Monitoring soil health in practice: equipping stakeholders to sample, analyse, and interpret soil health indicators

Expected Outcome:

Activities under this topic will support the objectives of the Mission Soil and contribute to meeting the targets of the EU Soil Strategy for 2030 and the implementation of the Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive. Furthermore, these activities should advance improvement of soil management and environmental performance outlined in the Vision for Agriculture and Food and the Common Agricultural Policy.

Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• enhanced reliability and accessibility of soil health data by and for laboratories, land managers, advisors and policymakers;
• improved understanding by land managers, other relevant practitioners and policymakers of the conditions, limitations and uncertainties of soil data and outputs and tools (e.g. datasets, indicators, descriptors, methodologies, pedo-transfer functions) developed by Mission Soil projects and initiatives (among others);
• increased collaboration and interaction among stakeholders, including end-users, around soil heath data issues;
• support the development of standards, norms and reference frameworks as well as national and international guidelines of soil sampling and monitoring and promote best practices.

Scope:

Soil health assessments will be key in the EU, especially with initiatives like the upcoming Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive. Assessments will provide critical data to support adaptive management practices that optimise soil health enhancing competitiveness and resilience.

Soil analyses are subject to variabilities arising from sampling methods, handling and transport of soil samples, variations in laboratory equipment and calibration, lack of standardised testing methods, human error, and the natural variability of soil properties. Moreover, farmers and land managers usually lack a comprehensive understanding of soil health indicators. This undermines their ability to accurately interpret soil analysis results and implement effective interventions, like adjusting fertilisation practices or crop rotation strategies. Limited training in proper sampling techniques and the use of modern diagnostic tools further hinders their ability to make informed decisions and manage soil health effectively. To address these gaps, it is essential to implement rigorous protocols and training for laboratory personnel, as well as enhance farmers’ and land managers’ decision-making capabilities.

Reliable soil data is also crucial as it underpins models predicting future soil health scenarios, supports the formulation of evidence-based policies and enhances decision-making processes for sustainable land management.

Proposals should:

• organise networking and capacity-building activities to equip stakeholders, mainly land managers, laboratory personnel and advisors, with practical tools and skills to improve soil data quality and soil data interpretation;
• compile and promote (standardised) methods and protocols for soil sampling (timing, depth, tools, representativeness, uncertainties), soil analysis (equipment, calibrations, inter-comparisons, uncertainties), and for the design of soil health monitoring programmes;
• facilitate and promote the integration of soil data, datasets and databases from different sources and methods allowing for the combination of results from direct sampling, proximal and remote sensing and other state-of-the-art methodologies;
• identify and promote existing (and, if missing, develop) practical tools (such as guides or apps) on soil analysis and monitoring: indicators, sampling and analysis methods, data management and analysis, interpretation of results, etc., based on solid scientific expertise with emphasis on new methods and technologies;
• conduct activities, such as case studies or piloting collaborative platforms to explore opportunities and limitations of soil data sharing (privacy, fragmentation, lack of standardisation and reference framework, IPRs, interoperability, restricted access policies);
• actively interact or collaborate with relevant standardisation bodies establishing communication and cooperation to ensure that the standards being developed or applied meet the needs of stakeholders and align with existing regulations.

The resources and opportunities offered by the project must be accessible to stakeholders even if they are not involved in the project as partners, contributing to address existing imbalances in soil analysis and data availability across the EU.

Proposals are expected to build on existing knowledge (e.g. data from national soil health monitoring, LUCAS) and solutions developed and tested at national scale or in the frame of other Horizon projects including those funded under the Mission Soil. Proposals should therefore include dedicated tasks and appropriate resources for collaboration with relevant projects and initiatives^[1] and engage in relevant Mission Soil clustering activities.

Proposals should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and the project SoilWise. In particular, proposals should ensure that relevant data, maps and information can potentially be available publicly through the EUSO. Concrete efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of the funded project is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

This action supports the follow-up to the July 2023 Communication on EU Missions assessment.

[1] Such as projects working on soil indicators like MRV4SOC, BENCHMARKS, those working with farmers and citizens such as Echo Horizon - EchoSoil, while also considering integrated platforms such as TUdi Homepage.