As part of the ‘FH Zeit für Forschung’ funding programme, Prof. Dr Florian Wichern has been awarded a three-year research professorship
Prof. Dr Florian Wichern’s work focuses on the optimal management of soils. His research project, “Soil ionoMICS – Elemental composition of soil microorganisms and its significance as an indicator for assessing soil fertility, as well as for carbon and nitrogen storage in soils”, was selected by a jury as one of the 20 winners of the “Zeit für Forschung” funding programme. The project is funded by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia with a total project budget of 333,182 euros. The funding programme also allows for a reduction in teaching duties of up to 50 per cent, thereby enabling the establishment of a research professorship.
“How can we improve agricultural land management in such a way that not only do soils become more fertile and environmental impacts from agriculture are reduced, but the very nature of that management can also actively contribute to climate and water protection?” – this is the question that Prof. Dr Florian Wichern, Professor of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition at the Faculty of Life Sciences at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, is investigating in his research project.
The focus is on investigating soil microorganisms (primarily bacteria and fungi), which play a key role in carbon and nitrogen storage in soils. “For the microorganisms in the soil to perform their functions, they must be well nourished. However, our understanding of the feeding habits and optimal nutrition of these organisms in the soil is limited,” says Prof. Wichern. This project aims to change that. The scientific objective is to measure the elemental composition of soil microorganisms under various agricultural land-use scenarios and to determine how to provide an optimal diet for these microorganisms.
The topic is of particular interest to the Lower Rhine region, as the farmed soils here are heavily contaminated by excess nitrogen and phosphorus. Prof. Wichern’s research aims to eventually enable farmers to use a simple smartphone app to find out how they can improve the quality of their soil and manage it in the most environmentally friendly way possible. To develop this app, the various soil conditions in the region must first be analysed under different farming practices.
The project is scheduled to start in June 2017 and is set to run until the end of 2020.
