Kooperationsschulen der Universität Kla...

The SoE fund supported the following project:

Soil compaction is one of the main problems of modern agriculture in Europe, which can be triggered the use of heavy machinery and intensive cultivation and grazing i.e. short crop rotations and improper tillage. Soil compaction increases soil strength by reducing the storage and supply of water and nutrients. Water is unable to infiltrate through compressed macropores, remaining on the soil and evaporates. The lack of this natural soil water refilling produces the dry out of the soil, blocks the continuum evapotranspiration processes between soil-plant-atmosphere, which impacts negatively to climate. Soil compaction also reduces the physical fertility of the soil requiring additional fertilizers and increasing production costs. Subsoil compaction due to long-term changes in soil management has become a serious problem in the main agricultural areas of Austria, especially on heavy soils with a clayey texture. In order to gain a better understanding regarding the topic of "soil compaction" among students of the region, we have stablished a collaboration with two high schools "MS Gegendtal" and the "Ingeborg Bachmann Gymnasium" active within the MINT program. This collaboration will bring school teachers to the field and to the laboratory to learn about how to monitor soil compaction. On the other hand, school teachers provide us with case study grasslands.  Didactical material will be developed to be used afterwards at the schools in a long term in a participatory way.