AGRI100463 Nature-based solutions in soil management

Type
course with continuous assessment
Semester hours
4
Lecturer (assistant)
Keiblinger, Katharina , Bodner, Gernot , Zehetner, Franz
Organisation
Agronomy
Offered in
Sommersemester 2026
Languages of instruction
Deutsch
Content

Lecture Block 1:

The lectures will cover the fundamentals and application examples of nature-based solutions in soil management. You will learn about future requirements for soil management, develop indicators for diagnosing soil health, utilize soil information systems, and discuss current trends in innovative soil management as well as their scientific foundations:

Lecture 1. Soil Health - Soil Functions: Future requirements for sustainable soil management based on the goals of the European Green Deal (Soil Monitoring Law, Nature Restoration Law) and the question of indicators of "healthy soils."

Lecture 2. The "Corset" of Site Characteristics: Why is this particular soil found in this landscape? The soil-forming factors, their influence on soil quality, and how soil maps are used to understand a site.

Lecture 3. The Ecology of "Nature-Based Solutions": How far can agriculture be made "near-natural," and where are the limits? The "succession logic" of sustainable management systems (organic farming, conservation agriculture, regenerative agriculture).

Lecture 4. Changeable Soil Properties: Why Soil Biology is at the Heart of Sustainable Management Solutions – Microorganisms, Humus, and Nutrient Cycles.


II. Practical Module
In the practical module, the effects of nature-based solutions are investigated on a farm. We map the site, learn from a practitioner how nature-based solutions can be implemented on the farm, and examine a specific problem the farm faces in implementing nature-based soil management in the field and laboratory.

The practical module consists of a preparation day for the field exercise, two days in the field at a regenerative farm near Vienna for soil analysis, sampling, and an interview with the farm manager, as well as three laboratory days for measuring soil health indicators.
Previous knowledge expected

Basic agricultural science knowledge from the introductory modules "Agricultural Markets and Crop Production" and "Agroecology, Meteorology, and Climatology" is required.

Soil science knowledge from the module "Soil Science and Geology for Agricultural Sciences" is recommended.
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Technical Competencies:

• You can describe the different types of soil parameters and their significance as indicators for future soil monitoring.
• You can explain the natural site characteristics of a soil using (digital) maps and verify them in the field.
• You can explain innovative land-use systems (e.g., conservation agriculture, organic farming, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry) and relate them to plant and soil ecological functions.
• You are able to develop an investigation concept for soil management issues and apply field soil science methods as well as simple laboratory analyses to detect changes in soil health.
• You can present, interpret, and explain site, field soil science, and laboratory data for agricultural operations.

General Competencies:
• Use of electronic soil maps.
• Application of field and laboratory soil investigation methods.
• Planning and creating a farm profile (interview, video).
• Presentation and explanation of measurement data for agricultural practice.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.