Soil quality

What FiBL is doing on this theme
News on the theme
- 06/25/2025 : Protecting soil with art
- 11/05/2024 : TransforMed project: promoting agroforestry to regenerate degraded soils in the Southern Mediterranean basin
- 06/12/2024 : Become a citizen scientist – give your input in a current survey in the project "Waste4Soil"
- 03/22/2024 : Benefits of agroforestry in the Sahel
- 02/09/2024 : New project for healthier soils launched
- 11/30/2023 : Inoculation against diseased fields
- 04/03/2023 : Launch of Europe-wide research project on soil health
- 12/05/2022 : Study reveals intensive grassland management hampers the recovery of soil food webs from drought
- 04/06/2022 : Updated fact sheet "Soil and Climate" on the climate impact of organic soil management
- 10/04/2021 : New EU project to explore the impacts of plastic debris on soil health and agricultural productivity
- 05/05/2021 : PhD student unveils soil secrets
- 06/08/2016 : Improving the phosphorus supply in organic farming: IMPROVE-P
Relevant publications for practitioners
Themes/ key words

Publication Language

Year Of Publication

Projects on the theme

Project status

Location/ Department/ Research areas

Themes/ key words

Status	FiBL	Title	Start	End
ongoing	CH	Encapsulation of bacterial-fungal consortia for agricultural applications (ENHANCE)	01.01.2025	31.12.2028
ongoing	CH	Good grunting	01.12.2024	31.12.2027
ongoing	FR	Supporting farmers in sustainable soil management in the mediterranean region (MIFASOLS)	01.11.2024	01.11.2025
completed	CH	Studie Kompostplattform in der Drôme (COTECH)	01.10.2024	28.02.2025
ongoing	CH	Intercantonal long-term forest inventory: inclusion of silver fir in the monitoring programme	01.10.2024	31.12.2026
ongoing	FR DE CH	Transforming the Mediterranean region through agroforestry: large scale restoration of degraded lands by overcoming the socioeconomic and sociocultural barriers for agroforestry adoption (TransforMed)	01.09.2024	31.08.2027
ongoing	CH	Deploying ecosystemic solutions to improve soil health and uncovering subsoil functions in the critical zone (DeepHorizon)	01.09.2024	31.08.2028
ongoing	CH FR	Governance and business models for living labs: rural regeneration hubs for tackling soil health challenges in the Mediterranean region (GOV4ALL)	01.06.2024	28.11.2028
ongoing	CH	Influence of cultivation on the functional diversity of the soil in the "Frick trial on preparations and soil" (FunDiv-Frick)	02.04.2024	15.11.2027
ongoing	CH EU	Improving yields in organic cropping systems (OrganicYieldsUP)	01.02.2024	31.01.2028
ongoing	CH	National toolbox for soil health assessment	01.01.2024	31.12.2026
ongoing	CH	Cowpea – an underutilised and drought-resistant grain legume for diverse nutrition and climate-friendly agriculture in Switzerland	01.01.2024	31.01.2026
ongoing	CH	Agroforestry learning project	01.01.2024	31.12.2027
ongoing	EU	Startup of the SOILL support structure for SOIL Living Labs (SOILL-Startup)	01.01.2024	31.12.2025
ongoing	FR	Fruit production in agroforestry and development of water savings: multistate and syntropic mediterranean orchards (PARDESSYM)	01.01.2024	31.12.2027
ongoing	CH	Garden diversity	01.01.2024	31.12.2026
ongoing	CH	Linking soil biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services in different land uses: from the identification of drivers, pressures and climate change resilience to their economic valuation (BIOservicES)	01.09.2023	31.08.2028
