AgroMixNorth: Crop diversification for sustainable, resilient agriculture in a changing climate

Could you give a brief overview of your project – what are the main objectives and expected outcomes?

"AgroMixNorth tackles one of the greatest challenges of our time: feeding a growing global population under increasingly extreme climatic conditions. The project aims to identify strategies for creating drought-resistant and resilient cropping systems, helping to secure crop yields and income for farmers in the Nordic, Baltic, and Scottish regions. AgroMixNorth focuses on the synergies and trade-offs between primary production, carbon sequestration, soil biodiversity, and nitrogen cycling by providing a toolbox evaluating these important ecosystem services."

Key objectives include:

• Understanding how plant diversity relates to carbon sequestration in soil, which is crucial for achieving the sustainable development goal on Climate Action.
• Exploring how soil microbiome diversity affects organic carbon processing and persistence in soils.
• Evaluating trade-offs related to food quality, crop productivity, carbon sequestration, and nitrogen cycling, particularly nitrous oxide emissions, aligning with the sustainable development goals on Zero Hunger and Responsible Consumption and Production.
• Providing evidence-based management tools for the agricultural industry, policymakers, and stakeholders to future-proof food supply and mitigate climate change.

The EU Mission, A Soil Deal for Europe, emphasises the importance of healthy soils for many ecosystem services. AgroMixNorth will showcase the potential of crop diversification and its impact on these services, enabling the assessment of alternative management and investment strategies to leverage synergies and minimise conflicts among different sustainable development goals.

How does the research relate to the One Health concept?

"Although agricultural soils are fundamental to all civilisations, many contemporary societies lack awareness of their importance. The challenge is that the 'underground' is often invisible and overlooked, not least because most of its key attributes are invisible to the naked eye – out of sight is often out of mind. Yet, soils provide a platform for life and play a crucial role in climate change, global food, and water security. Soil is teeming with life; a single spoonful contains as many organisms as there are people on Earth. The soil microbiome acts as the 'biological engine' of the Earth, driving key processes and functions that deliver numerous ecosystem services. AgroMixNorth will evaluate the role of the soil microbiome in carbon and nitrogen cycling and how it can be managed to improve the key ecosystem service carbon sequestration.

"Recently, the concept of Soil Health has gained traction in scientific literature, media, and policy discussions. This concept helps to make the importance of soil more understandable, as people can easily relate to human and animal health. A healthy environment, including soils and plants, along with healthy animals and people, leads to One Health on planet Earth."

What do you consider the key challenges and opportunities in your research area for advancing sustainable agriculture amidst the impacts of climate change?

"Climate extremes are projected to become more frequent and severe in the Nordic and Baltic regions. Spring droughts, in particular, significantly reduce crop yields, causing economic losses for farmers and society. As a soil scientist, I focus on life beneath our feet, but soil is one of the most complex systems on Earth. A 'one-size-fits-all' approach is unrealistic because many external factors simultaneously affect life underground. Developing sustainable, resilient agricultural management systems requires a holistic approach encompassing agronomy, soil science, economics, health, and policy."

"Socio-economic aspects are crucial for farmers to remain competitive and maintain long-term profitability. Sustainable agriculture involves not only natural sciences but also social, behavioural, and economic sciences, addressing market economy impacts. The capacity of people to adopt new practices and the potential conflicts between sustainable management and economic growth must also be considered. Beyond societal challenges, academic freedom should not be neglected, as many great discoveries come from curiosity-driven research. Advancing sustainable agriculture requires a balance and communication between academic freedom and problem-oriented science.

"Opportunities lie in the vital role that soils play for societies and the potential of fertile, healthy soils to address current and future food security and climate change challenges. Knowledge can be used to develop site-specific solutions tailored to the soil, climate, and socio-economic context."