Abstract
This work contributes to the largest baseline soil sampling project ever undertaken as part of the £37M UK government funded Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS) in Northern Ireland (NI). Investigation of the extracellular enzyme activity and soil microstructure in grassland soils across NI is being assessed as a measure of soil health. The project aims to educate farmers on the environmental and financial impacts of various land management practices, this scheme will contribute to the development of policies governing the transition to Net Zero farming in Northern Ireland.
The ongoing assessment of extracellular enzyme activity in grassland soils across Northern Ireland is generating a standard picture of average enzyme activity in soils managed as grassland for either grazing, silage or a combination of grazing and silage. This project correlates the activity of β-1,4-Glucosidase, α-Glucosidase, β-1,4-N-Acetyl-glucosaminidase and L-leucine aminopeptidase to the total carbon and nitrogen content in the soils, land management practices and pH as well as soil microstructure in a multifactorial assessment of soil health properties. This continuing work has started to identify trends in enzyme activity which correlate to total carbon and nitrogen content.
An innovative approach to assessment of soil microstructure in its natural state has been developed during this project by the use of low-vacuum scanning electron microscopy. Notable differences in soil composition between different soil types have been identified with the aim to compare this to other measures of soil health in an assessment of how beneficial soil microstructure can be in predicting other measurable soil health properties.
When complete, this vast interdisciplinary project aims to educate farmers on important issues such as sequestration of carbon in soil and loss of nutrients through surface runoff into bodies of water as a matter of environmental importance.
The ongoing assessment of extracellular enzyme activity in grassland soils across Northern Ireland is generating a standard picture of average enzyme activity in soils managed as grassland for either grazing, silage or a combination of grazing and silage. This project correlates the activity of β-1,4-Glucosidase, α-Glucosidase, β-1,4-N-Acetyl-glucosaminidase and L-leucine aminopeptidase to the total carbon and nitrogen content in the soils, land management practices and pH as well as soil microstructure in a multifactorial assessment of soil health properties. This continuing work has started to identify trends in enzyme activity which correlate to total carbon and nitrogen content.
An innovative approach to assessment of soil microstructure in its natural state has been developed during this project by the use of low-vacuum scanning electron microscopy. Notable differences in soil composition between different soil types have been identified with the aim to compare this to other measures of soil health in an assessment of how beneficial soil microstructure can be in predicting other measurable soil health properties.
When complete, this vast interdisciplinary project aims to educate farmers on important issues such as sequestration of carbon in soil and loss of nutrients through surface runoff into bodies of water as a matter of environmental importance.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 19 May 2024 |
| Event | Centennial of the IUSS - Palazzo dei Congressi, Florence, Italy Duration: 19 May 2024 → 21 May 2024 |
Conference
| Conference | Centennial of the IUSS |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Italy |
| City | Florence |
| Period | 19/05/24 → 21/05/24 |