SoilBioHedge: A Soil Biodiversity Initiative

The SoilBioHedge project is a pioneering initiative aimed at addressing the crucial issue of soil degradation in arable farming. With only 30% of Earth’s surface being land, and only 9% of that suitable for cultivation, the sustainable management of this limited resource is imperative. Soil plays a critical role in supporting life, with topsoil supplying water and nutrients to crops that feed over 7 billion people globally. The central focus of SoilBioHedge is to harness hedgerow soil biodiversity for the restoration of arable soil quality, improving resilience to climatic extremes and changing land use.

The Challenge of Soil Degradation in Arable Farming

Arable farming faces numerous challenges, primarily due to the depletion of soil organic matter and degradation of soil structure from continuous conventional cultivation. This degradation reduces water drainage and holding capacity, increasing the soil’s vulnerability to extreme climate conditions such as droughts and floods. The SoilBioHedge project is designed to address these problems by restoring soil quality through biodiversity, focusing on enhancing soil resilience to environmental stresses.

The Hypothesis: Grass-Clover Leys for Soil Restoration

The central hypothesis of the project is that grass-clover leys sown into arable fields, when connected to hedgerows and unploughed grassy margins, will allow key ecosystem engineers—such as earthworms and mycorrhizal fungi—to recolonize the fields. This will restore and improve soil quality more effectively than leys unconnected to field margins. These organisms play essential roles in soil function, promoting soil health, enhancing soil structure, and increasing its ability to withstand climatic extremes.

Experimental Design and Methodology

Hedge-to-Field Experiments

At the University of Leeds, a series of hedge-to-field experiments are being conducted to study the spatial and temporal changes in soil functions and biodiversity. About soil. These experiments compare arable-to-ley conversion strips connected and disconnected from field margins, with varying levels of tillage. Monolith mesocosms—large, undisturbed blocks of soil—will be used to simulate near-natural conditions for crop growth, even under drought and flood conditions.

Landscape-Scale Hedge-to-Field Transects

To understand the broader landscape implications, the project involves landscape-scale hedge-to-field transects that monitor changes in soil functionality over long periods. Data will be gathered from more than 100 farms, representing a wide range of soil types and management practices, including conventional, organic, and minimal tillage farming.

Field-to-Landscape Mathematical Modelling

At the field-to-landscape scale, mathematical models will be developed to predict soil quality changes. These models will incorporate the role of biodiversity in dispersal from hedgerows into arable fields, and the synergistic effects of roots, mycorrhizal fungi, and earthworms on soil aggregation and carbon accumulation.

Innovative Soil Analysis Techniques

To track soil changes, the project employs advanced techniques such as metabolomics and metagenomics. These methods will provide a deeper understanding of how soil aggregates form and function over the course of three growing seasons. By analyzing the biological processes that contribute to soil structure dynamics, the team aims to establish a more mechanistic understanding of soil restoration processes.

The Path to Sustainable Soil Management

SoilBioHedge’s research will ultimately deliver significant insights for sustainable soil management policy and practice. By integrating experimental results with national data, the project will offer a transformative understanding of how hedgerows and grass-clover leys can improve soil health at multiple scales. This knowledge is crucial for guiding future policies and practices to safeguard soil as a critical resource for food production, fiber, and biofuels.

The SoilBioHedge project underscores the importance of biodiversity in restoring soil health in arable farming. By reconnecting fields to hedgerows and promoting the recolonization of beneficial organisms, this initiative offers a promising strategy to combat soil degradation and increase resilience against climate change. With its multi-scale approach and cutting-edge technology, SoilBioHedge has the potential to revolutionize soil management, ensuring the long-term sustainability of global agriculture.