Basaltic soils cover nearly a third of the landscape of Northern Ireland and are characterised by high levels of Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, Cu, Cr and Ni. Research indicates that the Olsen P soil test, when applied to these soils, may be underestimating plant-available Phosphorus (P) As a result, SNHS encompasses a body of research dedicated to assessing nutrient interactions and grass nutrient uptake specific and uniquely to these basalt soils through plot experiments on farms across the northeast. The soil test developed from this work will be used to provide recommendations to farmers when this area is soil tested in Year 4 of the scheme.
Water Quality and Catchment Research
Nutrient enrichment of freshwaters by P is a primary cause of water quality impairment in NI, with agriculture a key source. In catchments with high rainfall, impermeable soils and steep slopes overland flow, or runoff, is the primary pathway by which nutrients and sediment are transferred to surface waters. High-resolution LiDAR digital elevation data provides the basis for modelling hydrological connectivity in the landscape, and identifying, in conjunction with soil permeability, those areas most prone to runoff and erosion. A programme of water quality monitoring in agricultural subcatchments across each Zone will be used to develop and relate soil nutrient status and runoff risk potential to water quality and contribute to the development of strategies for achieving water quality improvements. (AFBI & Ulster University)
Soil Nutrient Health Scheme research ‘maps the way ahead’
Taylor Harrison (AFBI), Kevin Acheson (UU), Thomas Service (AFBI), Paddy Jack (AFBI)
Researchers working on the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme have confirmed that the first broad scale research work has just been published Read the Media release
A high-resolution LiDAR scan of Northern Ireland will provide a basis of modelling activities to estimate above ground biomass held in trees, woodlands and the 120,000 km of hedgerows in the region. SNHS is also gathering information on rates of soil C sequestration in grassland fields on selected commercial farms and along undisturbed field boundaries on different soil types in Northern Ireland (involving radio-carbon dating and soil microbiological assessments). Ongoing research will investigate how fungal and bacterial communities are affected by management and elucidate mechanisms and processes governing changes in soil C storage in grassland and hedgerow soils. Information arising from this research will be used to update the UK soil C inventory, and to identify management strategies which enhance C capture by soil and above ground biomass.
