Descrizione del progetto
Una piattaforma strategica per invertire il degrado del suolo
Il progetto TUdi, finanziato dall’UE, svilupperà, amplierà e diffonderà strategie di risanamento del terreno in tre importanti sistemi agricoli (rotazioni delle colture di cereali, colture arboree e pascoli), per varie tipologie di aziende agricole in Europa, Cina e Nuova Zelanda. I ricercatori, in collaborazione con utenti finali e parti coinvolte, condurranno esperimenti a lungo termine sulle aziende agricole monitorate, al fine di individuare le situazioni di degrado del suolo, le strategie consolidate per il risanamento e gli ostacoli alla loro adozione nell’ambito delle aziende agricole. Questo approccio dal basso verso l’alto sarà utilizzato per sviluppare strumenti digitali utili a prevedere l’impatto di queste strategie su sostanze nutritive ed equilibrio idrico, rendimento, rapporto costi-benefici e operatività delle aziende, e servirà a guidare gli agricoltori verso l’implementazione delle strategie di risanamento del suolo. Tali soluzioni verranno affiancate dalla crescente sensibilizzazione del grande pubblico sull’importanza della salute del suolo per uno sviluppo sostenibile.
Obiettivo
TUdi is conceived as a transformative project, integrating 15 academic and SME partners, to develop, upscale and disseminate soil restoring strategies in three major agricultural systems (cereal based rotations, tree crops and grasslands), different farm typologies and environmental conditions in Europe, China and New Zealand. Aimed to lead the way in improving soil health across EU, China and New Zealand, it rests on two pillars: 1) a network of 42 cooperating stakeholder organisations for defining, implementing and upscaling soil restoring strategies in multiple farms; b) a network of 66 long-term experiments and monitored farms in the participating countries. From them, TUdi will identify soil degradation situations, proven strategies for restoring soil health, and barriers and possibilities for its adoption at farm level, including gender dimensions. This bottom-up approach will develop a set of digital tools, compatible with platforms for optimizing CAP implementation in Europe, to predict the impact of these strategies on nutrient and water balance, yield, cost-benefit and farm operations. They will guide farmers in implementing strategies to restore soil health by overcoming barriers for adoption, with rigorous cost-benefit analyses central to farmer appraisal. Solutions will be scaled up over a large number of farms through partners engaged in the cooperators network, including training of stakeholders, developing technical materials and elaborating policy briefs. It will be complemented by communicating project challenges and results to society, raising awareness of the relevance of healthy soils for sustainable development. Providing a blueprint for development and dissemination of soil restoring strategies at large scale, it will contribute to key initiatives like the EU and China Research Agenda for Agriculture and EU Mission on Soil Heath and Food. Training farmers, staff and early career scientists in sustainable soil use will result in lasting legacy.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
- H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy Main Programme
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.1. - Increasing production efficiency and coping with climate change, while ensuring sustainability and resilience
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.2. - Providing ecosystems services and public goods
Meccanismo di finanziamento
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinatore
28006 Madrid
Spagna