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Research

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• RUDN University scientists described the distribution of soil microorganisms "We have identified the predictors - the main factors, by which we can determine the microorganisms present in different soils (these are) soil properties, less by climate, and much less by plants.” https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-10/ru-rus100217.php
   

• Study finds no-tillage not sufficient alone to prevent water pollution from nitrate https://phys.org/news/2017-09-no-tillage-sufficient-pollution-nitrate.html

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• UK, New £1m partnership to address knowledge gaps in soil biology https://www.fginsight.com/news/news/new-1m-partnership-to-address-knowledge-gaps-in-soil-biology-25243

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• Study finds organic farming better at sequestering carbon http://www.capitalpress.com/article/20170913/ARTICLE/170919961

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• A New Platform for Managing Soil Carbon and Soil Health https://eos.org/meeting-reports/a-new-platform-for-managing-soil-carbon-and-soil-health

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• Long-term rotation study underlines that summerfallow harms soil health, but the old mixed farming model looks pretty good https://www.country-guide.ca/2017/09/27/what-eight-decades-of-crop-research-at-the-u-of-a-tell-us-about-soil-health/51816/

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• Soil and Land Initiatives Seek to Spur Action Across SDGs http://sdg.iisd.org/news/soil-and-land-initiatives-seek-to-spur-action-across-sdgs/

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• Soil Health Institute’s 2 nd  Annual Meeting report is out, including their “Enriching Soil, Enhancing Life: An Action Plan for Soil Health” report which  ‘identifies gaps in research and  adoption relative to increasing available water holding capacity, developing tools for farmers to  achieve targeted levels of resilience, enhancing water infiltration, building disease suppressive  soils, increasing carbon sequestration, and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions’ http://soilhealthinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Annual-Meeting-REPORT-090517-Final.pdf

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• Seed vs. soil, with some fungus thrown in A tree’s genetics picks its fungus, which grants drought tolerance (or not). https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/seed-vs-soil-with-some-fungus-thrown-in/

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• Better land use and management critical for achieving Agenda 2030, says a new report. “This landmark publication on the current and future state of the world’s land resources is the first in-depth analysis of the multiple functions of the land viewed from a wide range of interrelated sectors and thematic areas, such as the food-water-land nexus, as well as the ‘less obvious’ drivers of land use change, notably the nature of economic growth, consumer choice and global trade patterns.” http://www2.unccd.int/news-events/better-land-use-and-management-critical-achieving-agenda-2030-says-new-report-0

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• Linking the Gut Microbial Ecosystem with the Environment: Does Gut Health Depend on Where We Live? https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01935/full

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• Pass It On: Bacteria Can Spread Antibiotic Resistance Through Soil https://news.ncsu.edu/2017/10/thakur-plasmid/

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• Organic farming enhances soil microbial abundance and activity—A meta-analysis and meta-regression http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0180442

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• UW wins $7 million grant to wean crops from nitrogen fertilizers http://news.wisc.edu/uw-wins-7-million-grant-to-wean-crops-from-nitrogen-fertilizers/

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• $20 million grant will help UW study unseen organisms http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/million-grant-will-help-uw-study-unseen-organisms/article_ebde74be-f89e-5e27-ba19-7a1624b60746.html

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• Adding organic matter to soil has a limited effect on water holding capacity https://phys.org/news/2017-10-adding-soil-limited-effect-capacity.html

 

• ‘Lost city’ used 500 years of soil erosion to benefit crop farming https://aarea-project.eu/2017/08/21/aareas-newly-released-journal-article/ 

 

• Living mulch builds profits, soil Clover-corn combo benefits corn, soil, business https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171019100933.htm

 

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Editorials

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• The Agriculture of Hope: Climate Farmers of North America https://permaculturemag.org/2017/09/agriculture-of-hope/
   

• Guest post: Improving Africa’s soils to cut emissions and boost food security https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-improving-africas-soils-cut-emissions-boost-food-security

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• Farmer wants a revolution: 'How is this not genocide?' https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/23/farmer-wants-a-revolution-how-is-this-not-genocide?platform=hootsuite

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• Stories in the Soil “A series of field experiments in the U.S. Midwest is investigating how past, present, and future human activities and climate affect the health of soil.” https://eos.org/editors-vox/stories-in-the-soil

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Soils in the news

 