ongoing		Delivering safe, sustainable, tailored & societally accepted soil improvers from circular food production processes for boosting soil health (DeliSoil)	01.06.2023	31.05.2027
ongoing	CH	Turning food waste into sustainable soil improvers for better soil health and improved food systems (Waste4Soil)	01.06.2023	31.05.2027
completed	CH	Regenerative Parsley production in Central Europe	01.05.2023	15.07.2023
completed	CH	Support to Agroecological Transformation processes in India (SuATI India)	01.05.2023	31.12.2024
ongoing	CH	Capitalization of Agroecological Research Evidence from the r4d programme in West Africa (CARE R4D)	01.04.2023	30.03.2026
ongoing	CH	Optimizing soil cover for fruit crops (OptiC fruits)	01.01.2023	31.12.2025
ongoing	FR	Developing and improving on-farm composting for the resilience of agricultural systems in the Drôme Valley (Compost & Résilience)	01.01.2023	30.06.2026
ongoing	CH	Monetary valuation of soil ecosystem services and creation of initiatives to invest in soil health (InBestSoil)	01.01.2023	31.12.2026
ongoing	CH	Building a European Network for the Characterisation and Harmonisation of Monitoring Approaches for Research and Knowledge on Soils (BENCHMARKS)	01.01.2023	31.12.2027
ongoing	CH	Developing Intercropping for agrifood Value chains and Ecosystem Services delivery in Europe and Southern countries (IntercropValuES)	01.11.2022	31.10.2026
ongoing	CH	Development and optimization of new mixtures of temporary overwintering plant cover adapted to the different constraints and configurations of the vineyards of the canton of Vaud (Vaud-Couverts-Viti)	15.10.2022	15.10.2025
completed	FR	Agroecological leverages for low-input fruit tree nurseries (Pépinière bas intrant – Veauvy)	01.10.2022	01.10.2024
ongoing	CH	Strategies for the adaptation of arable farming systems to climate change and their contribution to climate protection in the Upper Rhine region (KLIMACrops)	01.10.2022	31.12.2025
ongoing	CH	A European-wide network of pilot farmers implementing and demonstrating climate smart solutions for a carbon neutral Europe (Climate Farm Demo)	01.10.2022	30.09.2029
completed	AT	Erster österreichischer Vermögenspool zum Kauf und zur nachhaltigen Nutzung von Biolandwirtschaftsflächen	01.05.2022	31.12.2022
ongoing	CH	Long-term monitoring of soil-optimized cultivation Plantahof	01.03.2022	31.12.2032
ongoing	CH	Climate protection through humus formation	01.02.2022	31.12.2027
ongoing	CH	Farm Adaptation to Climate Risk (RISC)	15.01.2022	31.12.2029
ongoing	CH	Organic conservation agriculture: weed management and soil quality (Adventisol)	01.01.2022	31.12.2025
ongoing	CH	Strategic and technical support for the "Farming with Nature" initiative of Ingleby Farm&Forest group (Ingleby – Farming with Nature)	01.01.2022	31.12.2026
ongoing	CH	Climate Neutral Farms (ClieNFarms)	01.01.2022	31.12.2025
completed	CH	Microbiome Lighthouse Project	01.01.2022	31.12.2023
completed	AT	"The Viennese Succession"	01.01.2022	31.12.2023
completed	CH	Microplastics from road traffic and biogas slurry in soil (BLW-Mikroplastik)	01.12.2021	31.01.2024
ongoing	AT CH	MIcro- and NAno-Plastics in AGRIcultural Soils: sources, environmental fate and impacts on ecosystem services and overall sustainability (MINAGRIS)	01.09.2021	31.08.2026
ongoing	CH	Developing biological soil quality indicators as affected by biochar amendment (BGG-BB)	01.09.2021	31.12.2025
ongoing	CH	Black goes green: Influence of biochar on soil water balance and chemical soil quality	01.09.2021	31.08.2025
ongoing	CH	Course Organic Gardening School Hünibach (Lehrgang Biogarten)	01.07.2021
