How can we protect the resource soil? This was the theme of a "breakfast dialogue" between politics, science and practice on 8th June in Berlin.
In a keynote speech, Prof. Dr. Katharina Helming explained the multifunctional significance of the soil, which is not only the basis for the production of 95% of food, feed and raw materials for bioenergy worldwide, but also plays an essential role as carbon storage for climate protection, stores water and nutrients and acts as habitat for a myriad of organisms. Especially in the transformation to the bioeconomy and the replacement of fossil resources with bio-based resources, soil is under pressure, and the BMBF research program BonaRes (soil as a sustainable resource for the bioeconomy) is designed to find new ways for land management, which allows for high productivity and at the same time preserves all soil functions (www.bonares.de). In a subsequent panel discussion, Prof. Dr. Frank Ewert together with Dr. Wilhelm (WWF Deutschland), Dr. Tackmann (MDB, Linke) and Mr. Wreesmann (Society for preserving soil cultivation) explained why research is so important for the development of sustainable land management practices. New modeling approaches can use long-term data from permanent trials to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of various soil management processes, even under the influence of climate change. In order to take advantage of the opportunities offered by new technologies and management practices for the protection of the soil resource, policy must set the course in such a way that practice can implement long-term strategies for soil health, e.g. through precise agriculture, more variety in crop rotation and new cultivation patterns.
Pictures
For downloading the pictures please click on a picture and use the
herunterladen.
Caption: Group photo AGRAR. Source: © Andreas Neßlinger.
