Research Project "Soil remediation and cultivation measures for
locations endangered by drought"
Research Project "Soil remediation and cultivation measures for
locations endangered by drought"
Research Project "Soil remediation and cultivation measures for
locations endangered by drought"
Duration: 01.10.2006 - 30.09.2009.
Within the research project BAtroS, funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, innovative soil conditioners are developed and evaluated in greenhouse and field experiments. The objective is to allow/improve plant growth under extreme edaphic and climatic conditions. At the same time, the soil conditioner should allow the economization of the resources water and fertilizer. Additionally, innovative techniques for the application and the incubation of soil conditioners into soil are developed within the project. This technique will be adapted to the particular soil conditions of the region Lusatia. However, a guideline will be elaborated, that transfers the results to other applications and locations.
First results proved the beneficial effect of HumentosŪ and HumiCompleteŪ on plants growing under water-limited conditions.
For further information contact Dr. Nicole Merkl.
During the last decades, the Hoogen Group worked intensively in the areas of soil remediation, recultivation and vegetation establishment, particularly concerning disturbed soils and landscapes. Since several years, it furthermore performs research and projects in the area of cultivation of deserts. Hoogen is a team of agricultural engineers, geologists and biologists that develop and realize own concepts and adapt them to the local conditions. Their strength lies in the integration of scientific results in practical applications. Therefore, they work in close cooperation with scientific institutions like the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus and the Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn.
A particular concern of Hoogen is to combat proceeding desertification in arid and semiarid regions. On one hand, we have to maintain plant production which is our source of food. On the other hand, it is of high importance to control progressive desertification and the consequent effects on the development of the global climate. The creation of stable, climate-relevant ecosystems has positive, long lasting effects on the local and global environment and allows the development of new forms of land use including tourism.
In areas with a negative water balance, the cultivation of soils for agricultural or landscaping purpose is only possible by extensive watering. This results not only in high costs for the country and its agriculture but also means a thread to local water resources and the ecological balance of the area. Next to a sustainable water management, the use of adequate cultivation measures, including adapted plant species and soil processing and the application of soil conditioners, is an important instrument to conserve water resources during the cultivation in arid and semi-arid climates.
Why cultivate arid land?
Although, due to their good economic situation, many Arabian states are not reliant on own agricultural production, the cultivation and planting of arid landscapes is of high interest, as e.g. for touristy use, for recreation areas or for conserving infrastructural installations by protecting them from sand drifts.
Considering the increasing demand for energy world-wide, agricultural areas can also be used for the cultivation of renewable primary products like energy plants, saving fossil energy sources and providing energy to remote areas.
Saving water is one of the most urgent topics in arid areas since natural water reserves are scars and often not renewable. Additionally, the desalination of sea water is enormously energy-consuming. Controlling irrigation furthermore improves soil quality by decreasing the risk of salinisation and leaching of nutrients.
A reasonable water-management can be reached by two ways. First urban waste waters can be used after a pre-treatment as an alternative source of water, delivering at the same time valuable plant nutrients. Secondly, the addition of soil conditioners can significantly reduce the need for irrigation. Particularly, humic acid products like HumentosŪ and HumiCompleteŪ stimulate plant growth under extreme climatic conditions and make plants more resistant against drought, heat and salinisation.
For the control of desertification and sustainable cultivation of deserts a holistic concept is required. Here, the following main topics are to be considered:
Working in the area of soil rehabilitation of open casting mines in eastern Germany we are facing the difficulty of revitalizing sandy soils with low nutrient and organic matter content and a disturbed soil structure. Additionally, we have to deal with low annual precipitation (<500 mm) and extensive droughts during the summer time. Therefore, large part of the experiences collected during this work can be transferred to applications in arid and semiarid areas.
The revitalization and recultivation of these soils require particular measures. In the past 10 years Hoogen rehabilitated more than 50.000 ha of degraded land. In this process, soil conditioners are a useful instrument to facilitate and to accelerate the reinstallation of a vegetation cover.
Soil conditioners work by storing water and/or nutrients in a plant available form. There are many commercially available products that differ in the way of application, functionality, range of benefit and prize. Due to its practical experience, Hoogen favours humic-acid-based products since they are easy to apply, of natural origin and combine a wide range of beneficial mechanisms to support and enhance a vital biology and plant growth in soil.
Our work in Germany:
Our work in arid zones:
First measures recommended by the Hoogen Group to establish vegetation, to combat desertification and to control the use of water are the following:
Emirate Sharjah (UAE), Botanical Garden
In kind cooperation with the Municipality of Sharjah, an experimental site of 20.000 m2 was established in the botanical garden of Sharjah. An irrigation system that allows a controlled irrigation of every plot was installed. Additionally, climatic data as well as soil temperature and humidity were logged for more than 2 years. On this site, various soil conditioners are tested and compared. Results also serve as a basis for the development of site-adapted soil conditioners and the use of local resources in soil melioration.
Scientific Station, Schwarzbach
A greenhouse of 2.000 mē offers enough space for extensive experimental set-ups under controlled conditions. In the adjacent laboratory, basic analyses of soil and plant samples can be run facilitating the planning and evaluation of the experiments.
