Soil health problems in tree crop areas of Piemonte – how to identify them in the experimental sites of the LL
The importance of preserving and improving soil health has been overlooked too often in the past, and now many soils in Piemonte (NW Italy) suffer from diffuse degradation problems. When degradation occurs in areas where soils are fragile, such as the hilly areas of central Piemonte (Langhe, Roero and Monferrato) the risk of losing this non-renewable resource is extremely high. Water erosion on sloping surfaces removes the most fertile and biologically active part of the soil; the soil compaction compromises the development of the soil's biological communities and alters the water storage capacity, and the loss of organic matter decreases soil fertility. All these soil health problems have evident links with crop yields.
There are several ways to identify soil health problems. The most obvious is, in a co-creation approach, when farmers report about the problems they experienced. The second way is the field assessment. For instance, rill formation and root exposures are clear field evidence of soil erosion. A full assessment, however, can only be done by digging a small pit and check soil morphology. Compaction, poor structure, water logging, poorly decomposed organic residues, light colors, lack of earthworms and small arthropods indicate poor soil health and functioning. Further data on indicators can be obtained through chemical analyses. It should be however kept in mind that soil chemical analyses are valuable as they provide quantitative data, but trees do not live in the exact soil sample (fine fraction, <2 mm) that is sent to a lab. Roots explore a volume of soil in which the fine fraction is only part of a more complex body formed by stones, voids, organisms, and aggregates that interact all together and provide the environment in which trees live and feed. The identification of soil health problems should therefore proceed step by step, as only multiple scales of observation can capture the complexity of the soil.
Healthy Soil to Permanent Crops Living Labs
Ongoing | 2024-2028
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Portugal, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Belgium