SOIL LAB

Development of the use of soil health indicators to successfully combine biomass production and soil conservation: a multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approach

Soil health is a vital issue for the planet and mankind. This complex challenge involves both the scientific community and professionals in the agricultural sector, such as farmers, technicians and teachers. Soil is the crucible for biomass production. However, unlike other resources, soil is non-renewable, which explains the current issues surrounding its preservation. The agricultural world is faced with an unprecedented increase in the number of soil health and quality indicators. An overabundance that tends to create confusion. To facilitate agro-ecological transitions on a larger scale, we need to promote a truly functionalist approach to soil health, while at the same time ensuring that local initiatives are consistent.

The field of intervention concerns soil health and support for professionals in transition. The aim is to develop the use of soil health indicators to facilitate transitions towards biomass production practices that favour soil conservation.

SOIL LAB proposes to supplement the traditional approach to soil evaluation based on «stocks» with a functional approach based on «flows».

Project objectives:

• Pooling the experience gained by those who have carried out soil health measurement campaigns in partnership with farmers and market gardeners;
• Improving protocols, instruments and experimental designs based on user feedback;
• Capitalising on and pooling results to build benchmarks; 
• Make documentation, instruments and tools available to facilitate their use;
• Share the engineering involved in learning these practices.

Project outcomes:

• A summary of experience in conducting soil health indicator measurement campaigns;
• A descriptive catalogue of protocols that have been updated and stabilised in the light of feedback;  
• Tools, instruments and tutorials to facilitate the deployment of these indicators in the field;  
• A database containing the results of the various measurement campaigns;  
• An interpretative framework for these data and recommendations for their use;  
• A methodological guide for co-constructing soil health indicators with farmers.