To celebrate World Soil Day on the 5th of December we have written a series of blogs that dig in (pun intended) to the many connections between soils and food. These blogs are inspired by our sustainable soils research at Lancaster and include a recipe that connects our soil research to the dinner plate! We are publishing a blog a day between 21st November and the 5th of December. We hope you enjoy digging into both our research stories and recommended recipes. Enjoy – bon appetit!
News
Farm vehicles now weigh almost as much as heaviest dinosaurs – here’s why that’s a problem
Compaction is a growing problem as farm machinery has become as big as the biggest dinosaurs that roamed the Earth. Read more about this study in Jess and John’s accessible write up in The Conversation.
Bare winter fields to disappear as part of new plan for healthy greener countryside
Initial Sustainable Farming Incentives promising as they focus on protecting our soils.
Members of the Sustainable Soils group in The Conversation UK.
Soils in Planning and Construction Task Force
Cover crops under maize to manage excess water and erosion in NW England
In the UK, an increasing maize cropping area and more frequent, more intense rainfall events are accelerating soil erosion and compaction, potentially exacerbating the impacts of flooding and diffuse pollution. Researchers at Lancaster University are assessing whether under-sowing cover crop mixtures in maize affect soil water retention and movement, and soil strength as assessed by penetrometer profiles.
Setting up a field experiment to assess the erosion control potential of cover crops
Author: Helena Ripley
My PhD research is focused on the use of cover crops to control soil erosion in hillside orchards in Spain. I am currently working on my third data chapter: a mesocosm trial to assess the effectiveness of different species and mixes to reduce soil loss under overland water flow. This blog will give an overview of the process of starting an experiment.
Treated like dirt: urban soil is often overlooked as a resource
Urban soils support a range of ecosystem services and they need to be included in urban planning and design.
Read more in Roisin’s news article in The Conversation.
UK land now stores 7% more carbon than 300 years ago – what that means for the environment
New research from our group has taken a look at how land use change, agriculture and centuries of pollution have affected stores of carbon in plants and soils across the UK.
Read more in this news article in The Conversation.
Taking a long look at the flow of nutrients from soils to water in the UK
Our recent research has explored how long-term changes in land use, agriculture, atmospheric pollution and human waste generation and management has changed the flows of nutrients through our waterways.