SoilX: Soil management during extreme precipitation and climate change

The overall objectives of the SoilX project are:

(1) to elucidate the magnitude and temporal aspects of the effects of soil management on soil structure and hydraulic properties;

(2) to evaluate the potential of changes in soil management to increase resilience to future precipitation extremes (i.e. drought, floods), while providing positive side effects in terms of mitigation and sustainability in different regions and cropping systems in Europe; and

(3) a social science component that includes identifying context-specific enabling factors as well as challenges for farmers to adopt new methods in their soil management. SoilX aims to improve the evidence base on the effects of soil management on soil water regulation functions and crop response by measuring soil hydraulic and mechanical properties in long-term field trials with a history of alternative strategies across Europe. Using various model simulations, potential adaptation benefits as well as mitigation/sustainability benefits that can be achieved through changes in soil structure under current and future climate conditions will be evaluated. Qualitative interviews with farmers will identify context-dependent inhibiting/enabling factors regarding improved strategies and methods for soil management. RådNu is responsible for the Swedish part of the social science part, i.e. point number three.

Percieved challenges

In order to identify inhibiting and enabling factors as well as challenges that farmers perceive in relation to changed soil management, a method is required that enables grouping and ranking of these factors. In this project, Q-methodology will be used. Q-methodology is such a possible approach, since it a) requires that interview respondents rank objects (here: potential challenges in soil management) in relation to each other according to their perceived importance (or the respondents' level of agreement); and b) allows us to identify groups of respondents who share similar opinions, as they rank items in a similar way. As a result, we can identify groups of farmers based on how they perceive barriers or supporting factors that are important for their choice of land management, and then compare groups depending on production orientation, geographical differences or other factors.

The study itself will be mainly conducted through interviews with farmers. During such a Q-methodological interview, the person is asked to sort cards with statements about land issues, according to how well they match their own perception. This sorting of statements can be analyzed quantitatively, but since the development of the Q-study as well as the data collection and interpretation of the results involve qualitative work, the method is a mixed qualitative-quantitative method.

Farmers personal opinions

To further develop the results, the Q-interviews will include an additional part that includes farmers' personal opinions on what it means to be a "good farmer" in relation to land issues and climate change management. “Being a good farmer is about the prestige that comes from having cultural capital, which is recognised by others. It is therefore about skills and knowledge: knowing how to farm well and knowing the legitimate criteria for defining what is good.” (Burton et al., 2021: p. 131). Asking related questions in interviews has proven to be a useful way of investigating non-economic norms and obligations that govern people’s behaviour, which are otherwise often difficult to elicit (Sutherland, 2021). We will use qualitative analysis to analyse farmers’ ideas about what ‘good farming’ is and will then compare the results across regions in Europe. How do farmers perceive their identity as ‘good farmers’? How does it vary geographically, between production sectors and in comparison with other contexts?

Finally, focus group interviews with farmers and/or other interested stakeholders who are familiar with these issues will be conducted to validate and discuss the results of the qualitative interviews and the Q-method. Together with a synthesis of the results from model studies, the Q-methodology and the interviews, we will develop recommendations for how farmers, advisory actors and authorities can promote agricultural soil management.

Funding: EJP SOIL (EU).
Principal applicant in Sweden: Nicholas Jarvis/Katharina Meurer, Department of Soil and Environment.
Project duration: 2022–2024.