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Collaborative project: Reduction of environmental and climate impacts of agricultural crop production through the use of an optimized topsoil deepening technique (BodenpkV)

Project


Project code: 22040918
Contract period: 01.06.2019 - 31.05.2022
Budget: 159,706 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Keywords: digitalization, soil, renewable ressources

The adaptation of production means for agricultural production is a key factor in reducing the climate impact of agriculture. The use of arable land is prone to the degradation of humus and carbon stocks in the soil. There is a particular need for action in reducing negative environmental effects, particularly of greenhouse gases, that result from the application of fermentation residues from biogas production. There are a number of indications that the problems mentioned can be solved with the help of the well-known technique of topsoil deepening. The classic topsoil deepening entails the risk of soil compaction when applied area-wide and is characterized by high fuel consumption. These negative effects do not occur in partial and ameliorative topsoil deepening, when it is used uniquely within long time intervals. Partial topsoil deepening is followed by intensive but carefully mixing of carbon-poor subsoil into the plowing horizon. As a result, imbalances in the C and N households are induced in the topsoil, which activates rapid and permanent humus generation and thus CO2-C sequestration and N-fixation. Subsequent reduced tillage may lead to further CO2 emission reduction through reduced fuel consumption. The overall aim of the project is to find out whether the technique of the ameliorative, partial topsoil deepening is suitable to reduce permanently environmental burdens in agricultural crop production. The Thünen Institute for Agricultural Technology is responsible for the economic-ecological of partial topsoil deepening in work package 5. The assessment will be based on data of work package 1 and work package 2, but also on historical experimental data collected in work package 4, in order to quantify the robustness of the assessment result.

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Subjects

  • Agricultural Engineering Plant Production
  • Renewable Resources
  • Climate Change
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