Project SOMPACS

Eleven projects among 80 submitted projects have been selected for financing during the contest of the European joint programme ‘EJP SOIL – Towards climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soils’. Project SOMPACS – soil management effects on Soil Organic Matter Properties and Carbon Sequestration’ has received the best reviews. Prof. Jerzy Weber from the Institute of Soil Sciences and Environmental Protection of the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences is a leader of this project. The Warsaw University of Life Sciences is represented by the Water Centre, the Institute of Environmental Engineering and the Institute of Agriculture. The scientific team consists of dr hab. Edyta Hewelke (project manager), dr inż. Aneta Perzanowska (task package manager), dr hab. Łukasz Uzarowicz, prof. SGGW, dr hab. Dariusz Gozdowski, prof. SGGW, dr inż. Ewa Papierowska.

A consortium of 12 partners has been created to implement the project. This consortium is also co-created by the University of Limerick in Ireland, the University of Rostock in Germany, the University of Wyoming in the USA, the University of Naples in Italy, Vytautas Magnus University and Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy in Kaunas in Lithuania, Rothamsted Research in Harpeden in the United Kingdom, the Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Lublin in Poland, the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin in Poland, the University of Wrocław in Poland, the group of agricultural producers Terra from Prusic near Złotoryja in Poland.

The aim of the project is to identify management practices and systems enriching soils with the organic matter pools that are stable and and the most resistant to microbial decomposition for various soil and climatic conditions in Europe and the USA while ensuring high yields. Planned studies include i. a. optimization of the balance of organic carbon in the soil using agrotechnical methods and the stability of soil organic matter depending on the soil use system in various climatic conditions.

Soil samples from eight long-term field experiments with different soil management and cultivation systems will be investigated. Field experiments will include long-term investigations: 178 year experiments in Rothamsted Research in Broadbalk, 100 year experiments in Skierniewice, 50 year experiments in Chylice (part of the prof. Marian Górski Experimental Station of the Institute of Agriculture). Experiments will also be conducted in productive fields, where additives will be applied to stimulate root growth.

Specific studies on soil organic matter resistant to decomposition (humins) will be carried out using the unique equipment in national and foreign institutes. The basic soil properties will be supplemented by specialised tests of microbiological properties, soil water retention, soil hydrophobicity and stability of its structure, analysis of enzymatic activity, as well as the mineralogical composition of the clay fraction of soils.

Identifying opportunities to increase stable topsoil organic carbon fractions will provide more information on soil organic matter sequestration, soil biodiversity and sustainable approach to improve soil resilience, health and productivity.

The project of the Polish units is financed by the National Centre for Research and Development (EJPSOIL/I/78/SOMPACS/2022).