AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL QUALITY INDICATOR

in the EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

NUR’LIANI BINTI KIPLIE (2011679272)

NOR ARMIZA NAWAI BINTI MUHD JASRI (2011884598)

JULIANA APIN ANAK AHOK (2011468972)

NOOR AZRENA BT AWANG (2011600484)

The EU’s Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection (COM (2006) 231)

Preservation of soil functions - biomass production,- physical and cultural environment for humans biodiversity pool archive of

geological and archeological heritage

- source of raw material

- acting as carbon pool

- storing filtering and transforming nutrients, substances and water

• Three main policy areas with Agri-Environmental effect (OECD 2008) Agricultural policies (production related) Agri-environmental policies (enhance environmental benefit associated

to agriculture) Environmental policies (of specific issues – eg. climate, water

pollution – with effect on agriculture)

4 Aspects of Soil Quality in the Agri-Environmental Context

• Productivity = AGRICULTURAL

The capacity of soil to biomass production • Fertilizer response rate = AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL

The input-need to attain optimal productivity • Production stability = AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL

The soil-response to climatic variability • Soil environmental quality = ENVIRONMENTAL

Carbon storage; filtering; buffering; soil biodiversity

METHODOLOGY

RESULTS

• A concept to replace the obsolete Agri-Environmental Soil Quality Indicator (AE-SQI) has been developed.

• The new AE-SQI is compatible with the Soil Quality Indicators developed to support a wider range of EU policies.

• It includes four sub-indicators of: – Productivity; – Fertilizer response rate; – Production stability; – Soil environmental quality.

DISCUSSIONS

A) Biomass productivity

• Biomass production function of a given soil is computed on basis of soil properties at prevailing climatic condition.

• Since productivity is a result of interaction of soil, climatic and terrain condition and management these factor need to be assessed in their complexity.

B) Production stability

020406080

Year type (climate variation)

prod

uctiv

ity

inde

x

The effect of climate variation on wheat productivity (Debreczeni et al, 2003)

C) Indication of fertilizer response rate

• The different soil types can vary to a great extent to Nutrient reaction. The difference can be

seen in the soil quality indices. If the yield formation is increase with the increases of fertilizer

doses, this indicates as positive response property.

• Example:

D) Indication of soil environmental quality

There are a number of soil functions that contribute to the

environmental quality of soil.

1) Organic carbon storage

2) Substances filtering

3) Substances transforming

4) Biodiversity and biological activity

Recommendation

a) Planning good strategy• To ensure the sustainability of soil function • Proper evaluation procedure of soil function

and soil dynamic help to provide the actual effect either positive or negative

b) Proper management of land practices

Summary

The new AE-SQL can be used for policy development and monitoring through the capacity to indicate:

• The effect of land use change on the availability and functioning of soil resources

• The effect of climatic variability on the production function of soil resources

• The effect of land management (eg. Intensification) on the function of soil resources

• The capacity of soil to mitigate environmental problem.

THANK YOU