(the list will be updated weekly – LAST UPDATE: 30 MAY 2023)
LEAD CONVENER:
A. CERÓN GONZÁLEZ – National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, MEXICO
CO-CONVENER:
B. GLINA – Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, POLAND
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
The idea of becoming a soil scientist involves historical and structural conditions. Even though diversity in science has promoted over the last decades the inclusion of underrepresented individuals, it is still perceived that soil science is men-centered (Reyes and Irazoque, 2022) and in a certain way adultcentrist (Campbell, 2021) since it requires a deep specialization only achievable at the graduate level. The understanding of the diversities that already exist in soil science and their inclusion are fundamental to reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this way, the IUSS Young and Early Career Scientists Working Group proposes a mentorship workshop as a fringe event looking forward to young ideas and perceptions and making bridges with senior soil scientists. The Mentor & Mentee Workshop will last two hours and will include three activities with a maximum audience of 40 young soil scientists. First, a round table with senior soil scientists talking about their future soil science imaginaries. For this activity, we will invite at least four senior scientists attending the IUSS Centennial Celebration. Second, we will create small discussion groups based on the four IUSS Divisions, each group will be led by at least one invited senior scientist. Finally, we will discuss together our experiences with the workshop. Young and senior soil scientists will be able to interact and keep in contact. We will look forward to supporting the best candidates registered in the workshop through the IUSS Stimulus Fund. Furthermore, we will try to request the Centennial organizers for Travel Grants.
KEYWORDS:
1. Bridges in science
2. Early career
3. Active youth
4. Inclusion
5. Interdisciplinarity
LEAD CONVENER:
D. FIELD – The University of Sydney, Sidney, AUSTRALIA
CO-CONVENER:
A. MCBRATNEY – The University of Sydney, Sidney, AUSTRALIA
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Planetary functioning and human society face generally seven existential challenges, namely food & nutrition security, climate change, water security, biodiversity protection, ecosystem & environmental conservation,, energy security and human health with due attention and solutions the planet and human society will cease to function sustainably. These are higher level generalisations and are more existential than the sustainable development goals themselves. These global challenges have been previously addressed to some degree and perhaps obliquely by a range of concepts such as soil conservation, soil quality, and soil health. Soil security attempts to address all of these challenges and integrate all seven concurrently through the five biophysical and socio-economic dimensions of capacity, condition, capital, connectivity and codification. Indeed, soil security itself should be regarded as an eighth crucial global existential challenge.
In this symposium, we will discuss past and existing concepts, and approaches to a preliminary assessment of soil security. The assessment will address three roles of soil: soil functions, soil services and threats to soil. For each identified role, we will discuss a potential, but not exhaustive, list of indicators that characterise the five dimensions of soil security. The symposium will discuss aspects of capacity and condition, capital, connectivity and codification theoretically and through case studies.
KEYWORDS:
1. Soil Security
2. Soil quality
3. Governance
4. Natural capital
LEAD CONVENER:
J. MOURA – Instituto Evolua, Maua (sustainable development), Resende, BRAZIL
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
The session will focus on the efforts made to make people and societies aware about the importance of soil for food and their future, and the possibilities they have to help improve local soil and nature overal fertility. I will show a presentation exemplifying practical activities since 1982 mainly related to urban agriculture, community, domestic and school composting and gardening, besides projects that aim prepare young people for the challenging future they will must face.
