4 million euro grant for predicting and improving soil biodiversity

Artificial intelligence may be the key to predicting soil biodiversity in fields and meadows, and thus producing more sustainable food. To achieve this goal, a consortium of researchers, companies and NGOs has received a grant of 4 million euros. The grant was awarded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

Farmlands don't just produce food. They're also important for providing clean air and drinking water. They also help to buffer climate change by taking up greenhouse gases, and they suppress soil-borne plant diseases and pests. But these important services all depend on healthy soil life, while intensive farming is putting more and more pressure on the soil.

A broad coalition of researchers, companies, NGOs and government bodies will now study how farmlands can be returned to multifunctionality, and which crops, species, soil organisms and substrates have a beneficial impact.

Artificial Intelligence

Joining forces under the moniker SoilProS, researchers will work with 17 companies, NGOs and government bodies to map out the soil life of Dutch farmlands. It's a huge undertaking, as even just a handful of soil contains up to five thousand different species of soil life, and ten billion individual organisms.

Mapping soil biodiversity is an immense task. Even just a handful of soil contains up to five thousand different species of soil life.

"And that's only the beginning of the work", says project leader Wim van der Putten, researcher the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). "We will apply artificial intelligence to the biodiversity we find in order to recognise patterns. These patterns can teach us how to restore the multifunctionality of the soil life." Companies can use this knowledge to come up with more sustainable crops, micro-organisms and substrates. And NGOs and government bodies can use it for consulting and policy making.

Integrating data sets

Researchers from Utrecht University contribute to the SoilProS programme, by creating new ways to integrate multiple data sets. This should reveal previously unnoticed correlations between soil use, ecosystem functions and soil biodiversity.

With this grant we can integrate genetic data, and include soil use and biodiversity. This allows us to map the entire ecosystem and identify which options are available to stimulate biodiversity.

"Currently, integrating data on various soil aspects only happens on a much smaller scale", says Utrecht University scientist Basten Snoek, leader of the Utrecht-based section of SoilProS. "Only recently have researchers started combining genetic, functional and ecological data on a larger scale. Thanks to this grant, we can now greatly extend the integration of genetic data and include soil use and biodiversity. This allows us to map the entire ecosystem and identify which options are available to stimulate biodiversity under various soil usages. I’m eagerly looking forward to collaborating with all parties involved in this programme."

Expanding tradition

The Netherlands has a long tradition when it comes to soil research. Until recently, that research focused mostly on measuring the chemical and physical properties of the soil. SoilProS expands the tradition by adding another important element to the mix: biological soil analysis.

It's not new as such, but collecting data in a coherent way and interpreting the data has been a major bottleneck. SoilProS will use machine learning and network analysis to clear that bottleneck. Predictions will be validated in practice, in close cooperation with farmers and companies. Van der Putten: "We will provide landowners and land users with new knowledge, and together we will look for ways to apply that knowledge."

Societal challenges

The SoilProS programme (Soil biodiversity analysis for sustainable production systems) revolves around a broad consortium between knowledge institutions, companies and other organisations. The participating knowledge institutions include NIOO-KNAW, University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University, University of Twente, Wageningen University & Research, and HAS University of Applied Sciences. Companies and other societal partners that participate in the programme are: Agrifirm, Barenbrug, Kekkilä-BVB, Friesland-Campina, Syngenta, Vitens, Hilbrandlab (HLB), Plant Health Cure (PHC), Stichting Aardbei Onderzoek, ESTI-impact (ESTI), Eijkelkamp, Wij.land, Netherlands Agricultural and Horticultural Association, Province of Gelderland, Province of North Brabant, Rijkswaterstaat and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

Funding for the SoilProS programme is provided from the Perspectief fund of the Dutch Research Council (NWO).