Researchers from the RAMA group belonging to CITA of the Government of Aragon have presented four communications to the “10th National Symposium on the control and recovery of soil degradation”, which was held in Burgos between June 24 and 27, 2024. The congress was organized by the University of Burgos and the Spanish Society of Soil Science (SECS).
The congress website presents its main features. The congress topic is integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations and the objectives of the European Union in relation to the Horizon Europe Framework Program and the strategies to combat climate change. According to the organizers, soils are key elements for sustainability, for mitigation of the effects of climate change and for food production. Soils support human activities, both cultural and productive. The symposium focused on the aspects associated with soil degradation, with emphasis on Mediterranean environments, and the proposal of solutions to reverse these situations.
The communications presented by the RAMA Group are part of the research developed within the framework of the “SOS Suelo” and “Vigilantes del Suelo” projects.
The “SOS Suelo” (Soil SOS) project deals with the evaluation of soil quality in different agroecosystems and the determination of indicators for its sustainable management. It starts from recognizing that the soil performs innumerable functions (biomass production, environmental interaction, carbon sequestration, physical support, biological habitat, genetic reserve, etc.) essential for life on the planet. Therefore, knowledge of the soils of a territory, their properties and the sensitivity to management practices is a key factor for the correct management of natural resources. The project is part of the AGROALNEXT Complementary Agri-Food R&I Plan developed by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities within the Recovery and Resilience Facility of the European Union – Next Generation EU. This is an initiative promoted by CITA.
The “Vigilantes del Suelo” (Soil Watchers) project is a citizen science project of the Ibercivis Foundation and the CITA (Center for Agri-Food Research and Technology of Aragon). The project invites citizens to participate and contribute to learning about the quality of Spain’s soils. Through citizen science campaigns, participants in “Vigilantes del Suelo” collect soil samples from their surroundings, which they analyze to determine their health status. The results obtained in each area will be used to prepare a national map of the health of our soils. The project has been financed by the FECYT of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
The communications presented are the following:
ASSESSMENT OF SOIL HEALTH THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE: THE “SOIL WATCHERS” PROJECT
NO TILLAGE AND ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT AS STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE SOIL QUALITY IN SEMI-ARID RAINFED SYSTEMS OF THE EBRO VALLEY
TILLAGE EFFECS ON THE DIVERSITY OF MICROARTHROPODS IN FIELD CROPS IRRIGATED IN THE EBRO VALLEY
INFLUENCE OF MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN FIELD CROP ROTATIONS ON THE SOIL MICROBIOTA