KEYWORDS:
1. Soil and people interface
2. School composting
3. Youth development
4. Urban agriculture
LEAD CONVENER:
B. GLINA – Department of Soil Science and Microbiology, Poznan university of Life Sciences, Poznan, POLAND
CO-CONVENER:
A. CERÓN GONZÁLEZ – National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, MEXICO
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
The role of young and early-career soil scientists is of crucial importance for the future of soil science and the IUSS itself. However, young scientists very often avoid speeches at big conferences/events, due to fear of confrontation with experienced scientists and hearing possible criticism. They often dread giving oral presentations because of the stress they cause, and more generally, because of their attitude towards science communication. Thus, we believe that the ability to talk with similarly inclined people is crucial for self-development. Trying to reach this, we decided to propose (as YECS working group), a session addressed to Young and Early career scientists involved in soil science research and education. We intended to create a very wide thematic session to enable young people to show their results. Within the framework of the session, scientists will present the recent theoretical, experimental, pedagogical, and applied investigations conducted all around the world with an emphasis on the importance of soil for humanity. In our opinion, this session will be an excellent platform to exchange ideas and expertise among Young Soil Scientists and to establish collaboration for global future projects. All participants are encouraged to submit abstracts on the following topics: representing the research of all branches in soil science. Participants in the proposed session will present their results in the form of oral (10-15 minutes) and poster (5 minutes) presentations.
KEYWORDS:
1. Challenges for the future
2. Early career
3. Soil science research
4. Young scientists
LEAD CONVENER:
R. JANKE – Kansas State University, Manhattan KS, USA
CO-CONVENERS:
D. PINDELL – Olympic College, Bremerton, USA
J. IBBINI – Hashemite University, Zarqa, JORDAN
P. WATTS – Ecoartspace Organization, Santa Fe, USA
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Research on reliable indicators of soil health has included combinations of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties that lead to enhanced function of nutrient and water cycling, carbon sequestration, and high productivity. The field of metagenomics now allows us to determine the taxonomy of the soil microbiome, diversity, and explore connections between certain taxonomic groups and soil function.
In addition, alternative methods can be applied to further our understanding of soil processes. The buried cloth technique has been used as a visual/qualitative tool to study soil health. The excavated cloth can be used as a visual illustration for the soil science community and displayed as art. Art can be a visual tool to engage communities in a dialogue on soil health. In the spirit of working with textiles, combined with soils, together they offer a means of engagement between the human and non-human world. The results of this collaboration will be shared including the process of data collection and artistic process.
We are also seeking creative methods for visualizing and interpreting this new metagenomic data. Collaborators with significant environmental-arts experience have convened to develop a project where soil health is visualized by burying, and then examining, artists’ canvas in soils from diverse locations. This global network currently includes artists from several continents, and the soils range from tidal wetlands on the east coast of the USA to semi-tropical deserts of Oman. DNA has been extracted from these soils, and the results have been shared with the artists for their interpretation. We invite others with similar interests to join us in this session with a presentation, artwork, or both.
We also request space in the exhibition area for a display of artworks created. We believe that this may be the first time that environmental artists have used metagenomic data in their process, and it is fitting that this be presented at the International Union of Soil Scientists in Florence, Italy.
KEYWORDS:
1. Soil microbial community
2. Soil biome metagenomics
3. Environmental art
4. Art science collaboration
LEAD CONVENER:
M. KAISER – University of Bergen, Bergen, NORWAY
CO-CONVENER:
M. PARADISO – University of Naples, Naples, ITALY
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Soil sciences are at the core of our understanding of global food systems, and they provide valuable insights into the ecology of our world and explain important ecosystem services. Strategies to attain the aims of the SDGs cannot ignore the soil sciences. We know that systems characterizing soil dynamics interact with various other systems, including systems that cover cultural diversity, national policies, economic resource management, social identities, and even aspects described under One Health. In order to convey and insert knowledge from the soil sciences into these larger systems, and at the same time increase the impact of its findings, it is necessary that soil sciences engage in partnerships with knowledge holders and decision makers which normally focus on these related aspects. The research framework to achieve these goals is normally described as a transdisciplinary framework. Its characteristics are relatedness to concrete context, inclusive broad partnerships, respect for the diversity of knowledge systems (including indigenous knowledge), shared problem formulations, building up a common language, reflexivity on inherent bias, and focus on what would work in practice. These are no small tasks but challenge the traditional roles of scientists and funders. This session will explore opportunities, challenges, and concrete pathways for the soil sciences to enter into transdisciplinary research. It will specifically call for linkages to the humanities, social sciences, and normative disciplines (ethics and law) as potential partners in this enterprise. Contributors are invited to report on their experiences, their obstacles, their visions, as stimulus to a broad discussion of what lies ahead for the soil sciences.
