Dr. Bipin Pandey has received a Royal Society Research Grant for equipment. This new equipment (GT5000) will help to profile green house gases and others from compacted soil.
Soil is the source of >90% of food production. By 2050 we must increase crop yield by 50% to meet projected global food demands.
Globally, $6.3- 10.6 trillion is lost annually by soil degradation. Soil compaction represents a major form of soil degradation which affects about 4 million hectares of farm soils in England and Wales. Well hydrated, non-compacted soil typically contains (volume wise) 25% of air spaces which are highly inter-connected and aid gas exchange.
With increasing levels of compaction, the proportion of inter-connected airspaces is reduced resulting in significantly less gaseous exchange), while the proportion of soil particles increases (significantly increasing the mechanical impedance it presents for roots to penetrate). This new capability (GT5000) will help understand which gases are being released or suppressed in compacted soil.
Posted on Monday 20th March 2023