Multi-Faceted Biodiversity Integration for a Healthy Soil and Resilient Crop Management (SOILRES)
The SOILRES project is an innovative research initiative funded by the Horizon Europe Programme under the EU Mission on Soil Health. It aims to improve soil health and enhance crop resilience by adopting sustainable agricultural practices that integrate biodiversity and foster interactions between soil, plants, and microorganisms.
- Programme: HORIZON-MISS-2024-SOIL-01
- Funding Agency: European Research Executive Agency (REA) on behalf of the European Commission
- Main Coordinator: Aarhus University (AU), Denmark
- Project Number: 101218994
- Project Duration: 48 months
The project involves 20 partners working to improve soil health and the adaptive capacity of crops to climate change by integrating biodiversity and analyzing the interactions between soil, plants, and microbes. It focuses on developing sustainable farming practices, digital tools for soil health assessment, and simulation models for various climate scenarios, ensuring agricultural system sustainability across diverse climatic zones.
Project Objectives:
- Improve soil health and promote agricultural biodiversity by reducing reliance on chemical inputs and strengthening soil–plant–microbe interactions.
- Develop digital tools and agricultural models for efficient soil health assessment and management.
- Analyze the impacts of agricultural interventions through field trials at six pilot sites across different climatic zones.
- Evaluate sustainable farming practices and provide policy recommendations to encourage adoption.
- Transfer knowledge and technologies through educational platforms and exploitation models to ensure sustainability after the project's completion.
NARC’s Role in the Project (Jordan):
The National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) in Jordan is a key partner in SOILRES and will be responsible for the following:
- Developing digital simulation models to predict the long-term impact of various agricultural practices on crop productivity and soil health under different climate change scenarios.
- Contributing to the analysis of environmental and agricultural data to recommend best-fit agricultural practices to cope with climate challenges.
- Participating in dissemination and training activities to ensure project outcomes are shared and adopted by Jordanian farmers and regulators.
Participating in such projects is a strategic opportunity for NARC. As the only Middle Eastern partner in this initiative, Jordan’s involvement reflects the growing importance of enhancing scientific research capacities, expanding international collaboration, and contributing to global solutions for agricultural challenges.
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