The co-conveners will open the session with a brief overview of the more general perspectives they see in this endeavor.
KEYWORDS:
1. Transdisciplinary research
2. Science for policy
3. Global food systems
4. Interrelated systems
LEAD CONVENER:
C. DAZZI – University of Palermo, Palermo, ITALY
CO-CONVENER:
E.A.C. COSTANTINI – IUSS, Florence, ITALY
K-H. FEGER – University of Dresden, Germany
T. KOSAKI – University of Tokyo, Japan
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
The history of science is a useful and powerful tool to make young people acquire not only the knowledge, ideas, theories that have constituted the most important shared heritage, in certain historical periods, of scientific knowledge but also the methods and practices of scientific investigation as they have been formed and evolved over time. Moreover, making history of science means linking scientific knowledge to specific names, faces, times, and places.
In the case of soil science, the narration of its evolution or of its particular moments, helps us understand the origin of our daily context and of our scientific culture linked to the soil system. Moreover, making history of soil science allows you to link specific research to specific names, faces, times, and places.
In our opinion, this is also and above all an element of knowledge that must be valued and made known to younger researchers.
In this session we want to give the opportunity to verify how, in the different countries belonging to the IUSS, soil science has changed over the decades, and what were the innovations and discoveries that have led to our days. But also, to remember who the initiators of soil science in the various countries were, and who followed in their footsteps.
KEYWORDS:
1. History of soil science
LEAD CONVENER:
B. MAHARJAN – University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Scottsbluff, USA
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Reflecting the conference’s theme, this session will host researchers-presenters from 100 or more years old experiments to present soil-related lessons from those historic sites. Soil health lies at the core of a sustainable agricultural production system. A comprehensive evaluation of different
agronomic practices and their effect on soil health is essential to determine the best practices that support soil ecosystem services. However, observing measurable changes in soil health under varying management practices may take years or decades. Long-term experiments offer unique and invaluable insights into the role soil and soil management can play in achieving sustainability goals. There are many long-term experiments but very few >100 years old experiments. It will reflect the conference’s theme if we can bring most of those historic sites together. I manage one such site, the Knorr-Holden Plot, in Nebraska, USA. It is 112 years old, and recently; I published extensive soil health data from that plot with different fertility treatments. I have been in touch with other such sites in Missouri and Illinois. As a convener, I can contact known historic site reps asking for papers for this session.
KEYWORDS:
1. Soil health
2. long term experiments
3. Agriculture
4. Centennial
LEAD CONVENER:
O. ONAWUMI – Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, NIGERIA
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Experiments were conducted on Chromic Luvisol (Wenchi) and Ferric Lixisol (Mampong) to estimate the influence of site specific inorganic fertilizer rates and its integration with poultry manure on nutrient uptake, biomass and maize yieldin the transition zone of Ghana. The experiment consisted of sixteen (16) fertilizer ombinations (N0P0K0, N30, N60, N90, N120, N0P10K20, N30P10K20, N90P10K120, N120P10K20, N60P10, N60P20, N60P30, N60P10K20, N60P10K40, N60P10K60 and N60P10K20 + PM (2.5 t/ha) with two maize genotypes: Obatampa (an open pollinated variety) and Mamaba (hybrid maize). The treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were taken on nutrient uptakeat 34 and 54 Days After Sowing (DAS), maize growth and yield. At 34 DAS, N,P and K uptake significantly increased with N,P and K fertilization showing increased availability of these nutrients in the soil. All the treatments were significantly greater than the control during the 54 DAS in respect of nutrient uptake. During the major season, Mamaba maize cultivar had the highest yield (4950 kg/ha) under N60P10K20 + PM (2.5 t/ha)than other treatments. However, Obatanpa maize cultivar gave the highest yield under N60P10K20 + PM (2.5 t/ha)compared to other treatments. Yield of maize for both Mamaba and Obatanpa declined significantly in the minor cropping season due to low rainfall and time of planting.In comparison, hybrid maize (Mamaba) gave the highest yield to fertilizer than open pollinated genotype (Obatampa). This indicates that hybrid maize does not require more NPK fertilizer than open pollinated in exhibiting its potential yield. Also,combined application of site specific fertilizer rate and organic fertilizer improved hybrid maize yield than using inorganic fertilizer alone
KEYWORDS:
1. Maize
2. Genotype
3. Fertilizers
4. Nutrient uptake
5. Yield
LEAD CONVENER:
C. ZUCCA – Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, ITALY
CO-CONVENER:
S. SAIA – Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, ITALY
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
The Mediterranean region is heavily distressed by climate change and unsustainable land management practices. The soils and the ecosystem services they provide are extensively degraded, affecting food security and farmers’ profitability.