completed	CH	Swiss spade test – Standardised working basics for agricultural practice and soil protection (Spatenprobe)	01.07.2021	01.07.2024
completed	CH EU	BIOdiversity of soils and FArming Innovations for improved Resilience in European wheat agrosystems (BIOFAIR)	01.04.2021	31.03.2024
completed	AT	Wirkungsanalyse des Dünger- und Futtermittelsystems der BIO AUSTRIA Betriebe - Eine Analyse ökologischer Nachhaltigkeitsleistungen der BIO AUSTRIA Betriebe im Vergleich zur konventionellen Landwirtschaft in Österreich	05.03.2021	10.11.2021
completed	CH	Development of innovative measures for herbicide-free ground cover in viticulture (CV-VigneSol)	01.01.2021	30.04.2025
ongoing	CH	Synergistic use and protection of natural resources for rural livelihoods through systematic integration of crops, shrubs and livestock in the Sahel (SustainSAHEL)	01.09.2020	01.09.2025
completed	CH	C-sequestration in soils: potentials and limits to quantify, requirements for incentive programs and proof of their effectiveness (Postulat Bourgeois Q4)	01.07.2020	30.04.2021
completed	CH	Postulat Bourgeois: “Soil carbon sequestration in Switzerland: analysis of potentials and measures”	01.06.2020	31.12.2021
completed	DE	Development of a concept for the coherent and differentiated remuneration of the environmental benefits of organic farming (UGOE)	05.05.2020	31.01.2023
completed	CH	Sammlung bodenbiologischer Studien mit einem Standort-Bezug in der Schweiz (BAFU GraueLiteratur)	01.05.2020	30.04.2022
completed	CH	Let’s Talk About BetterGardens	01.04.2020	30.04.2022
completed	CH	Beratungspaket zur Einbindung weiterer Pflanzenproduktionsbetriebe in die Torfreduktionsvereinbarung (Beratungsprojekt Torfreduktion Zierpflanzen Baumschulen)	17.03.2020	31.12.2022
completed	CH	PROMISE – Sustainable protein supply with species mixtures in Switzerland – focus on pea and lentil (PROMISE)	01.02.2020	31.01.2024
ongoing	CH	Black goes green - Long-term on-farm trial on the climate impact of biochar in agriculture (Black goes green)	01.02.2020	31.12.2027
ongoing	CH	Protection of natural resources (water, soil) and promotion of biodiversity and challenges for agriculture in the face of climate change and economic issues (BLW Agroforesterie)	01.01.2020	31.12.2027
completed	CH	Pilotprojekt 3V - Bodenindikatoren	01.01.2020	31.12.2022
completed	CH	Bodenqualitätsindikatoren BQI-CH Perspektivmethode Infrarot-Spektroskopie	01.11.2019	01.02.2021
completed	CH	Konzeption und Umsetzung des Klimafolgen-Bodenmonitoring-Verbunds für die Themen Bodenbiologie und organische Bodensubstanz (Verbund20: Klimafolgen-Bodenmonitoring)	14.10.2019	31.12.2020
completed	CH	Going Bananas: Restoring Livelihoods of Conflict Affected Farmers in Cotabato (Going Bananas)	01.07.2019	31.12.2020
completed	AT	Erosion protection and resource conservation in organic maize cultivation	01.05.2019	31.12.2023
completed	CH	Microbial nitrogen cycling and functional diversity of soil microbes in organic and conventional farming systems under temperate and tropical climates	01.01.2019	30.06.2022
completed	CH	Dynamics of carbon sequestration and stabilisation in a long-term agricultural trial (DynaCarb)	01.01.2019	31.12.2022
completed	AT	Boosting 4 BEST practices for SOIL health in Europe (BEST4SOIL)	01.11.2018	31.03.2022
completed	CH	Soil quality indicators: Applied soil quality concepts and how they are useful to reach sustainable development goals	01.08.2018	15.12.2018
completed	CH	Microbiome diagnostics for a sustainable agriculture (Gebert Rüf Microbiome)	01.03.2018	28.02.2021
