Soil science gives our dirt a second life
Horizon magazine, the European Union’s Research and Innovation Magazine, has now published the article ‘Soil science gives our dirt a second life’ which features work on the SmartSOIL project
Sustainable farming practices and a chemical process that turns brown coal into organic compounds are bringing over-farmed fields back to good health, boosting crop yields and locking greenhouse gases underground.
From the Scottish Highlands to the islands of Greece, intensive farming has been depleting Europe’s soils since the Industrial Revolution. According to research performed by Professor Jørgen Eivind Olesen at Aarhus University in Denmark, crop yields in areas of Spain and Italy have dropped by as much as 30 % and farmers further north are also starting to feel the strain.
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