There is an urgent need to develop harmonised methodologies, integrated indicator sets adapted to the conditions of the Mediterranean soils, and systems enabling assessment and monitoring of soil health in the region. Quality and availability of soil data and information need to be enhanced to allow sustainable management and protection of the Mediterranean soils. To achieve this, however, scientific challenges, institutional barriers, and societal awareness need to be addressed.
Aim of this Session is to establish a round-table of scientists, experts, and stakeholders to present and debate on projects, initiatives, results and lessons learnt on the scientific challenges and institutional and societal barriers related to the development of soil health and quality indicators and monitoring systems tailored to the Mediterranean soils and environments.
Types of contributions that are welcome to the Session include, but are not limited to, soil health and quality indicators, measurement methods (ground/proximal/remote), soil monitoring and information systems, modelling of soil health, definition and assessment of soil degradation, experiences from soil living labs, and use of soil health information to support sustainable soil management and achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN). Contributions may include intermediate results; project proposal and outcomes; proposal or validation of methods; projection of previous results in unstudied conditions; reviews and meta-analysis; and opinions.
These works will be evaluated in the light of the organization of a special issue in an impacted journal.
The conveners are the Coordinators of the two project proposals (SOILS4MED and SHARInG-MeD) funded in 2023 under the PRIMA Program (Topic 1.2.1-2022 – Developing integrated soil data for the Mediterranean Region: a gateway for sustainable soil management) and will foster the collaboration between these 2 projects and other national and international initiatives.
KEYWORDS:
1. Soil health indicators
2. Soil monitoring
3. Mediterranean region
4. Land degradation neutralit
LEAD CONVENER:
F.O. GARCIA – Consultant, Balcace, ARGENTINA
CO-CONVENER:
L. GATIBONI – Associate Professor, Raleigh, USA
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
P is a key element, for agriculture and many other process/activities (household, industry, etc.). Its paths in the ecosystems have been intensively discussed in the last years, but how is the status of P in natural ecosystems, and urban and agricultural environments? What is the direction we need to move? How might we match food security and environmental goals? Which are the differences among regions across the world?
KEYWORDS:
1. phosphorus
2. food security
3. environment
4. ecosystem
LEAD CONVENER:
A. WADOUX – LISAH, Univ. Montpellier, IRD, INRAE, Institut Agro Montpellier, Montpellier, FRANCE
CO-CONVENER:
S. PRIORI – University of Tuscia, Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, Viterbo, ITALY
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Proximal sensing technologies are increasingly for mapping and monitoring soil at high resolution, to support precision agriculture, land management, and environmental monitoring. The rapid and detailed acquisition of diverse soil spatial data represents one of pillars of the digital agriculture and forestry. In recent years, innovative platforms of proximal sensing and handheld sensors for soil monitoring have been developed, as well as sensors to monitor temporal variability of certain parameters, such as soil moisture, GhG emissions and carbon, among others.
