Prof. Dr. Ir. Gerlinde de Deyn, Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University & Research – 9 April 2019

Plant-Soil Feedbacks in the field: the sky is (not) the limit

ABSTRACT

We know that belowground and aboveground interactions are coupled as plants respond to belowground processes and in plants turn affect soil processes through plant-soil feedback effects. To date it remains hard to predict the direction and size of these feedback effects especially in real field conditions. Most plant-soil feedback studies were conducted under highly controlled conditions in the greenhouse pot experiments using sterilised soil and being of short duration. As a result it has been hard to translate the findings to the field. I propose that new remote sensing technology is a powerful tool to study plant-soil feedbacks in the field at realistic scales in space and time. Such tool will greatly advance our understanding of soil multi-functionality, enabling customised advise on soil management to promote the optimisation of multiple functions on the short and longer term.

Nature of Life seminars

Date       :   9 April 2019

Time       :   15.45 hours

Location:   Room WN-C147, W&N building VU Amsterdam