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Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
Mon, 25 Sep 2017 08:43:01 +0100
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*Gobal CA-CoP* *CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE*

*for sustainable production intensification and land management*

Dear Subscribers,

Please see herebelow the latest IUSS Alert 147 (September 2017.

*Amir Kassam *

*Moderator*

e-mail: [log in to unmask]
URL: www.fao.org/ag/ca
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The International Union of Soil Sciences - IUSS <
[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sun, Sep 24, 2017 at 10:34 PM
Subject: IUSS Alert 147 (September 2017)
To: [log in to unmask]



If you have problems reading this content - please follow this link to the
IUSS page <http://iuss.boku.ac.at/index.php?article_id=663>IUSS Alert 147
(September 2017)

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IUSS NewsNews from the IUSS Website

The latest IUSS Fact sheets Soil degradation and desertification, written
by IUSS Past President, Prof. Rainer Horn, and on Soil and Health by Ganga
M. Hettiarachchi, Chair of IUSS Commission 4.2 Soils, Food Security, and
Human Health, were uploaded to the IUSS Website.

Read more: http://iuss.boku.ac.at/index.php?article_id=647

The most recent Viewpoint on “The ecological costs of soil management
practices” by Rattan Lal, President of the International Union of Soil
Sciences is now available on the IUSS website.

Read more: http://iuss.boku.ac.at/index.php?article_id=636

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First call for contributions for the IUSS Bulletin 131

The IUSS Secretariat ([log in to unmask]) will soon start compiling
IUSS Bulletin 131 (to be published in December) and therefore invites all
IUSS members to submit their contributions at their earliest convenience,
but no later than 15 November 2017. In particular, the Secretariat would
welcome conference/meeting reports and reports on activities dedicated to
the International Decade of Soils (2015-2024), answers to the “Five
Questions to a Soil Scientist”, your three favourite soil science books and
any other information you would like to share with the international soil
science community. Please make sure to send high-resolution photos only.

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Soils: The Foundation of Life Workshop proceedings in brief is online

*Soils: The Foundation of Life Workshop proceedings-in-brief*, which
summarizes the workshop held at the US National Academy of Sciences in
December 2016, is now online for free downloads.
Please visit https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24866/soils-the-foundation-of-
life-proceedings-of-a-workshop-in or the website of the U.S. National
Committee for Soils at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/
biso/SS/index.htm to download your own electronic copy free of charge.

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General NewsGlinka World Soil Prize 2017

The Glinka World Soil Prize honours individuals and organizations whose
leadership and activities have contributed, or are still contributing to
the promotion of sustainable soil management and the protection of soil
resources. The Glinka Prize is a an annual award for dynamic change-makers
dedicated to solving one of our world’s most pressing environmental issue:
Soil Degradation. Deadline for applications: 30 September 2017

Read more: http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/pillars-
action/2-awareness-raising/glinka-world-soil-prize/en/

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A new way to test soil health

Experiment in soil biology has farmers burying jockey shorts in April and
unearthing them in July.

Read more: https://www.soils.org/science-policy/sspr/2017-09-06/#5229
(From US Science Policy Report, 6 September 2017)

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Are fertilizers punishing our soils?

USDA ARS researcher Rick Haney gives an interview with Yale Environment 360
on the benefits of healthy soils and the folly of pursuing ever-greater
crop yields using fertilizers and other chemicals.

Read more: http://e360.yale.edu/features/why-its-time-to-stop-
punishing-our-soils-with-fertilizers-and-chemicals
(From US Science Policy Report, 6 September 2017)

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Can American soil be brought back to life?

