Research projects

SoilPATH is a five-year European research and innovation project funded under the Horizon Europe programme, aimed at improving agricultural soil health by developing science-based approaches to assessing the impacts of different farming practices.

Maintaining and improving soil health is essential for the long-term sustainability of agricultural production. Although numerous indicators are available for monitoring soil conditions, their relationship with the effects of individual farming practices and their combinations is often not sufficiently understood. SoilPATH therefore brings together scientific knowledge, data from long-term field experiments and stakeholder experience to better understand which practices contribute to improving soil health, under which conditions, and with what impacts on agricultural performance.

The project focuses on three main groups of farming practices: crop rotation and soil cover, fertilisation and organic matter management, and tillage. It examines both the effects of individual practices and their interactions, including potential synergies and trade-offs.

Based on the collected evidence, the project will develop a harmonised European soil health assessment framework, connecting scientific findings with practical recommendations and decision-support tools. This will help farmers, agricultural advisors, researchers and policymakers select appropriate measures adapted to different farming and environmental conditions.

SoilPATH contributes to the objectives of the EU Mission A Soil Deal for Europe and supports the transition towards more resilient, productive and sustainably managed agricultural systems.

Main Activities and Results

The project will combine existing scientific knowledge with new measurements and data from 24 long-term field experiments across eight European countries, covering four pedoclimatic zones and conventional, organic and agroecological farming systems.

The main activities include:

• Collecting and analysing existing research and data from long-term field experiments to assess the impacts of farming practices on soil health and agricultural performance.
• Developing and applying harmonised research protocols and identifying key soil health indicators.
• Investigating the effects of individual farming practices and their combinations, including their technical, environmental and agroecological performance.
• Developing a harmonised European soil health assessment framework based on the Open Soil Index (OSI) approach.
• Preparing soil health maps, practical recommendations and digital decision-support tools.
• Engaging farmers, agricultural advisors, researchers and policymakers in the co-creation of solutions and identifying drivers and barriers to the wider adoption of promising soil management practices.
• Analysing existing policies, identifying policy gaps and developing recommendations to better integrate soil health into agricultural and environmental policies.

A key project outcome will be the online SoilPATHways Hub, bringing together project knowledge, data and tools in two main components:

• Field Actors Toolbox: Practical tools and recommendations for farmers and agricultural advisors to support soil health assessment and decision-making at farm level.
• Policymakers Toolbox: Scientific evidence, recommendations and tools to support policymaking and other measures related to sustainable soil management.

Role of the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia

The Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (KIS) contributes expertise in soil science, agronomy and cropping systems, supported by its research infrastructure, experimental fields and long-term trials.

KIS will contribute to collecting and assessing evidence on soil health indicators and evaluating the technical, environmental and agroecological performance of different farming practices. An important part of its involvement will also focus on stakeholder engagement, knowledge exchange and identifying the drivers and barriers to scaling up promising soil management practices.

In addition to its research activities, KIS will contribute to the development and validation of soil health and policy solutions. This includes analysing gaps in existing policies, co-creating policy recommendations and contributing to the development of the Policymakers Toolbox.

Through its involvement, KIS will help connect scientific evidence, practical farming experience and stakeholder perspectives, while contributing to capacity building, communication and dissemination of project results.

Partnership

The project is coordinated by Ghent University, Belgium, under the leadership of Prof. Erik Meers.

The international consortium brings together 17 partners from 11 European countries, including research institutions, universities and other organisations working in agriculture, soil management, digital solutions and knowledge transfer.

Funding

SoilPATH is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA), within the framework of the EU Mission A Soil Deal for Europe.