This scientific session calls for original works related to innovations about proximal soil sensing by the use of techniques such as electromagnetic induction, Vis-NIR spectroscopy, gamma-ray radiometry, etc. The topics also include innovative methods for multi-source data integration and fusion, the quantification of the uncertainty of the prediction, the estimation of biodiversity and the link between soil pedodiversity and soil sensing. We particularly welcome synergies of proximal soil sensing techniques with image analysis, the multi-scale coupling of multiple techniques, and innovative applications of proximal sensing techniques in conjunction with soil classification and soil inference systems.
KEYWORDS:
1. Sensors
2. Pedometrics
3. Soil mapping
4. Soil monitoring
LEAD CONVENER:
A. WADOUX – LISAH, Univ. Montpellier, IRD, INRAE, Institut Agro Montpellier, Montpellier, FRANCE
CO-CONVENER:
T. MULDER – Soil Geography and Landscape group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, THE NETHERLANDS
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Soils are now being increasingly recognized for their behavior and the beneficial services they provide to satisfy human needs. The valuation of functions provided by soils, however, is a scientific challenge to soil science. The quantification and mapping of soil functions is a pre-requisite to enable soil scientist to participate in interdisciplinary studies addressing climate change and sustainability issues. This scientific session calls for original works covering all aspects of the quantification and spatial evaluation of functions performed by empirical or process-based models, or a combination thereof. We welcome contributions covering the following points, but not only: i) the quantification of functions that include co-creation with end-users and participation, ii) the quantification of soil multifunctionality accounting for synergies and trade-offs between functions, at field/fam, regional, national or global scales, iii) scaling issues in the spatial quantification and evaluation of soil functions, iv) using soil sensing and data fusion techniques for the estimation of soil indicators and functions, v) estimation of the measurement error and their propagation to the estimation of soil functions, vi) new methodologies for quantifying the soil functions’ potential and current state.
KEYWORDS:
1. Ecosystem services
2. Mapping
3. Soil functions
4. Multifunctionality
LEAD CONVENER:
L.P. POGGIO – ISRIC – World Soil Information, Wageningen, THE NETHERLANDS
CO-CONVENERS:
J. HANNAM – Cranfield University, Cranfield, UNITED KINGDOM
M. NUSSBAUM – Berner Fachhochschule, Bern, SWITZERLAND
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Spatial soil information is fundamental for environmental modelling and land use management. Spatial representation (maps) of separate soil attributes (both laterally and vertically) and of soil-landscape processes are needed at a scale appropriate for environmental management. The challenge is to develop explicit, quantitative, and spatially realistic models of the soil-landscape continuum. These can be used as input in environmental models, such as hydrological, climate or vegetation productivity (crop models) addressing the uncertainty in the soil layers and its impact in the environmental modelling. Modern advances in soil sensing, geospatial technologies, and spatial statistics are enabling exciting opportunities to efficiently create soil maps that are more consistent, detailed, and accurate than previous maps while providing information about the related uncertainty. The production of high-quality soil maps enables stakeholders (e.g. farmers, planners, other scientists) to understand the variation of soils at the landscape, field, and sub-field scales. But for effective decision making the products of digital soil mapping should be integrated within other environmental models for assessing and mapping soil functions that support sustainable soil management. Examples of implementation and use of digital soil maps in different disciplines such as agricultural (e.g. crops, food production) and environmental (e.g. element cycles, water, climate) modelling are welcomed. All presentations related to the tools of digital soil mapping and assessment, the philosophy and strategies of digital soil mapping at different scales and for different purposes are also welcome.
KEYWORDS:
1. Digital Soil Mapping
2. Digital Soil Assessment
3. Remote sensing
4. Sustainable development
LEAD CONVENER:
A. BONFANTE – National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISAFOM), Portici, ITALY
CO-CONVENER:
L. BRILLANTE – California State University Fresno, Fresno, USA
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Viticulture is one of the most important agricultural sectors in the world covering about 7.3mha with a wine production of 260mhl.
Organoleptic characteristics of wine are strongly linked to the territory and, in particular, to specific physical characteristics that affect the plant response (e.g., climate, geology, pedology).