• The zoo beneath our feet: We’re only beginning to understand soil’s hidden world https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/the-zoo-beneath-our-feet-were-only-beginning-to-understand-soils-hidden-world/2017/08/08/f73e3950-7799-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html?utm_term=.4b91bc75f6c5 

 

• This item was republished by multiple outlets and caused quite a stir: One of the oldest climate change experiments has led to a troubling conclusion https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/10/05/one-of-the-oldest-climate-change-experiments-has-led-to-a-troubling-conclusion/?utm_term=.6dc92409acae

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• MSU research breakthrough could cleanse soil, sediment and water pollution http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2017/msu-research-breakthrough-could-cleanse-soil-sediment-and-water-pollution/ 

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• A GISBORNE man has developed a new soil rehabilitation product that naturally replaces nitrogen in the soil, the major nutrient that all plants need to grow. http://gisborneherald.co.nz/localnews/3023116-135/responding-to-natural-power-of-soil

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• Fishtanks and coffee are the new soil http://www.livingit.euronews.com/2017/10/03/fishtanks-and-coffee-are-the-new-soil

 

• Regreening the planet could cut as much carbon as halting oil use – report https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/17/regreening-the-planet-could-cut-as-much-carbon-as-halting-oil-use-report

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Policy and social movements

 

• A powerful new report linking food systems and human health, interestingly soils figure mainly in relation to toxicity, pollution and erosion. Global Alliance for the Future of Food, UNRAVELLING THE  FOOD–HEALTH NEXUS http://www.ipes-food.org/images/Reports/Health_FullReport.pdf

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• Proceedings of the whole 7th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture are available at https://proceedingswcca.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/7th-wcca_proceedings_final.pdf

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• Countries agree on a landmark 2030 strategy to save fertile lands http://www2.unccd.int/news-events/countries-agree-landmark-2030-strategy-save-fertile-lands

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• Land Degradation Neutrality Fund officially launched http://www2.unccd.int/news-events/ldn-fund-officially-launched

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• Soil and Land Initiatives Seek to Spur Action Across SDGs (But is information going to save us?) http://knowledge.unccd.int/publications/soil-and-land-initiatives-seek-spur-action-across-sdgs

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• "Listening to our Land: Stories of Resilience" by UNDP, GEF, the Government of Namibia, and UNCCD launched at COP 13 http://www2.unccd.int/news-events/listening-our-land-stories-resilience-undp-gef-government-namibia-and-unccd-launched 

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• Soil is the “great connector of our lives,” but we’re treating it like dirt. http://ecoagriculture.org/blog/raising-the-soil-profile/

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• Very interesting developments around the uptake of soil analysis in India; and rather diverging views! 1. Soil Health Card Scheme ‘progressing well’ (India) http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/soil-health-card-scheme-progressing-well/article9891338.ece and a rather different view 2. Fertiliser subsidy reform plan was linked to soil health cards of farms – but it did not work “We understand we might be using too much chemicals. But who will be responsible for the loss if we get poor yield by using less fertiliser?” https://scroll.in/article/853485/fixing-fertiliser-subsidies-based-on-the-soil-health-of-farms-is-a-good-idea-but-it-did-not-work 

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• Plants become more tolerant when living in symbiosis with fungi https://phys.org/news/2017-10-tolerant-symbiosis-fungi.html 

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• Land and the SDGs-Jeffrey Sachs, SDSN Director, describes land use as “the most important bridge between the SDGs http://knowledge.unccd.int/publications/land-and-sdgs-jeffrey-sachs-sdsn-director-describes-land-use-most-important-bridge

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• KIU, Mak join hands on soil governance “  Kampala International University (KIU) and Makerere University have agreed to work together under the auspices of the German Environment Agency and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) to help set up a database on soil governance.” http://observer.ug/education/55461-kiu-mak-join-hands-on-soil-governance.html Soil protection alliance set for parliamentary launch http://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/soil-protection-alliance-set-for-parliamentary-launch.htm

 

Outreach and publicity

 

•  What is Soil? http://www.soils4kids.org/about

 

• worms roaming underground filmed by BBC http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170518-underground-worms-set-off-on-a-mission?ocid=twert

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Upcoming events

 

• On October 23rd, 4-6pm the Sustainable Soils Association will mark its official launch with a Parliamentary Reception at the Terrace Pavilion, House of Commons https://sustainablesoils.org/parliamentary-reception/

• Healthy soil, healthy planet ‘Living Soils’ conference at Concordia University, Canada http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/healthy-soil-healthy-planet-1.3632548

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