Steering soil functions
Steering soil functions with tailor-made amendments
Soils are the foundation of every food supply chain. Soils perform a wide range of functions necessary to sustain life, including supporting agriculture, maintaining biodiversity and regulating water bodies. A common denominator for healthy soils and their multifunctionality is the soil microbiome, which is malleable and influenced by agricultural management. A healthy soil microbiome can reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, improve the quality of soil, water and food, and increase resilience to climate change. The project aims to enhance soil functions for better soil health and water quality by focusing on managing the soil microbiome and soil physico-chemical properties through the application and ideation of new renewable engineered amendments. Targeted management to harness effective soil functions contributes to a future-proof agricultural sector.
Research challenges
Designing tailor-made soil amendments is a promising approach to steering and optimizing soil microbiomes and soil functions. These amendments should preferably be derived from renewable and circular sources, such as agricultural by-products including manure, crop residues, and other residual materials. Depending on their composition, amendments may provide variable concentrations and ratios of nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus; different lability of carbon molecules; diverse microbial communities; and pH adjustments. Determining the optimal chemical and physical properties of these amendments requires experimentation at different scales, including incubations, greenhouse studies, and field trials.
Your assignment
You will design tailor-made soil amendments with the goal of steering specific soil functions through the regulation of microbial composition and activity. These functions may include nutrient cycling, carbon storage, water regulation, and the suppression of pathogens. The amendments should be developed from renewable and circular sources, such as agricultural by-products including manure, crop residues, and other residual materials. You will formulate amendments through different processes that have variable concentrations and ratios of nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, with different lability of carbon molecules, with diverse microbial communities, and with adjusted pH levels. Through a series of experiments at different scales, including incubations, greenhouse studies, and field trials, you will determine how the designed amendments influence microbial composition and activity, and thereby enhance the delivery of specific soil functions. You will closely collaborate with other researchers that work on the same project and with farmers and related organizations and companies.
Your profile
You have a master’s degree in soil science, (soil) biology, agricultural sciences or equivalent and have experience with analyses of soils or microbiomes. You are an independent, motivated student with an affinity for multidisciplinary and impact-driven research. You like working in a dynamic environment, are a team player and are interested in collaborating with stakeholders such as farmers, and farmer organizations. Being in possession of a driver’s license and ability to communicate in Dutch are a plus.
Keywords: soil; soil health; agriculture; soil steering; field trials
Professor/University group/Wetsus supervisor(s): University promotor and co-promotor: prof dr ir Annemiek ter Heijne (Wageningen University, Environmental Technology), prof dr ir Martijn Bezemer (Leiden University, Institute of Biology)>; Wetsus supervisor(s): dr ir Chris Schott
Project partners: Soil
Only applications that are complete, in English, and submitted via the application webpage before the deadline will be considered eligible.
Guidelines for applicants: https://phdpositionswetsus.eu/guide-for-applicants/
