantic Area.”. The research, led by experts Antía Gómez-Armesto, Laura Meno, Servando Álvarez-Pousa, and David Fernández-Calviño, delves into innovative strategies for sustainable agriculture. Potato cyst nematodes (PCNs), a notorious pest affecting global potato yields, are commonly managed with chemical nematicides. However, this study explores a promising alternative: the use of Solanum sisymbriifolium as a biopesticide.…

David Calviño, our project coordinator at the European Mission Soil Week in Brussels

14 November, 2024

The  European Mission Soil Week  is an annual event aimed at promoting the Horizon Europe Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ (Mission Soil) raising awareness about the importance of soil health, and driving action to protect and restore our soils. This year’s European Mission Soil Week, organised by the European Commission, is being held from 12 to 13 November  in  Brussels, Belgium. To kick off this special event on November 12th, David Calviño, SoildiverAgro project coordinator, was invited to speak in…

Boreal Region Training Course: Cultivating Young Environmental Champions

2 September, 2024

On August 30th, 2024, one of our partners, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) along with Elonkierto Exhibition Park jointly organized a one-day training course in Jokioinen as part of Children’s Science Weeks at the Boreal Region. Targeted at children under 12, the free event attracted around 250 participants. The course emphasized the critical role of soil animals, particularly earthworms, in ecosystems. Led by experts from Luke, children engaged in hands-on activities to learn how to identify and investigate these…

SoildiverAgro 2024 General Assembly Held in Tartu, Estonia

31 May, 2024

The SoildiverAgro 2024 General Assembly took place in Tartu, Estonia, on May 28th and 29th, marking a significant milestone as the project enters its final year. This five-year initiative has shown substantial progress, and the assembly served as a platform to consolidate final conclusions and outline forthcoming steps. The event began on Tuesday morning, with leaders of various Work Packages (WPs) providing both general and specific updates on their progress. Notably, WP 3, 4, and 5 are nearing completion, with…

Reaching another milestone, SoildiverAgro partners will meet in the Estonian city of Tartu on 28-29 May for the annual General Assembly.

SoildiverAgro Partners meet in Estonia for the General Assembly

27 May, 2024

Reaching another milestone, SoildiverAgro partners will meet in the Estonian city of Tartu on 28-29 May for the annual General Assembly. This meeting will provide the environment for partners to review their progress over the last year and outline the next steps. Day 1 Highlights Key items from first day agenda include A conference on Rural Development and Biodiversity, hosted by the Juana de Vega Foundation. Interaction with other EU projects such as BIOservicES and SOB4ES. These collaborations will facilitate…

Our last workshop in the boreal region “Possibilities of reduced tillage and diversification in cereal cultivation – methods, benefits and experiences”.

22 April, 2024

A total of about 40 people, researchers, farmers and stakeholders, gathered at the beautiful premises of the Knehtilä organic farm in Hyvinkää on Thursday 4 April for a seminar and workshop organised by Luke and the Finnish Organic Research Institute in connection with the boreal case studies on soil tillage effects. First, farmers Tuomas Mattila from Kilpiä farm and Juuso Joona from Tyynelä farm described the experimental set-ups for the cs14a and cs14b case studies conducted on their farms. Then…