The significance of soil microbial diversity has received little attention. The reason is that the molecular methods to identify soil microbes were new, awkward to use and expensive. However, molecular tools have evolved and are now affordable. Also, nowadays, bioinformatics software is much easier to use than ten years ago. The proposed project pioneers the use of molecular biology tools to protect and conserve the soil microbiome. The ecosystems studied in the project cover a climatic gradient from boreal to subtropical (Brazil). The project narrows critical knowledge gaps on the role of the soil microbiome (Theme1) and estimates costs and benefits of conservation through ecosystem services (Theme 2). The project provides stakeholders with an evaluation of the importance of the soil microbiome in a conservation ecology setting. We will use tools from molecular biology and biogeochemistry to analyse the soil microbial community and its function. Tools include tools to understand the phylogenetic diversity of the soil community and tools to measure functional genes. The phylogenetic and structural analyses are then used to determine the role of the soil microbiome in the provisioning of critical ecosystem services. These were soil carbon sequestration, conservation value, soil aggregate stability and yield of commercially valuable fungi. The project uses novel methods to measure the abundance of a broad array of functional genes; it tries to match long term field data with soil microbiome data to detect red-listed species from soil DNA. Also, the work on soil aggregate stability and the microbiome is genuinely innovative. After the project, stakeholders in the case study regions will have information on the role of the soil microbiome for conservation. In addition, they will understand how different soil-based ecosystem services interact. As a result, they will be able to exploit tradeoffs and synergies between the ecosystem services. The project involves active engagement with local stakeholder groups and will actively disseminate its result via social media networks.

DeliSoil will adopt a multi-actor, transdisciplinary approach to co-design processes that minimise food processing waste and valorise its by-products. We will apply a circular bioeconomy approach to the waste hierarchy, creating sustainable soil improvers in support of soil health in Europe. DeliSoil’s 5 regional Living Labs (LLs), with actors along the entire food value chain, will use innovative technologies to convert residues from food processing and production industries into tailored soil improvers. Research partners and companies will evaluate the soil improvers in state-of-the-art laboratories, and landowners will test the project’s solutions. The tailored soil improvers will be tested for stability, biosafety and molecular parameters, and their impacts on soil health, agronomical performance, and environmental risks will be evaluated. Environmental footprints will also be measured for selected products. We will identify technological, legislative, financial, and social barriers and enablers for the conversion of food processing residue streams into organic soil improvers and fertilising products, and use these results to analyse fairness throughout the LL value chains. Together with stakeholders, we will build communities and create networks to facilitate knowledge sharing of DeliSoil’s key exploitable results, empower interdisciplinary design processes to improve soil health through the valorisation of food by-products, and increase societal soil literacy. The Living Labs will share their solutions for using side-streams from vegetable, meat, insect cultivation, mixed food, tomato, olive oil, and wine industry actors. Our proposed Lighthouses will allow inter-European partnering and demonstrate improved waste management sites integrating optimal practices in a circular bioeconomy framework. We will work in close cooperation with other EU projects and the European Soil Observatory (EUSO) to ensure coordinated delivery of Soil Mission goals.

MultiSoil’s goal is to co-create, test, and demonstrate agricultural practices that improve soil and plant health factors and thus maintain soil functional biodiversity. This in turn helps control pests with less chemicals, in line with Horizon Europe’s Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe” specific objectives to reduce soil pollution, enhance restoration, and improve soil structure to enhance soil biodiversity and crop production. Soil organic amendments, microbial inoculants, and diversified cropping systems are co-developed with local actors into innovations to complement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. Their site-specific effectiveness is analysed, and sustainability is assessed in experimental field trials and demonstration sites covering 6 European pedoclimatic zones (7 countries). Innovations are tested and demonstrated with a range of commercially important crops (potato, sugar beet, maize, winter rye, olives, wheat). This will be supported by existing data, collected from other projects, existing field trials, and ongoing Living Labs, to monitor the long-term effects of the practices. MultiSoil is created with farmers and implements a multi-actor approach to ensure continuation of the good practices after the project timespan. Activities will include sharing knowledge, capacity building and training focusing on the tools and expertise developed by MultiSoil. The project will reach out to relevant R&I initiatives and projects, maximising knowledge exchange, and seeking synergies and collaboration. By the end of the project, local actors will have a Toolbox of tailored best practices, and guidelines on how to improve soil health and support soil biodiversity. Data on the social, economic and environmental impacts as well as the risks of the developed practices will support decision making.