Tartu, Estonia – April 18, 2024

The Maamess 2024 expo, a cornerstone event for the agriculture, forestry, gardening, and food industries, drew significant international attention with 462 exhibitors from 9 countries and an impressive turnout of approximately 40,000 visitors. During this time, Tartu became a hub of rural economy expertise as Maamess 2024 brought together innovators and professionals to showcase their advancements.

On the 18th of April, Roosi Soosaar from the Soil Innovation Cluster disseminated crucial results from the Horizon2020 project SoildiverAgro. One of the highlights was the technological innovation in airborne pathogen detection. This innovative approach focuses on identifying pathogen concentrations in the air to minimize fungicide usage, a significant leap forward for sustainable agriculture. Notably, 74% of fungicides in Estonia are used to control grain diseases, and satisfactory control often requires chemical pesticides. However, integrated management systems and precision farming techniques can reduce pesticide use and save money without jeopardizing crop yields or quality.

Visitors had the opportunity to delve into the details of these advancements through discussions and received brochures in Estonian (attached to the news). For those interested in more information in English, presentation and video can be accessed at the following link: Technological Innovation in Airborne Pathogen Detection.

Additionally, the SoildiverAgro project provided insights into soil biodiversity. The project found that the respiratory activity of microbial communities and the microbial biomass (the soil’s microbial carbon content) were higher in organically managed soils irrespective of soil type differences. This indicates that the negative impact of organic farming on microbial communities is considerably lower compared to conventional production. Soil microorganisms play an important role in organic matter degradation and humus formation.

The project also found that different earthworm categories and species are differently affected by land management practices. The abundance of earthworms in the soil depends on several factors, including land use, moisture level, organic matter content, and soil acidity. Key findings include:

  • Reduction of soil tillage has a positive effect, while intensive and frequent tillage has a negative impact.
  • Growing cover crops is beneficial, whereas short crop rotation is detrimental.
  • Applying organic matter to the soil is advantageous, but excessive or unilateral fertilization is harmful.
  • Liming is positive, while soil compaction is negative.
  • Minimizing pesticide usage is beneficial, but pesticide usage is detrimental.
  • Diversification of agricultural landscapes is encouraged.

The soil’s moisture content significantly impacts the earthworm community. However, moisture content did not significantly affect species diversity or the ecological structure of the earthworm communities. For more information, presentation and video can be accessed at the following link: Soil Biodiversity.