Projects / Programmes
January 1, 2015
- December 31, 2019
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.03.00 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B006 |
Biomedical sciences |
Agronomics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.01 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
Agroecosystems, Agricultural practices, Atmosphere, Climate, Soil, Plants, Water, Environmental stress
Researchers (27)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Population boom and increasing world-wide demand for food are putting natural resources and agro-ecosystems in particular under increasing pressure. In Slovenia food self-sustainability is in a constant decline due to the specifics of our landscape, economy of production and social factors. The programme group will continue with their broad and multidisciplinary research on the dynamics, functioning, diversity, use and management of different agro-ecosystems. Focus of research will be on environmental and human effects on individual components of the agrocosystems (plants/vegetation, soil and soil microorganisms, soil- and groundwater, climate and atmosphere) and underlying processes governing the response of these components (nutrient cycling, water flow, carbon and energy exchange, land use, biotic diversity and interactions).
Important parameter of agroecosystem is agricultural sustainability. Its primary variables are available agricultural land and water, which depend on competing demands from other sectors as well as natural factors like climate change. Adapting land use and improving water productivity will be studied as priority measures. We will strive to increase the efficiency of sustainable farming practices: top soil layers with increased fertility may result from conservation soil tillage or from increased inputs of organic matter from crop residues. Changes in climate and atmospheric composition are major factors that could greatly influence agroecosystem function and services, farm production and management, and soil degradation processes in the future. Research will focus on understanding, monitoring and predicting climate change and its impacts on agroecosystems in Slovenia, and will provide recommendations for appropriate and efficient response strategies for adaptation. Soil degradation processes are increasing the need to use degraded and contaminated land, such as former landmine sites in Slovenia and urban areas where urban horticulture is thriving, fulfilling a variety of functions, including food production and community building. Efficient and sustainable soil rehabilitation / remediation technologies will be tested for agricultural use. As primary producers the response of plants is an integral indicator of agroecosystem productivity. Effects of environmental limitation due to abiotic and biotic factors are reflected in plant growth, structure and usability for food and feed. Physiology and biochemistry of plants will be studied in the plants exposed to abiotic stressors, plants exposed to different managing practices such as irrigation and soil manipulation treatments (e.g. conservation tillage, soil remediation); effects of future climate on plants will be addressed.
Significance for science
Results of the proposed program will contribute to the scientific knowledge beyond the current state of the art:
· We will search links between the various agricultural technologies and soil physico-chemical and biological parameters. Of special interest are effects of drought stress on microbial community functioning under different soil management systems. Since changes in soil ecosystems are reflected in the long-term, the existing long-term experiments are of great importance (e.g. 14 years field experiment comparing reduced tillage with the conventional moldboard plowing).
· We expect with this programe to enhance existing knowledge concerning relations between climate change and agroecosystems by (i) preparing climate change scenarios for Slovenia, (ii) analyzing impacts of future climate on crop productivity in Slovenia and (iii) evaluating how to adapt to certain impacts which are unavoidable and some regions.
· We will contrubute to the deeper understanding of functioning, structure and use of plant component of agroecosystems using both well-established and novel approaches of research. More specifically, this will include new knowledge on stress physiology of plants due to abiotic factors and air pollutants, plant functional role in agroecosystems, vegetation structure, diversty and protection and plant usage for medicinal, food and other puroposes.
· New knowledge on the functioning of marginal agroecosystems of Slovenia (e.g. karst ecosystems) particularly their overall performance in terms of carbon and water fluxes, evironmental regulation of these fluxes and response of different ecosystem components (individual plants, vegetation, soil, bedrock) and processes (assimilation, respiration, evapotranspiration, sapflow, decomposition) will be gained.
· New knowledge on hydraulic characteristics of soil (including degraded and recultivated one), and substrates for more effective optimisation of plant production.
· Some defined interactions of hydraulic characteristics of soil and biophysical parameters of plants for adaptive land use.
· Defined main characteristics of important biophysical and socioeconomic factors which support plant water demand management.
· Defined main characteristics of precision irrigation systems that improve water productivity.
· Assessed impact of some extreme water events on conditions for plant production and of some land use and management on water resources quality and quantity.
· The main barriers to the uptake of alternative soil remediation technologies are cost, lack of confidence in their effectiveness and a lack of general understanding. Experimental results will rise the confidence in novel soil, chelant-based washing technology through demonstrational effect of research plots of remediated garden soils and reports on quality and safety of vegetables and crops produced.
Significance for the country
· Work on the project will generate new knowledge, which will be presented at international conferences to promote Slovenia and Universty of Ljubljana as a public research institution.
· Program team has established strong relationships with farmers and advisory service in Slovenia related to soil fertility issues. New knowledge gathered and technologyies developed will be transferred trough dissemination events, such as workshops and round tables, scientific conferencess.
· Biodiversity, soil and water are some of the priority themes in the RDP 2014-2020, proposed by Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) environmental aims, as follows:
1.) Preserved, enhanced and restored agricultural ecosystems are able to maintain delicate balance between improving competitiveness of agriculture, and ecological functions of agriculture.
2.) Conservation of the productive potential of soil as natural resource, vital for human subsistence for agricultural use.
3.) Good quality and quantity of water. Various economic activities in rural areas, including agriculture, and municipal infrastructure are a source of emissions into water. Water is essential for agriculture, water availability has a major impact. Development of irrigation systems, and promotion of sustainable and efficient use of water will be key factor in the future, due to climate change and repeated long periods of drought.
· Slovenia is in the process of preparing, developing and implementing national climate change adaptation strategy. Assessing agroecosystem and agriculture vulnerabilities is essential for the design of effective measures for adaption to climate change on the national scale. Research results would allow stakeholders to react in a timely and cost-effective way and to make long term decisions regarding agriculture policies.
· The Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe (COM(2011) 571) specify contamination as a serious problem for preservation of land and soil. Availability of efficient soil remediation / revitalization technologies and reclamation of contaminated land is a powerful tool to revitalize degraded (i.e. urban) areas. Regeneration of physical environment reinforces the social cohesion.
· Programme team members teach courses in agronomy, environmental and related discipliness. The results and findings gained through the programme research will be used directly in the teaching process. Young scientists and Ph.D. students will participate in the research, opportunity for diploma thesis will be offered to under-graduate students.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2015,
interim report,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2015,
interim report,
final report
