Das Projekt "An integrated Modelling framework to monitor and predict trends of agricultural management and their impact on Soil functions at multiple scales (iMSoil)" wird/wurde gefördert durch: Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung. Es wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Forschungsanstalt Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART.Agriculture affects the element cycles and thereby important functions of the soil. Alongside auxiliary substances and fertilisers, contaminants are also applied, which accumulate in the long-term in soil. Armin Keller and his team are developing an integrated monitoring framework for preventive soil protection. The tool should help to identify non-sustainable developments in the soils of a region early on and to plan and check the effectiveness of the preventative measures taken. Over time, large quantities of fertilisers, pesticides and soil amendments are applied onto agricultural soils. They contain, in addition to nutrients, small quantities of contaminants. The gradual accumulation of these substances in the soil represents a threat for soil quality and for the functions of the soil. Soil monitoring provides important information on the condition and the dynamics of the soils. However, the available monitoring instruments are not as developed as for the air and water. The project team is developing a regional soil monitoring tool for balanced element cycles on agricultural soils. One of the key questions is under which conditions, in agriculture, in a regional context, nutrient cycles can be optimised and inputs of contaminants into soils can be prevented. For agricultural soils in selected case study fields, the research team is calculating the element cycles over recent decades for nutrients (N, P), trace metals (Cu, Zn, Cd) and pesticides. The element cycles in the soil are being predicted, using scenarios for future management, under various socio-economic framework conditions. The team is also investigating their effects on the functions of the soil, and deducing indicators for sustainable soil management. This extended soil monitoring tool should facilitate decision-making for sustainable soil use. It will help to recognise non-sustainable developments in a region early on and to plan preventive measures. In doing so, the project will provide the basics for implementation of soil protection measures, for example for soil monitoring, agro-environmental monitoring and environmental protection in agriculture.