This relation is at the base of the terroir concept, which expression is generated at soil-plant and atmosphere (SPA) system level. The soil varies in space (vertically and horizontally), driving most of the processes involved in plant nutrition and water availability. In particular, it is well recognized in literature the effects of soil hydraulic properties on plant water status and thus on the grape molecular components.
In the last decade, there has been an increase in attention to vineyard soils, their spatial variability, and health.. Most of these studies have investigated the terroir concept to elucidate the relationships between the plant and the physical environment, which are influenced by agricultural practices, thus opening the door to site-specific management. To face the Climate Change (CC) issue, it is critical to understand the relationships of the SPA system, in order to improve and optimize the vineyard management, and then facilitate the resilience of the current terroir relations.
In this context, the session will address several aspects at the interface between soil and viticulture: 1) quantification and spatial modeling of terroir components that influence plant growth and fruit composition, mostly examining climate-soil-water relationships; 2) viticultural resilience to climate change; 3) wine traceability and zoning based on microelements and isotopes; 4) interaction between vineyard management practices and effects on soil and water quality as well as biodiversity and related ecosystem services; 5) site-specific management practices in precision viticulture.
KEYWORDS:
1. Viticulture
2. Terroir
3. Climate Change
4. Site specific management
LEAD CONVENER:
A. HARTEMINK – University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
CO-CONVENER:
S. SPARKS – University of Delaware, Newark, USA
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
In the past 100 years, soil science has advanced through the efforts of countless individuals and rigorous funding. The majority of our fundamental understanding has been gained by small groups of scientists who could work for prolonged and relatively undisturbed periods on developing theory and advancing our knowledge of soils. After a period of decline at the end of the twentieth century there has been an upsurge in soil since the early 2000s. Currently, there is increased funding and large projects that often involve numerous soil scientists. This symposium reflects on how advances are made in the soil science discipline focusing on subdisciplines (soil chemistry, physics, pedology etc.), funding changes, and reviews of breakthroughs and major discoveries. We welcome contributions that discuss how soil science has advanced in the past 100 years and how it will advance in the future.
KEYWORDS:
1. soil science
2. funding
3. advances
4. basic research
LEAD CONVENER:
D. SAID-PULLICINO – University of Torino, Dept. of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Grugliasco, ITALY
CO-CONVENERS:
F. DIJKSTRA – University of Sydney, Sydney Institute of Agriculture, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sidney, AUSTRALIA
T. GE – Ningbo University, Environmental Soil Science and Biogeochemistry, Zhejiang, CHINA
D. VETTERLEIN – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Department of Soil System Science, Halle, GERMANY
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Global change is a major threat to agro-ecosystems as sustaining productivity ever more depends on the capability of crops to adapt to associated abiotic threats including drought, floods, heat and salinity stress and limited resources. On the other hand, agriculture is also required to meet increasingly stringent environmental goals by increasing water and nutrient use efficiency, reducing the reliance on synthetic inputs, improving soil health, and mitigating negative externalities to water and atmospheric compartments. Whereas plant breeding programmes and improved agricultural management practices have contributed to address these emerging challenges, in the recent decades substantial effort has been dedicated to elucidating rhizosphere processes and their potential towards developing more sustainable and efficient agricultural systems.
This session invites contributions focusing on fundamental processes that control the transport, biogeochemical cycling, speciation and bioavailability of elements in the plant-soil interface, and their involvement in adaptation to abiotic stress, nutrient acquisition, soil organic carbon stabilization/turnover, root-microbiome feedback mechanisms, pedogenesis and mineral transformations. Innovations in the study of spatiotemporally resolved processes at the sub-micron scale by means of advanced imaging, spectroscopic, rhizosphere modelling and isotope tracing techniques, as well as plant-microbe interactions that link root traits, microbial communities and their specific functions in the rhizosphere are strongly welcome.
KEYWORDS:
1. Biosphere-geosphere interfaces
2. Root and rhizosphere traits
3. Spatiotemporal patters
4. Element biogeochemistry
