Soil research and microbes

A healthy soil is essential for the growth of the plants in any ecosystem including managed forests and agricultural land. The key challenges in our future like biodiversity, climatic changes, sustainable food production and forestry, invasions of pests and pathogens and the renewable resources for bioeconomics are intimately bound with the advancement in understanding soil and its microbial ecology. There is a need to take a much deeper look into soil: the invisible world of soil microbes is the best indicator of functional soil and full of opportunities waiting to be tapped into. Luke studies these opportunities in agricultural, forest, tundra, and peatland soils.

The soil is a home to massive microbe ecosystems, whose diverse benefits to other life forms are increasingly on our research agenda. It is already known that microbes affect plant growth and health. In one of our research approaches, we study, for example, how symbiotic fungi of forest trees help the nurseries produce healthy and well growing saplings, improving the cost-efficiency of nurseries, and how controlling microbiomes circulations could improve food production.

Microbes could also be an important part of the solution to mitigating climate change. They are involved in all the three major greenhouse gas production and consumption processes: carbon dioxide, di-nitrous oxide and methane. All these gaseous fluxes are the outcome of the important ecosystem service provided by soil microbes, namely the decomposition of dead organic matter of plant and animal origin. In connection Luke also studies how microbes can help to store more carbon in soil, and, thus help solving the challenge of global warming.

In addition to microbes, Luke is also involved in many other types of soil research. One example are micronutrients, that are essential to plant growth but also improve the quality of food. Regardless of the climate in respective

EJP SOIL

Purpose: EJP SOIL, European Joint Programme Cofund on Agricultural Soil Management contributes to key societal challenges including climate change and future food supply. EJP SOIL targets climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable agricultural production, ecosystem services and restoration and prevention of land and soil degradation. Impact: Expected impacts include, for example, identification and analysis of barriers for the implementation of novel technologies for climate smart sustainable agricultural soil management and of the ways to overcome them; improved and harmonized accounting methodology of soil C and soil status; scenario of European agricultural soil futures under climate change and management changes; and evidence-based recommendations for EU policies. Partners: 26 Financier: European Joint Programme

Diverfarming

Purpose: To develop new crop diversification systems for the delivery of food, feed, industrial products, and ecosystems services. Impact: The project provides farms and value-chain organisations with, for example, support and guidelines for sustainable diversified cropping systems. Partners: 25 Financier: Horizon 2020 area, soil often lacks these important micronutrients. Analysing the micronutrient levels and creating fertilizing plans accordingly is of essence. Our expertise and work in international

CIRCLES

Purpose: To investigate whether and how natural microbiomes in the spinach, tomato, poultry, swine, farmed and wild salmon and seabream food chains can be exploited for a more sustainable, safe, productive and nutritious food production. Impact: The project aims to create concrete microbiome products, procedures, tools and applications which can be further developed for use in the European job market and economy. Partners: 4 Financier: Horizon 2020

TREEGROW

Purpose: The project studies growth performance, microbial associates and root architecture of 4–43 years old Norway spruce clones planted in soils showing variation in spatial heterogeneity. The aim is to understand the legacy behind an efficient resource utilization and growth rate of Norway spruce trees and their progeny under variable selection pressures. Impact: We will be able to validate the role of early root formation behind the variation in the longterm growth rate of Norway spruce and thus provide tools for more efficient tree breeding. Partners: 3

Financier: Academy of Finland research projects have helped build local capacity particularly in developing countries and, thus, improve the food security in those areas.