Farmers and colleges work together on sustainable soil management

In Afferden, Limburg, Pieter Lucassen of perennial nursery MTS Lucassen is working with the HAS University of Applied Sciences to test the soil quality on his farm. This collaboration is part of the 'Sustainable Soil Management' project in which green colleges help farmers make the transition to sustainable soil management.

Objective

In 2018, Minister Schouten of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality set the target that all agricultural soils in the Netherlands (1.8 million hectares) should be managed sustainably by 2030. Maintaining and improving the quality of the soil is necessary to maintain high-quality production, preserve biodiversity and provide services such as water buffering and purification. It is also essential for the climate that soil is not depleted. The government measure translates into a CO2 reduction of 1.5 megaton through smart land use by the agriculture and horticulture sector.

Contribution education

The government has called on the education sector to contribute to making Dutch agriculture more sustainable. This has led to a collaboration between the four government-funded HAO institutions, Van Hall Larenstein, Aeres Hogeschool, Inholland and HAS Hogeschool, within the project 'Sustainable Soil Management' (SIA Program Practical Knowledge for Food and Green).

The project aims to provide farmers with sufficient knowledge about soil processes and the implementation of certain measures. The colleges in the project provide this knowledge by using students and teachers to test, validate and realize the approach. They are supported in this by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen UR and Center of Soil Ecology.

Minimal dataset

Wageningen UR developed a minimal dataset with which the quality of the soil can be tested. Lector Judith van de Mortel of HAS University of Applied Sciences explains: "On the topsoil in this region the loss of organic matter and the related leaching of nutrients is one of the main problems. To find out what the quality is like and what measures can be taken to improve it, the data set is being tested at ten entrepreneurs in our network. Because every situation is different, it is always about customization."

One of the entrepreneurs with whom the minimum dataset is being tested is Pieter Lucassen of perennial nursery MTS Lucassen in Afferden. "Because our company is located on very poor sandy soil and like everyone else we have to deal with stricter fertilization standards, I was more or less forced to look into the soil. Now we cultivate Planet Proof and the fertilization standard is no longer a problem, but it remains a search for the optimum balance between bacteria, fungi and organic matter. I see participation in this project as an opportunity to increase my knowledge."

Exchange

It is not only the knowledge that is brought to the farmers from the University of Applied Sciences. Through the collaboration, teachers and students also gain practical knowledge that is brought back to education. The business community is further hooked up with the college series 'What about soil'.

Lector van de Mortel and Pieter Lucassen agree on the importance of knowledge sharing. "I have seen with my own eyes what soil knowledge can mean for your operations and the quality of your plants. But new knowledge also raises new questions. That's why I want to keep developing," Lucassen said.

Source: HAS University of Applied Sciences