SOPHIE: Developments

G. Bakker, M. van der Ploeg, A. Degre, A. Nemes

SOPHIE 1/15

Visit SOPHIE to

EU/JRC (= advisory board of EU)

in Ispra Italy December 2019

Aim of the visit was to see whether JRC/EU

▪ supports the work of SOPHIE

▪ has additional/other demands

▪ has means to financially support the work of SOPHIE

SOPHIE 2/15

Developments

▪ JRC acknowledges the issues related to soil hydro-physics (texture, retention, conductivity, bulk density, …) and supports SOPHIE on scientific side.

▪ BUT JRC is politically/operational driven and must rely on cost benefit analysis to support new developments (political side). Fundamental research is not possible.

▪ SOPHIE needs to present its goal in terms of “European challenges or SDG’s” like drought or compaction in order to put soil hydro-physics on the agenda. (Like bulk Density is recognised as major parameter for carbon stock quantification). JRC only works on political issues.

SOPHIE 3/15

Developements

▪ Mission Board on Soil Health & Food: Johan Bouma can be an excellent ambassador for our goal Contact

▪Write a white paper on the importance of soil hydro-physics (Authors: SOPHIE, FAO, JRC, labs, Johan, and others)

▪ Discussion about LUCAS 2022 is ongoing now new properties suggestions, but needs the demonstration of its utility cost/benefit

▪ Time spent in field should not be more than a few minutes, lab work can be more elaborative

SOPHIE 4/15

Thank you

SOPHIE

If interested, you can register at the SOPHIE webpage:

https://www.wur.nl/en/article/Soil-Program-on-Hydro-Physics-via-International-Engagement-SOPHIE.htm

5/15

Hydro-physics properties are THE

properties that determine the soil-water

interactions

SOPHIE

And with water flow the transport of dissolved compounds (Nitrogen, Phosphates, Pesticides, Antibiotics, Organics, etc)

Photograph: Nile region Achmim, Egypt (mid east)

6/15

Soil Hydro-Physics properties are essential in a variety of societal issues Outcomes strongly depend on Soil-Water-condition

Objective of SOPHIE

SOPHIE supports the

Realization of qualified soil hydro-physics data

SOPHIE

▪ highly needed for EU policy making

▪ determined with EU-wide agreed methods:

● Harmonized (preferred methods/parameters)

● Innovated (cost-effective)

● Standardized (procedures)

▪ for laboratory- and field methods

through international collaboration.

7/15

SHP-Properties – some examples

• soil water retention & (un)saturated conductivity

• shrinkage and swelling

• organic matter

• texture (particle size distribution)

• structure (soil aggregation/pore structure)

• density

• capillary rise

• and alike

SOPHIE

Salt affected soil

8/15

• Food security & Agricultural development (drought, water damage,

precision drainage, irrigation, water logging, compaction, erosion)

• Salinity and Sodicity (leaching, evaporation, capillary rise)

• Soil greenhouse gas emissions (N2O/CO2)

• Water quality (percolation of nutrients,

contaminants, antibiotics)

• Nature conservation (wet/dry lands:

climate change)

• Sustainable land use (Healthy Soils, Function)

• Flooding (dike stability, infiltration,

soil water repellency)

• Damage to buildings & roads (soil shrinkage)

Dike breakthrough Wilnis Netherlands,

2003

SHP properties in societal issues

Outcomes strongly depend on Soil-Water-condition

SOPHIE 9/15

Recognition

▪ RECARE-project (prevention, remediation and restoration measures) summary: ‘... . Given the multitude of soil threats, bio-physical conditions, available expertise, methods and equipment in the different CS (=Case Studies in Europe), it was not possible (or even useful) to monitor soil threats and soil quality in the same way for all CS. Hence, monitoring methods and monitoring variables were not standardised between CS....’

Additional oral note (Dr R. Hessel): “The urgency of standardization can also be derived from the amount of time needed to compare results (DESIRE en SoilCare) dueto different expertise, different equipment in use, and lackof money.”

SOPHIE 10/1

5

Recognition

▪WoSIS World Soil Information Service (ISRIC World Soil

Information)

SOPHIE 11/1

5

Basic Development Agenda (BDA)

▪ The BDA serves as a guide to Harmonise, Innovate and Standardise (HIS) laboratory & field methods in a structured way.

● Harmonisation: accepted preferred methods & parameters

● Innovation: improvement of current methods + development of

new cost effective methods

● Standardisation: accepted Work Instructions for chosen methods

▪ BDA should generate focus, clarity, and collaboration

▪ BDA is ready in 2019:

● written in collaboration with active members

● checked with members of current distribution list (now).

SOPHIE 12/15

Basic Development Agenda – Harmonisation

▪ Set Current Situation in Harmonisation topic for

● Field

● Laboratory

▪ Put outcome on SOPHIE-website and/or in paper with

● Version number

● Date

● Supporting entities

SOPHIE 13/15

Choose

Output

Parameter

Inventory of

Methods &

Standards

Without adjustments

choose

Golden, Silver, Bronze Method & Standard

Determine Bottlenecks (quality, efficiency,

other)

Improvements later

Basic Development Agenda - Innovation

▪ Use bottlenecks of Harmonisation for

● Field

● Laboratory

▪ Check (intermediate) results with SOPHIE-members

▪ Share results on SOPHIE-website and/or in paper

SOPHIE 14/15

Per

Bottleneck

Define (A4) Innovation proposals

For Engineers,

Researchers,

Policy makers

PhD’s,

Students

Prioritize proposals

&

Share proposals

on website

Find

collaboration

and fund

Regulator panel for pressure plate setup

Basic Development Agenda - Standardisation

▪ Use inventory of Harmonisation for

● Field

● Laboratory

▪ Share results on SOPHIE-website and/or in paper

SOPHIE 15/15

Per method/standard

define

Time Consumption

(no costs)

Put Standard Content

(or standard number with exceptions)

on SOPHIE website

Discuss and improve contents

per standard

Update Harmonisation

“Current situation”

Basic Development Agenda – Short term

(2020-2023)

▪ Meetings in Brussels (Dec 2017) and Gembloux (Jan 2019) have

attributed to a set of focus areas for the coming 3 years:

● Soil Particle Analysis (texture)

● Density

● Structure (definition, how what)

● Infiltration capacity

● Development of Reference samples

for inter- and single-lab comparison of water retention

determination.

▪ Discuss with SOPHIE members further priorities for the longer term

SOPHIE

(dry) bulk density reference volume

issues in swelling soils.

Source: Cranfield University

16/15