SoildiverAgro is organized around 8 Work Packages which are defining the main technical activities to be implemented around 6 geographical areas where 15 case studies will be performed to better understand how soil organism’s benefits can be applied to improve resource uptake, plant growth development and health.
The case studies are organized around 3 different crops (potatoes, wheat and vegetables) in mono and diversified cropping systems.
The information extracted from the field case studies will create new knowledge about the beneficial effects of genetic and functional soil biodiversity (micro and macro organisms) on crop production, contributing to the establishment of soil biodiversity targets and proposes for integrating soil biodiversity into farming practices.
List of case studies
Case Study 1
Use of soil biodiversity to reduce soil-borne diseases/pests incidence and increase nutrient availability in potatoes cropped in multiple cropping and rotations.
Mediterranean South (Spain)
Case Study 2
Use of soil biodiversity to increase nutrient and water availability and reduce soil-borne diseases incidence to increase wheat yields.
Mediterranean South (Spain)
Case Study 3
Use of crop diversification and trap crops in potato fields to reduce the incidence of cyst nematode, decrease the use of nematicides, increase the crop yields and increase the soil biodiversity.
Lusitanean (Spain)
Case Study 4
Use of mycorrhiza in potato fields to reduce the incidence of common scab, decrease the use of phosphorus fertilizers, increase the crop yields and increase the soil biodiversity.
Lusitanean (Spain)
Case Study 5
Implementation of the Decision Support Systems (pest alert system) to reduces the use of fungicides in potato and wheat crops and their impact in biodiversity.
Lusitanean (Spain)
Case Study 6
Contrasting soil management strategies to improve soil quality while minimizing external input of P in potato crops.
Atlantic Central (Belgium)
Case Study 7
Cover crop mixtures: a promotor of soil biodiversity in potato crops?
Atlantic Central (Belgium)
Case Study 8
Intensive versus extensive versus vegetable organic farming.
Atlantic Central (Belgium)
Case Study 9
Testing different sources of green manure for wheat production.
Atlantic Central (Belgium)
Case Study 10a
Biocontrol of soil-borne phytopathogenic fungi by fungivorous soil fauna communities in conventional wheat cropping systems
Continental (Germany)
Case Study 10b
Biocontrol of soil-borne phytopathogenic fungi by fungivorous soil fauna communities in organic potato cropping systems.
Continental (Germany)
Case Study 11
Plant diversity is tested to promote soil intrinsic self-regulating processes and to enhance fungivorous soil fauna communities in wheat-cropping systems.
Continental (Germany)
Case Study 12
Control of phytopathogenic fungi via direct identification and the influence of pesticides use on communities of soil fauna in organic and conventional potatoes cropping systems.
Nemoral (Estonia)
Case Study 13
Increase of soil biodiversity through amendment of forest based organic material in potato crops.
Boreal (Finland)
Case Study 14a
Contrasting continuous plant cover with inversion tillage in wheat fields.
Boreal (Finland)
Case Study 14b
Contrasting minimum tillage with inversion tillage in wheat fields.
Boreal (Finland)
Case Study 15
Use of catch crop in farmed potatoes fields.
Boreal (Finland).
