Soil monitoring network
Monitoring the chemical-physical and biological characteristics of agricultural soils
2018 - 2019
During the period 2018-2019, the activities performed were as follows:
- choice of farms;
- characterisation of 123 sites: recognition of the soil type, sampling and analysis (texture, pH, carbonates, organic carbon, salinity, CSC and exchange bases);
- sampling and analysis of heavy metals in 49 sites (spring 2019);
- definition of the questionnaire to be submitted to the farm managers;
- sampling and analysis of organic carbon and bulk density in all 123 sites (spring 2019);
- sampling for the estimation of biological quality (QBS-ar index) at 49 sites (spring 2019);
- second sampling and analysis of organic carbon and bulk density at 40 sites (autumn 2019);
- supply of 12 control samples and quality control of the analyses;
- conducting interviews on agricultural management.
2019 - 2020
During the period 2019-2020, the activities performed were as follows:
- second sampling and analysis of organic carbon, bulk density and QBS-ar at 20 sites in the group of 49 (autumn 2019);
- conducting the remaining interviews on agricultural management;
- updating of the fieldbook for the soil sampling;
- drafting a report on the activities carried out and the results of the first monitoring phase.
2021 - 2022
During the period 2021-2022, the activities performed (spring and autumn 2022) were as follows:
- plot sampling at 123 sites and analysis of N, P, K and salinity;
- sampling and heavy metal analysis at 49 sites;
- sampling and analysis of organic carbon and bulk density at all 123 sites;
- QBS-ar index sampling for biological quality estimation at 49 sites;
- provision of 5 control samples and quality control of analysis.