Greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands account for 2-3% of total emissions in the Netherlands. That is a significant contribution, which is why policymakers have turned their attention to peat. Is rewetting the solution? In early 2024, Wageningen University & Research peat researchers with expertise in soil science, ecology, landscape management,…
This blog was written by Alwin Gerritsen, Kalyan Guntuboyina (WUR) and Hari Krishna Vommi (Government of Andhra Pradesh, Department of Agriculture) Climate-Smart Agriculture entails both the reduction of the environmental and climate impact of agricultural activity and the development of food production methods and crops that are well adapted to…
This article has been written by Saskia Visser, with contributions from Janjo de Haan, Jennie van der Kolk, Dorothee Tol-Leenders and Rudi Hessel. We expect a great deal from our soils. And, as we have previously explained, rightly so: soils that are treated well and managed properly can make an…
I live in the Netherlands, with over 17 million inhabitants it is a densely populated country, in which we managed to provide a use for each and every piece of land. Land is extremely valuable; the lease prices for the agricultural land are by far the highest in Europe, and…
The soil has a vital role to play in our future circular economy. Agricultural soils attract a lot of attention of policy makers. Maintaining the productive function of the soil and its capacity to store organic matter and water are key issues. Soil biology is also in the spotlight. A…
The soil underwent an emancipation process. For years the question has been: ‘How will we adjust the soil in such a way that we are able to carry out whatever we want in every spot?’ At last, it cropped up recently that it is about which soil we are actually…
Do we look properly at the soil? At what we find beneath us? And what is the relationship between this soil and all the flooding we have again experienced recently? Wageningen Environmental Research explains it in a short video. A lot of soil data is stored in the BRO (Basisregistratie…
For many decades, researchers all over the world have attempted to understand and describe the interactions that take place between water and soil. This is important, because of the impact that water and soils have on our lives. Crops will not grow properly in a soil that is too wet…
Sustainable food production has recently risen to the top of the EU policy agenda, with the introduction of the Global Sustainable Development Goals. To ensure the delivery of food, feed and fuel products in an efficient and sustainable manner, land management requires an understanding of not only how to produce…
Authors: Jack Faber/ Jaap Bloem/ Ron de Goede ”The soil is the poor man’s tropical rain forest” These words by the Scottish biologist M.B. Usher are spot on: one does not have to travel far to discover a wide diversity of life forms on a small area. Instead, a look…