A new idea: If we revive the tiny creatures that make dirt healthy, we can
bring back the great American topsoil. But farming culture — and government
— aren’t making it easy.
Reed more: http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/09/13/soil-
health-agriculture-trend-usda-000513
(By Jenny Hopkinson, Politico, 13 September 2017)

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Sharing soil knowledge in the 21st Century

By better sharing of soil knowledge between people over a sustained period,
we can improve soil condition and function, and improve soil management.
Soil scientists and practitioners often work independently of each other,
with limited opportunity to learn from each other and share their soil
knowledge. At the same time, there is a loss of people with a depth of
experience, expertise and local knowledge of soil. Yet we have thought
little about how we will capture their knowledge and experience and use it
to inform and support the next generation. In a paper recently published in
Soil Science Society of America Journal, soil educators and extension
agents concluded we must value, capture and share the experience and
expertise of scientists and practitioners equally, including: farmers,
scientists, educators, extension staff, commercial sector and the public.

https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/sssaj/pdfs/81/3/427
(From US Science Policy Report, 20 September 2017)

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Organic farming traps carbon in soil to combat climate change

Organic farms were found to have 26 percent more long-term carbon storage
potential than conventional farms. When it comes to mitigating the worst
impacts of climate change, keeping excess carbon out of the atmosphere is
the prime target for improving the health of our planet. One of the best
ways to do that is thought to be locking more of that carbon into the soil
that grows our food.

Read more: http://civileats.com/2017/09/11/new-study-shows-organic-
farming-traps-carbon-in-soil-to-combat-climate-change/?org=
1364&lvl=100&ite=172&lea=143036&ctr=0&par=1&trk=
(From US Science Policy Report, 20 September 2017)

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First-ever global erosivity map shows areas most vulnerable to erosion

Understanding erosion is important in quantifying the loss of topsoil for
agriculture, as well as the contamination of food and water by sediments.
However, erosion is a very complex process. It depends on many factors,
including climate, soil type, and vegetation cover. A new map, published in
an open-access paper, tries to quantify how much energy is available to
erode the land surface on a given spot globally.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2017/08/18/how-
many-continents-are-there/#efe36866732f
(From US Science Policy Report, 6 September 2017)

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3D Soil Hydraulic Database of Europe at 1 km and 250 m resolution

A consistent spatial soil hydraulic database at 7 soil depths up to 2 m has
been calculated for Europe based on SoilGrids250m and various 1 km
datasets, and pedotransfer functions trained on the European
Hydropedological Data Inventory. Saturated water content, water content at
field capacity and wilting point, saturated hydraulic conductivity and
Mualem-van Genuchten parameters for the description of the moisture
retention, and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves have been
predicted. The derived 3D soil hydraulic layers can be used for
environmental modelling purposes at catchment or continental scale in
Europe. It is the only EU provides information on the most frequently
required soil hydraulic properties with full European coverage up to 2 m
depth at 250 m resolution.

Read more: https://esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu/content/3d-soil-hydraulic-
database-europe-1-km-and-250-m-resolution
(From European Soil Data Centre Newsletter No. 103, July-August 2017)

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ESDAC Map Viewer

The ESDAC Map Viewer allows the user to navigate key soil data for Europe.
It provides access to the attributes of the European Soil Database and some
additional data related to main soil threats as identified in the Soil
Thematic Strategy. The ESDAC Map Viewer is developed according to standards
(OGC WMS) so that they are interoperable with similar information allowing
real-time integration of environmental data from around the world. The
Viewer integrates the European Soil Database layers and some other soil
layers in one single web-based application. You may navigate and select
each of the 70 layers derived from the European Soil Database and other
soil threats layers.

Read more: https://esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu/viewer
(From European Soil Data Centre Newsletter No. 103, July-August 2017)

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How human waste is helping Aussie farmers get the best out of their land

About 180,000 tonnes of biosolids are generated from Sydney’s sewage each
year, but authorities are having no troubles with getting rid of it.
Biosolids, which is a by-product of the sewerage treatment process, is
proving a hit with New South Wales farmers who want to improve soil health
and boost yields. Harvested from 23 of Sydney’s sewerage plants, the waste
is processed through reactors which also create renewable energy that is
fed back into the system.

Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-09/farmers-using-
human-poo-to-improve-their-production/8887512?sf112663276=1

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How 12,000 tonnes of dumped orange peel grew into a landscape nobody
expected to find

An experimental conservation project that was abandoned and almost
forgotten about has ended up producing an amazing ecological win nearly two
decades after it was dreamt up. The plan, which saw a juice company dump
1,000 truckloads of waste orange peel in a barren pasture in Costa Rica
back in the mid 1990s, has eventually revitalised the desolate site into a
thriving, lush forest.

Read more: http://www.sciencealert.com/how-12-000-tonnes-of-dumped-
orange-peel-produced-something-nobody-imagined

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The outsized role of soil microbes

Three scientists have proposed a new approach to better understand the role
of soil organic matter in long-term carbon storage and its response to
changes in global climate and atmospheric chemistry.

Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170829091049.htm

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Conferences, Meetings and Workshops2018
TERRA ENVISION Conference.

Barcelona, 29 January—1 February, 2018. This conference aims to focus on
the scientific research towards finding solutions for the societal issues
of our time. TERRAENVISION promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and
networking. By bringing the people and their knowledge together, we may be
able to take the steps towards solutions that can bring our society to a
more sustainable situation. In this conference we want to link to
International policies such as the sustainable Development Goals, the UN
Climate conventions, CAP and COP. Issues proposed for the conference:
Climate change, Water Resources, Land degradation and restoration, Erosion
processes, Fire in the earth system, Ecosystem services and nature
conservation, Science interface: with policy and public. Abstract
submission is open.

Read more: http://terra-envision.weebly.com/
BonaRes2018 Conference: Soil as a sustainable resource

Berlin, Germany, 26-28 February, 2018.
The conference brings together researchers from all disciplines of soil
science to discuss the functionality of soil ecosystems and how to develop
strategies towards sustainable soil management. A sustainable bioeconomy
requires integration of soil productivity with a wide range of other soil
functions including nutrient cycling, carbon storage, water retention and
filtering as well as being the habitat of a myriad of organisms and their
activities. For sustainable soil management, we need to understand soils at
a systemic level and to assess their value in a socio-economic framework.
Abstract submission deadline: November 1st, 2017

Read more: http://www.bonares2018.de/index.html
5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2018)

Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France; 23 June – 1 July, 2018. The conference aims at
covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and
outreach on a global and regional level. Abstract submission process is
open already!
Read more: https://eucop2018.sciencesconf.org/

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New publications
Landscapes in transition

The EEA report ‘Landscapes in transition: an account of 25 years of land
cover change in Europe,’ published on 7 September 2017, takes a closer look
at the emerging trends over the last two and a half decades in land use and
their environmental impacts. The dominant trend is the continued and
accelerating shift from rural to urban use, influenced mostly by economic
activities and urban lifestyle demands — such as high mobility and
consumption patterns.

Read more: https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/unsustainable-land-
use-threatens-european-landscapes?utm_medium=email&
utm_campaign=Landscapes%20in%20transition&utm_content=
Landscapes%20in%20transition+CID_b6c7faec82d941e84a93a47944b0e9
a1&utm_source=EEA%20Newsletter&utm_term=Read%20more

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Spoil to Soil: Mine Site Rehabilitation and Revegetation

Edited by N.S. Bolan, M.B. Kirkham and Y.S. Ok. Published 7 September 2017
by Routledge, 371 pages, 50 B/W Illus., Hardback ISBN: 9781498767613, price
£140.00.
The remediation of mine spoil is a global environmental issue affecting
most nations. This book covers both the fundamental and practical aspects
of remediation and revegetation of mine site spoils. It follows three major
themes including characterisation of mine site spoils; remediation of
chemical, physical, and biological constraints of mine site spoils; and
revegetation of remediated mine site spoils. Each theme contains chapters
featuring case studies involving mine sites around the world. The book
provides a complete narrative of how inert spoil could be converted to live
soil.

