Lanna Research Station

Specialized spreader for liquid manure. Photo: Sofia Delin.

At Lanna there is equipment for plot-wise sowing, fertilizing and harvesting. Our newest experimental seeder can handle combi-drilling and different row spacings and sowing depths. We have a specialized spreader for liquid manure that can dose more precisely in plots up to three meters wide and is equipped with both trailing hose and trailing shoes for shallow incorporation. We also have equipment for mechanical weed control with hoeing in plots with a width of 1.9 or 3 m. There is a plot spreader for mineral fertilizer with adjustable plot width (1.9-3m) and flexible boom height to be able to fertilize at different crop stages. We have a drone that can take regular RGB photos of the trials, and with the help of our colleagues in Skara also one that can take multispectral images for e.g. vegetation index calculations.

At Lanna there is a tractor held hydraulic auger for soil sampling to about one meter depth and an RTK-GPS for autosteering with high precision positioning. Through our strong connection to the research group at the department of soil and environment in Skara, we also have access to several different soil sensors, including Veris P4000 that measures near infrared reflectance (NIR), electrical conductivity and penetration resistance in 10 cm intervals in the soil profile. With an EM38-MK2 that measures electrical conductivity over two depths simultaneously. Through cooperation with the Hushållningssällskapet (Skaraborg Agricultural Society), we can offer measurements with a handheld Yara N sensor. We have irrigation equipment that irrigates to a width of  24 meters that we have used for block-wise irrigation of trials, so that the effects of the experimental measures under different water regimes can be evaluated.

The ordinary agricultural operations at Lanna are managed by Lanna Egendom, which is under the Division of Real Estate Management at SLU.

The land managed by the staff at Lanna includes three farms with a total of 320 ha around Skara, of which 155 ha are at Lanna and the rest on the farms Götala and Brogården, which are closer to Skara. The farms are run using traditional conventional grain cultivation and forestry. The operations are managed by a manager and two machine operators.

Contact: Håkan Svantesson, telephone: +46(0)705-260005.

Lanna has mostly silty clay with a clay content around 40%, while Götala has sandy loam and Brogården has varying soils. This enables studies on different soil types within the property. Some experiments are carried out on other farms in the area, for example on the Lantmännen farm Bjertorp and on Fotegården close to Lidköping.

A detailed mapping of the soil

During 2015-2017, a detailed mapping of the soil on the three farms was carried out. The mapping primarily includes soil type, plant nutrient content and pH. Here you can see the maps at Lanna. To choose which soil property the map should show, click on “Layers” in the top bar and check the layer you want to see. Soil maps at Brogården are available here.

A few years ago, a biological soil mapping was carried out to map soil-borne plant pathogens. A shift-by-shift mapping of Club root disease is presented in the image above. Based on this, it can be determined which fields are suitable for growing oilseed rape.

Lanna operates six leaching facilities, each with 5-20 plots with separate drainage to measure leaching and runoff per plot. Five of these are located on clay soil at Lanna and one on sandy soil at Fotegården outside Lidköping. In addition, there is another facility at Götala, where it is possible to sample drainage water from buried suction cups in 56 experimental plots. At Lanna there is also a lysimeter facility with 48 lysimeter locations where leaching from 30 cm wide and up to 1 m deep soil columns can be studied. Two of the facilities at Lanna and the one at Götala are used in shorter projects and can be rented by various researchers.

In the foreground, a chamber and equipment for measuring nitrous oxide emissions, and in the background, wind tunnels for measuring ammonia emissions. Photo: Sofia Delin.

During the period 2012-2020, measurements of greenhouse gas emissions were carried out at Lanna in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg within the European collaboration project, ICOS- Integrated Carbon Observation System. The measurements showed very low emissions of nitrous oxide on Lanna, often below the detection limit for the measurement method used. Because of this, ICOS has decided to end its measurements at Lanna. Nitrous oxide emissions have also been measured with chamber technique in field trials at Lanna. Emissions were found in the order of 0.4-0.5 kg N2O-N/ha in plots without nitrogen fertilizer and in plots with normal levels of mineral fertilizer. In plots with organic fertilizer and in plots with excess amounts of nitrogen fertilization with mineral fertilizer, the emissions were approximately 1.2-1.4 kg N2O-N/ha.

During the period 2023-2024, samples were taken manually in four experiments and sent for analysis in the lab. Since 2024, Lanna has had a portable instrument for measuring nitrous oxide that is used in several experiments in various research projects.

Johan Fredriksson takes soil samples in the crop rotation experiment. Photo: Sofia Delin.

Here are the plan numbers and starting years for long-term field experiments at Lanna.

Leaching

• R0-0646: Organic farming with animal husbandry, starting year 1997 

• R0-0746: Organic farming without animal husbandry, starting year 1997 

• R0-8419-1: Different soil cultivation systems. and extensive pasture, start year 2002 

• R0-8410: Leaching, autumn and spring crops, start year 1992

Soil cultivation

• R2-4010: Different cultivation systems, straw treatment, start year 1974

• R2-4017: Direct sowing, start year 1982

Plant nutrition

• R3-0020: Humus balance - cereals, start year 1981

• R3-0021: Humus balance - pasture, start year 1981

• R3-0130-1: Soil biological conditions, start year 1996

• R3-1001: Lime - phosphorus, start years 1936 and 1941

• R3-9001: Fertility experiments, start year 1966

More information about the plant nutrition experiments: SLU Agricultural Long-Term Experiments

Crop succession

• R4-1103: Crop rotations with or without ley, starting in 1964

Mattias Gustafsson taking water samples. Photo: Sofia Delin..

Lanna carries out water sampling on a regular basis at two locations for environmental monitoring led by the Department of Soil and Environment in Uppsala. The results are published in annual reports in the publication series Ekohydrologi (in Swedish).

We also do sampling for other environmental monitoring in the area, including ground-level ozone for IVL.

Lanna Research Station in the mid-1930s.

Lanna became an experimental station in 1929, at a time when we wanted to learn how to install covered drainage on the clayey plain. Lanna met the requirements with the justification "The proper management of clay soils requires greater insight and more developed technology than any other soil type". Among other things, liming, drainage and manure management were important issues at the start.

Address

Lanna Research Station
Saleby
SE-531 93 LIDKÖPING
 
For general questions and inquiries about new experimental assignments

Sofia Delin
Research Leader
Phone: +46(0)761-346358
 
For practical questions about ongoing experiments

David Widmark
Operations Manager
Phone: +46(0)73-842 81 21
 
Other experimental personnel

Mattias Gustafsson
Experimental technician, responsible for water sampling
Phone: +46(0)72-208 26 79
 
Contact for agricultural operations at Lanna

Håkan Svantesson
Operations Manager
Phone: +46(0)705-260005