Enhancement of sustainable soil resource management in agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia ·Latvia
About this project
<p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">The implementation of this pre-defined project will help to implement resilient agricultural and other land use management practices to increase the productivity of agricultural production, ensure the sustainable use of land resources and help maintain ecosystems. Additionally, the project will contribute towards meeting international and European climate change targets and reporting requirements.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">Within the project, it is planned to improve national soil data to be used for climate change policy. The implementation of the project will improve climate-related soil information, as well as the capacity of five public institutions in sustainable soil management. </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">The main target groups of the project are public administrations, farmers, the non-governmental sector, and the education and science sector institutions involved in the development and implementation of climate policy. </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">The place of implementation of the project will be based in Latvia, as well as an exchange of experience trip to Norway.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><strong>Main activities: </strong></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">1. Improvement of reliable, country-specific soil information database in agricultural land; </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">2. Establishment of national soil carbon monitoring system; </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">3. Improvement of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculation system.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><strong>Planed results:</strong></span></span></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">Updated historical information database for Latvian agricultural soils; </span></span></li> <li style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">National soil classification system updated and internationally harmonized with the United Nations Food and Agriculture organisation (FAO) World Reference Base (WRB) classification; </span></span></li> <li style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">Soil mapping methodology developed (1:10 000)</span></span></li> <li style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">Distribution of peat soils in agricultural land assessed;</span></span></li> <li style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">200 soil carbon monitoring sites in agricultural land established;</span></span></li> <li style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">3 GHG emission factors in drained organic soils developed;</span></span></li> <li style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif">10 experts trained to perform soil description and mapping according to the national and international FAO WRB classification system. </span></span></li> </ol>
Bilateral cooperation results
NIBIO is responsible for soil mapping in Norway and has large amount of experience with World Reference Base classification system, soil data usage, and map creation. During the project NIBIO assisted with technical expertise and evaluation of all activities to help us reach a successful outcome of the project. NIBO shared their knowledge in multiple project review reports as project was implemented as well as report on soil mapping and data in Norway. There are plans to continue bilateral cooperation in other programmes and project related to soil, especially soil carbon monitoring.
Project partners
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) Donor project partner· Norway
- University of Latvia Project partner· Latvia
- State Plant Protection Service Project partner· Latvia
- Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava" Project partner· Latvia