completed	CH	Day of organic arable farming 2019	01.01.2018	31.12.2019
completed	CH	Soil fertility innovation hub: selfdiagnosis and advice (Progrès Sol)	01.09.2017	31.12.2022
completed	CH	Guidance values for soil organic matter in arable soils. Opportunities for implementation.	01.04.2017	31.08.2018
completed	FR CH	Compost - Soil fertility and plant health	01.03.2017	31.12.2019
completed	CH	Alternatives to ploughing in organic agriculture	01.01.2017	31.12.2019
completed	CH	Managing soil biodiversity and ecosystem services in agroecosystems across Europe under climate change (SOILCLIM)	01.01.2017	31.12.2019
completed	CH	Treibhausgasbilanz: Treibhausgas-Emissionen aus landwirtschaftlichen Böden in der Schweiz	01.12.2016	30.11.2017
completed	CH	Thematische Synthese “Boden und Umwelt” (NFP 68)	01.12.2016	30.11.2017
completed	CH	Thematische Synthese NFP68: Böden und Nahrungsmittelproduktion (Synthèse-PNR68-SoilsFood)	01.10.2016	30.09.2017
completed	CH	Indicators and monitoring of agricultural soil biodiversity (BioDivSol)	01.02.2016	31.12.2022
completed	CH	Interactive Soil Quality Assessment in Europe and China for Agricultural Productivity and Environmental Resilience (iSQAPER)	01.05.2015	30.04.2020
completed	CH	Organic Knowledge Network Arable (OK-Net Arable)	01.03.2015	28.02.2018
completed	CH	Sustainable provisioning of multiple ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes (ECO-SERVE) (ECO-SERVE)	01.01.2015	31.12.2017
completed	CH	Structure and function of N2O producing and reducing microbial communities as influenced by soil management (NFP 68 – denitrification)	01.04.2013	30.03.2016
completed	CH	Determination of sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in Swiss arable soils	01.04.2012	31.03.2016
ongoing	CH	Soil tillage experiment Schlatthof (Aesch trial)	01.01.2012
completed	CH	Soil and climate friendly crop production in organic farming (COOP BKBA)	01.01.2012	31.12.2016
completed	CH	Effects of biochar amendments on plant growth, microbial communities and biochar decomposition in agricultural soils	01.11.2011	31.10.2015
completed	CH	Reduced tillage and Green Manures for Sustainable Organic Cropping Systems (TILMAN-ORG)	01.09.2011	31.08.2014
completed	CH	Carbon Credits for Sustainable Landuse Systems (CaLas)	01.11.2009	31.10.2011
completed	CH	Improving nutrient efficiency in major European food, feed and biofuel crops to reduce the negative environmental impact of crop production: Genotype x Management Interaction (NUE-CROPS)	01.05.2009	30.04.2014
completed	CH	Climate friendly arable and vegetable production (KLINE-AG)	01.01.2009	31.12.2011
completed	CH	Inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobacteria (PGPR) for sustainable cropping systems in India (ISCB BFNet FiBL (Biofertilizer Network))	01.01.2008	31.12.2014
completed	CH	Burden on the soil ecosystem of natural and genetically modified organisms – effects, methods and definition of damage as a contribution to risk assessment (BoBios)	01.01.2004	31.12.2008
completed	CH	Harmonised environmental Indicators for pesticide Risk (HAIR)	01.01.2004	31.03.2007
ongoing	CH	DOK Experiment: Long-term study on bio-dynamic, bio-organic and conventional farming systems (DOK Experiment)	01.03.1978

Overview over all themes and subthemes

Soil quality

What FiBL is doing on this theme

News on the theme

Relevant publications for practitioners

Projects on the theme

LOCATIONS

THEMES/PROJECTS

SERVICES

INFO CENTRE

ABOUT US