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image: ©The University of Western Australia. soil samples

The importance of earthworms for soil health

In this article, Lynette Abbott from The University of Western Australia, highlights the importance of earthworms for soil health.
Figure 1: Average whole rock geochemistry for select rock types in northern Idaho, US.

Soil parent material: The role of earth’s skin on forest health

Soil is complex, posing challenges for measurement and management at scale. Mark Kimsey from the University of Idaho highlights the importance of monitoring soil properties in forest management. This has resulted in digital tools that help align management practices with the characteristics of soil parent material and climatic conditions.
Training and citizen engagement to tackle soil health challenges

Training and citizen engagement to tackle soil health challenges

The ECHO project approach in tackling soil health challenges through soil literacy and citizen engagement.
Image: © Maximilian Carl Stahl

Echo’s citizen science initiatives for soil literacy take off

Led by ECHO partners, we hear about citizen science initiatives that aim to improve soil literacy and foster sustainable practices through workshops and community engagement.

Building healthy sandy soils in agricultural landscapes

Lynette Abbott and Hira Shaukat from The University of Western Australia, provide insights into research on enhancing health in sandy soils.
Soil investigation

The dynamics of soil health

Thomas Gumbricht from Stockholm University and xSpectre, with Sonia Meller from Digit Soil, discuss what we need to know about understanding the dynamics of soil health.

Soil biodiversity is essential for building environmental resilience

The School of Agriculture and Environment and Institute of Agriculture at the University of Western Australia recognise the importance of soil biodiversity in managing soil conditions and building resilience against environmental changes.

Combating drought to increase soil water retention in vineyards

Professor Pete W. Jacoby, from Washington State University, researches methods to combat impacts of global warming by enhancing soil water retention for vineyard resilience.
The Great Mulch study on 10 August, 2023

When common recommendations for cultivating in cold soils inadvertently thaw permafrost

Melissa Ward Jones, details when common recommendations for cultivating in cold soils inadvertently thaw permafrost, starting with the challenges of cultivating at high latitudes.
healthy soil,

Citizen science initiatives for soil literacy

Alba Peiro and Francisco Sanz from the Ibercivis Foundation, Claudia Cappello and Tanja Mimmo from the Free University of Bolzano, guide us through citizen science initiatives for soil literacy that are integral to the ECHO project.

Advancing the soil deal for Europe through cyberinfrastructure and citizen science

This article explores advancements in soil health across Europe, highlighting innovative cyberinfrastructure for soil citizen science. This initiative, led by the Quanta team, allows citizens to actively participate in environmental stewardship.
Figure 1: Soil Health Indicator Selection Framework for AI4SoilHealth

Developing a robust soil health indicator selection framework

The EU Soil Health Monitoring Law proposes twelve main soil indicators for reporting soil health. There is a need to ensure that these indicators and other subsequent measures are robust for their purpose.
Figure 1: LUCAS soil samples (Orgiazzi, A., Ballabio, C., Panagos, P., Jones, A., & Fernández- Ugalde, O. (2018). LUCAS Soil, the largest expandable soil dataset for Europe: a review. European Journal of Soil Science, 69(1), 140-153) connected existing and upcoming EO missions (bars indicate approximated temporal coverage). Note that EO data and missions are increasing exponentially with the newest generation EO systems focusing on hyperspectral.

Soil health monitoring through iterative analysis of soil’s past, present, and future

Tom Hengl, Director of the OpenGeoHub foundation, discusses the importance of soil health monitoring and how the AI4SoilHealth project is supporting this endeavor.
Spore of AM fungus germinating and forming hyphae outside roots. (Not stained). Photo: Mark Brundrett

Soil health: A role for arbuscular mycorrhizas

Lynette Abbott from The University of Western Australia, focuses on soil health again, this time examining the role of arbuscular mycorrhizas.
cucumber seedlings in containers made of organic material

Agriculture: Harnessing AI for healthier soils

David Green, Executive Director, and Maite Caballero, Senior Researcher from The U.S. Sustainability Alliance, argue that AI technologies pave the way for healthier soils in agriculture.

Biostimulants towards sustainable food production

Cristina Cruz and Teresa Dias from Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, focus on biostimulants, which are more than a product, but a significant change towards sustainable food production systems.

ECHO: Engaging citizens in soil health and science

Here, we learn about the ECHO project, coordinated by Soil Scientist Prof Tanja Mimmo of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy.
soil health monitoring

Revolutionizing agriculture: Unleashing the potential of AI and big data in soil health monitoring

In a recent interview, our editors delved into the world of soil health monitoring and the transformative role played by artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and machine learning, with Mogens H. Greve, Professor and Head of the Soil Section at the Institute of Agroecology, Aarhus University.
A young woman farmer holds black soil in her hand on an agricultural field. Close-up of hands with soil, quality check. Fertility concept, scaling.

Soil health characteristics

Lynette Abbott from The University of Western Australia, places the spotlight on soil health, including its physical, chemical, biological and hydrological characteristics.
Figure 1: Conceptual model on how biofertilizers can boost the integration of agroecology and precision agriculture techniques.

Integrating biofertilizers and precision agriculture

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the integration of biofertilisers and precision agriculture, with the aim of creating a virtuous circle of agricultural growth and sustainability, by Cristina Cruz and Teresa Dias of the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa.

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