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Opportunities for Mitigating Soil Compaction in Europe—Case Studies from the SoilCare Project Using Soil-Improving Cropping Systems

Author

Listed:
  • Ilaria Piccoli

    (Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy)

  • Till Seehusen

    (Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, P.O. Box 115, 1431 Ås, Norway)

  • Jenny Bussell

    (The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Allerton Project, Loddington, Leicestershire LE7 9XE, UK)

  • Olga Vizitu

    (National Research and Development Institute for Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Environmental Protection, 011464 Bucharest, Romania)

  • Irina Calciu

    (National Research and Development Institute for Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Environmental Protection, 011464 Bucharest, Romania)

  • Antonio Berti

    (Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy)

  • Gunnar Börjesson

    (Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7014, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden)

  • Holger Kirchmann

    (Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7014, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden)

  • Thomas Kätterer

    (Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7044, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden)

  • Felice Sartori

    (Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy)

  • Chris Stoate

    (The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Allerton Project, Loddington, Leicestershire LE7 9XE, UK)

  • Felicity Crotty

    (Centre for Agriculture, Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Rd., Cirencester GL7 6JS, UK)

  • Ioanna S. Panagea

    (Department of Earth and Environmental Science, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium)

  • Abdallah Alaoui

    (Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Martin A. Bolinder

    (Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7044, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden)

Abstract

Soil compaction (SC) is a major threat for agriculture in Europe that affects many ecosystem functions, such as water and air circulation in soils, root growth, and crop production. Our objective was to present the results from five short-term (<5 years) case studies located along the north–south and east–west gradients and conducted within the SoilCare project using soil-improving cropping systems (SICSs) for mitigating topsoil and subsoil SC. Two study sites (SSs) focused on natural subsoil (˃25 cm) compaction using subsoiling tillage treatments to depths of 35 cm (Sweden) and 60 cm (Romania). The other SSs addressed both topsoil and subsoil SC (˃25 cm, Norway and United Kingdom; ˃30 cm, Italy) using deep-rooted bio-drilling crops and different tillage types or a combination of both. Each SS evaluated the effectiveness of the SICSs by measuring the soil physical properties, and we calculated SC indices. The SICSs showed promising results—for example, alfalfa in Norway showed good potential for alleviating SC (the subsoil density decreased from 1.69 to 1.45 g cm −1 ) and subsoiling at the Swedish SS improved root penetration into the subsoil by about 10 cm—but the effects of SICSs on yields were generally small. These case studies also reflected difficulties in implementing SICSs, some of which are under development, and we discuss methodological issues for measuring their effectiveness. There is a need for refining these SICSs and for evaluating their longer-term effect under a wider range of pedoclimatic conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Ilaria Piccoli & Till Seehusen & Jenny Bussell & Olga Vizitu & Irina Calciu & Antonio Berti & Gunnar Börjesson & Holger Kirchmann & Thomas Kätterer & Felice Sartori & Chris Stoate & Felicity Crotty & , 2022. "Opportunities for Mitigating Soil Compaction in Europe—Case Studies from the SoilCare Project Using Soil-Improving Cropping Systems," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-26, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:2:p:223-:d:741161
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Julie Ingram & Jane Mills & Jasmine E. Black & Charlotte-Anne Chivers & José A. Aznar-Sánchez & Annemie Elsen & Magdalena Frac & Belén López-Felices & Paula Mayer-Gruner & Kamilla Skaalsveen & Jannes , 2022. "Do Agricultural Advisory Services in Europe Have the Capacity to Support the Transition to Healthy Soils?," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-26, April.
    2. Rudi Hessel & Guido Wyseure & Ioanna S. Panagea & Abdallah Alaoui & Mark S. Reed & Hedwig van Delden & Melanie Muro & Jane Mills & Oene Oenema & Francisco Areal & Erik van den Elsen & Simone Verzandvo, 2022. "Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-27, May.
    3. Raphael Passaglia Azevedo & Lucas de Castro Moreira da Silva & Fernandes Antonio Costa Pereira & Pedro Maranha Peche & Leila Aparecida Salles Pio & Marcelo Mancini & Nilton Curi & Bruno Montoani Silva, 2022. "Interactions between Intrinsic Soil Properties and Deep Tillage in the Sustainable Management of Perennial Crops," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-22, December.
    4. Jantiene E. M. Baartman & Joao Pedro Nunes & Hedwig van Delden & Roel Vanhout & Luuk Fleskens, 2022. "The Effects of Soil Improving Cropping Systems (SICS) on Soil Erosion and Soil Organic Carbon Stocks across Europe: A Simulation Study," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-28, June.
    5. Monika Vilkiene & Ieva Mockeviciene & Grazina Kadziene & Danute Karcauskiene & Regina Repsiene & Ona Auskalniene, 2023. "Bacterial Communities: Interaction to Abiotic Conditions under Effect of Anthropogenic Pressure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-15, July.

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