Project Details
Projekt
GRK 1397: Regulation of Soil Organic Matter and Nutrient Turnover in Organic Agriculture
Subject Area
Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
Term
from 2007 to 2015
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 20025697
The regulation of the budget of soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients by management is a central focus in agriculture, especially in organic agriculture. The budgets of SOM and nutrients determine soil fertility, i.e. the long-term productivity of soils. However, the underlying processes of soil fertility in organic agriculture are not well understood. The interdisciplinary Research Training Group, therefore, deals within the scope of twelve PhD theses on the possibilities to regulate soil organic matter and nutrient budgets by soil management, crop rotation and by feeding strategies via the quality of the manure.
The focus is to be on:
(1) the quality of inputs (crop residues, organic fertilisers),
(2) the turnover of litter and SOM, especially carbon, nitrogen and other relevant nutrients (Ca, K, Mg, PO4),
(3) gaseous (CO2, CH4, N2O, NH3) and liquid (NO3, dissolved organic carbon, cations) outputs and
(4) the coupling of these aspects by modelling.
Field experiments are carried out on seven sites under temperate and subtropical climatic conditions, which differ in respect of dominating soil unit (Haplic or Orthic Luvisol, Irragric Cambisol, Irragric Anthrosol) and/or soil texture (silt, sand). They are complemented by laboratory experiments under controlled conditions, semi-controlled microcosm experiments in the laboratory and field and modelling studies.
The focus is to be on:
(1) the quality of inputs (crop residues, organic fertilisers),
(2) the turnover of litter and SOM, especially carbon, nitrogen and other relevant nutrients (Ca, K, Mg, PO4),
(3) gaseous (CO2, CH4, N2O, NH3) and liquid (NO3, dissolved organic carbon, cations) outputs and
(4) the coupling of these aspects by modelling.
Field experiments are carried out on seven sites under temperate and subtropical climatic conditions, which differ in respect of dominating soil unit (Haplic or Orthic Luvisol, Irragric Cambisol, Irragric Anthrosol) and/or soil texture (silt, sand). They are complemented by laboratory experiments under controlled conditions, semi-controlled microcosm experiments in the laboratory and field and modelling studies.
DFG Programme
Research Training Groups
Applicant Institution
Universität Kassel
Spokesperson
Professor Dr. Bernard Ludwig