Read more: https://www.routledge.com/Spoil-to-Soil-Mine-Site-
Rehabilitation-and-Revegetation/Bolan-Kirkham-Ok/p/book/9781498767613

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Assessment, Restoration and Reclamation of Mining Influenced Soils

By Jaume Bech, Claudia Bini and Mariya Pashkevich (Editors). 1st edition
published 12 September 2017 by Elsevier, imprint Academic Press, 520 pages,
Paperback ISBN: 9780128095881, price paperback EUR 147.66.
This tome covers processes operating in the environment as a result of
mining activity, including the whole spectra of negative effects of
anthropopressure and the environment, from changes in soil chemistry,
changes in soil physical properties, geomechanical disturbances, and mine
water discharges. Mining activity and its waste are an environmental
concern. Knowledge of the fate of potentially harmful elements and their
effect on plants and the food chain, and ultimately on human health, is
still being understood. Therefore, there is a need for better knowledge on
the origin, distribution, and management of mine waste on a global level.

Read more: https://www.elsevier.com/books/assessment-restoration-
and-reclamation-of-mining-influenced-soils/bech/978-0-12-809588-1

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Soils of Malaysia

Edited by Muhammad Aqeel Ashraf, Radziah Othman, Che Fauziah Ishak.
Published 20 September 2017 by Routledge, 214 pages, 53 colour
illustrations, 14 B/W illustrations, Hardback ISBN: 9781138197695, price
hardcover GBP 108.00.
There are approximately 500 different types of soils in Malaysia, most is
residual soil and coastal alluvial soil. It covers topics including
climate; flora and fauna; geology and hydrology; land use changes for
agriculture; soil fertility; human-induced soil degradation; and soil
contamination sources.

Read more: https://www.routledge.com/Soils-of-Malaysia/Ashraf-
Othman-Ishak/p/book/9781138197695

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Biofilms in Plant and Soil Health

Edited by Iqbal Ahmad and Fohad Mabood. Published in September 2017 by
Wiley-Blackwell, 568 pages, ISBN: 978-1-119-24634-3, price hardcover:
£160.00/€192.00.
Biofilms are predominant mode of life for microbes under natural
conditions. The three-dimensional structure of the biofilm provides
enhanced protection from physical, chemical and biological stress
conditions to associated microbial communities. These complex and highly
structured microbial communities play a vital role in maintaining the
health of plants, soils and waters. Biofilm associated with plants may be
pathogenic or beneficial based on the nature of their interactions.
Pathogenic or undesirable biofilm requires control in many situations,
including soil, plants, food and water.

Read more: http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1119246342.html

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Can Soil be brought back to Life?
[image: Logo Solvita]

“Can American soil be brought back to life?” This is the question posed in
Politico (Sept 13th). The challenges are the same everywhere in the world:
over-tilled soil, too much bare soil within crops and between growing
seasons, disturbing changes in weather patterns, over-fertilization linked
to nitrate pollution in surface and groundwater. “The UN considers soil
degradation one of the central threats to human health in coming decades”,
writes the author. Human health and soil health seem to go hand in hand.
New farming practices such as No-Till which build soil are being introduced
and older practices such as cover-cropping and green-manuring are coming
back to life.

How to measure and quantify biological soil processes which influence
productivity and sustainability has been Woods End Laboratories (Maine, USA)
focus for 30 years. The lab believes that measuring soil’s biological
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that which is accounted for by nutrient replacement. Well-managed soils
which include those with soil-building crop rotations, cover-cropping and
reduced-tillage can accumulate natural reserves, such as microbial-biomass
and organic-nitrogen, “pools” that support dynamic soil functions, nutrient
bio-availability and natural disease suppression. Typical soil tests are
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Woods End Lab has introduced several new test methods that complement
ordinary nutrient tests which enable labs and farmers to evaluate these
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or contact Will Brinton.

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soil moisture. A built-in thermistor enables the ML3 to simultaneously
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