For grain farmers, autumn is primarily the time for harvesting. The ripe grain must be stored and turned into food. Anders Næss studies the roots of the ripe grain. Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news Then it is perhaps a little strange that farmer Anders Næss stands at the edge of his field and picks up corn plants by the roots: – We are looking to see how the roots have developed. It is research he does. In the spring, he put a layer of good compost on half the experimental field, where the soil is basically bad. Compost Organic material that has undergone a natural process to become mold. As is usually the case, the organic material is plant waste and natural fertilizer (dung). Compost contributes to more life in the soil in the form of microorganisms and soil animals (tdmark) Source: Norwegian agricultural advice. When the growing season is now over, it is exciting to compare the cereal plants. In what way does the quality of the soil affect the mature grain? The grain was sown in May. The dark fields are compost. Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news How to save the earth? Næss is not just a farmer. He is also project manager for the research project “Soil health and carbon capture”. 19 farmers in Buskerud are here testing ways to cultivate the soil, so that it will remain fertile. It is about improving life in the soil and increasing the carbon content. Trial technician Hans André Tandberg makes sure that the seeds end up in the right area in the trial field. Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news Hans André Tandberg from the Norwegian Agricultural Advisory Service also helps with the research work. – Maybe we will achieve a better and more robust soil, which gives a bigger yield and grain with a good content of nutrients, he says. – The aim is to prove that this is something that pays off for the farmers. Daily manager, Eirik Kolsrud Photo: Grønt fagsenter, Buskerud The project is under Grønt fagsenter Buskerud. – We tend to think of soil as a lifeless material, says daily manager Eirik Kolsrud. It is not like that. – It is the greatest biological diversity on our planet. Kolsrud explains that soil is a complex ecosystem. – Countless different organisms have their habitat there. And they are completely dependent on carbon and organic matter to survive. The topsoil dies Consider diseased and healthy soil: the light soil sample has no organic material in it, while the dark one is pure organic soil (compost). Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news There are not many livestock on Norwegian farms that grow grain. The most noticeable. In the absence of livestock dung, artificial fertilizers have in many places become the only source of nutrients, and the clay content in the soil is weakened. Artificial fertilizers High content of plant nutrients and various minerals, but without organic material Chemically produced Energy-intensive to produce Came on the market 100 years ago and revolutionized agriculture Without artificial fertilizers we would not have had such large crops as we have today Use of only artificial fertilizers over time has shown tend to deplete the topsoil, because the carbon in the soil is lost. Source: SNL and SSB – Together with unilateral cultivation of the same crops year after year, this has been shown to make the soil less suitable for food production, says microbiologist Erik Joner at Nibio. He has been researching soil health and soil quality for 35 years, and sees that the topsoil in Norway is gradually getting worse. Erik Joner is head of department for Bioresources and circuit technology at Nibio. Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news – You manage in a normal year, but in years with a lot of rainfall or drought, you get a poorer crop or no crop at all. Joner says that a report that the EU came up with a few years ago says that as much as 60-70% of the soil in the EU has poor health. – It is critical, because it means that we cannot import food from other places. They have their own problems. It is therefore urgent to find out how to grow nutritious food and at the same time keep the soil healthy and vital. The compost delivers In Sigdal, autumn has arrived, and the ripe grain in the experimental field glows yellow. The experimental field at Evje gard in Sigdal. Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news Anders Næss stands and compares two grain plants with ripe halibut. They have grown only a few meters apart. With and without compost. – There is a difference in both the axis and the root, but you can see the extreme difference in the root development. Cereal plants of halibut, which have grown in soil, with and without compost. Photo: /Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news The hypothesis is that with compost, the corn plant receives more minerals and nutrients, and thus the corn ear will also be larger and contain more nutrition. For garden owners, who are used to using compost on flowers and vegetables in the garden, this perhaps goes without saying. But here we can be talking about several thousand kilograms of compost on one plot of land. To operate on such a large scale in this way is not common in today’s agriculture. Soil samples are now being taken which must be carefully analysed. Anders Næss wants to save the earth. Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news The unique thing is that a DNA mapping will also be carried out to find out exactly what kind of microbes actually live in the soil. The experiment must be carried out over several seasons to get reliable answers. Therefore, Næss believes that they need at least ten years to find out if this can be the solution to the soil health situation. – Should they save the world or the farmers? – Both parts. We have to find out how we can change the way we operate, so that we take more care of the micro-life and biology, and at the same time get stable and good yields in the long term. Do you have something on your mind after reading the article? We work with constructive journalism, which can give hope and point to solutions. Happy to hear from you. Here are several stories: Published 16.09.2024, at 21.08
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Farmers in Buskerud with research on soil health to prevent depletion of topsoil – news Buskerud – Local news, TV and radio
