Soil mechanics and soil management

With our research, we aim to contribute to a sustainable use of soil. Understanding of how soil management impacts soil, and how biotic processes can support maintenance and improvement of soil structure and soil quality, is important knowledge on which we can base strategies and recommendations for use and management of soils that produce food, feed and fibre while minimizing negative impacts on the environment.

Why do we focus on soil structure? Soil structure impacts root growth, water regulation, carbon cycling, and more, and good soil structure is therefore key for climate adaptation and mitigation of crop production.

Research themes

Our research fields include soil management and agronomy, soil physics and agricultural soil mechanics (compaction, tillage, soil structure dynamics), soil ecology (earthworm burrowing, plant-soil interactions), plant physiology (root-soil interactions and crop development).

With regard to soil management, we primarily focus on impacts of soil tillage, crops (crop rotation, cultivars, cover crops), and the unintended effects of soil compaction. We also consider other aspects (e.g. organic amendments, fertilization, crop protection). Concerning natural processes, we have a particular interest in feedbacks between biotic processes (root growth, earthworm burrowing) and soil structure dynamics.

We work mainly on arable soils, but we also have on-going research on the trafficability and compaction of forest soils.

Expertise in the group

Our group combines different expertise that allows us to work at interfaces between soil biology and soil mechanics, and consider aspects of soil management and agronomy (see more under “Research Themes”). Within the department, we have a unique “disciplinary” expertise in soil mechanics.

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