A series of questions were designed to help guide the discussions in each working group towards practical solutions and approaches on how to use the existing knowledge.
Working groups addressed three main themes during two sessions:
Theme 1. Assessment and monitoring;
Theme 2. Adaptive management;
Theme 3. Innovative technologies and risk alleviation.
The first session concentrated on identifying and characterizing the available practical approaches and tools, based on what is known and what can be used, and how. It focused on building and describing the available knowledge base in each of the themes.
The second session focused on identifying and characterizing the various gaps (knowledge, resources, policy environment, etc.) in each theme, and how these can be overcome.
The gap identification helped create a common understanding and background for the third session, when the working groups discussed capacity building and mainstreaming under each of the three themes.
A. Working group on assessment and monitoring
Galdino Andrade, Brazil
Eleusa Barros, Brazil
George Brown, Brazil
Julio Centeno, Brazil
Jefferson Costa, Brazil
Tsewang Dorji, Bhutan
Dirceo Gassen, Brazil
Abdoulaye Mando, Burkina Faso
Adriana Montañez, FAO
Fatima Moreira, Brazil
Clive Pankhurst, Australia
Nuria Ruiz, France
Stella Zerbino, Uruguay
Session 1 - Objective
Overview of knowledge base and issues to help land users, technicians and policy-makers understand soil health and the value and use of soil bioindicators to measure or observe and evaluate soil health now and in the future.
Issues for discussion
1. Which indicators
What to measure and how. Bioindicators and observation and measurement techniques.
What are the basic requirements for effective bioindicators of soil health?
What is a suitable framework for developing a soil health indicator programme?
Identify which indicators are universal (for most systems and conditions) and which are site or condition specific.
Which bioindicators should be used by different stakeholders (list) and what are their specific constraints (e.g. which indicators would be most suitable for farmers in different agro-ecological conditions and socio-economic contexts)?
Which soil health indicators could be used as appropriate indicators or measurements for different purposes, e.g. monitoring, early warning and management or maintenance?
Which indicators shoe or control key ecosystem functions (functional groups), without which systems may collapse or go into chaotic disequilibrium?
Which indicators reveal particular environmental constraints that must be overcome?
Can clear baseline data be defined and established to create reference databases for healthy soils (define)?
Which bioindicators show consistency (usefulness is maintained) at different temporal and spatial scales?
2. How to identify indicators of value to farmers and how to establish a soil health monitoring process with them.
How to make farmers aware of the importance of soil health and how to get them involved in soil health monitoring.
What are the minimum resources that must be available for monitoring or assessment?
How to identify the locally available resources (human, technical, equipment, laboratories, and other support) for bioindicator work.
How to use and develop local indicators of soil health, based on the farmers degree of experience.
How to integrate soil health concepts into current and future farm management practices.
How to interpret and present results (what do they indicate).
Session 2 - Objective
What are the gaps in terms of knowledge and technical constraints, and how can they be addressed through projects, guidelines, capacity building etc.?
Provide clear principles and practical approaches, materials and means to guide land users, policy-makers and planners in the selection and use of bioindicators to improve land management practices and understand the linkages between soil biodiversity and the maintenance of soil functions.
Issues for discussion
1. How to develop and provide a framework or guide for soil health.
Need for using soil health indicators for different systems and users.
Needs for standardization in the use of indicators (across soil types, climate conditions and land uses).
Development of standardized sampling methods, data collection and interpretation, etc. (timing, number, spacing, features, measures, tools, etc) and how to make adaptations according to specific needs.
How to develop target values or thresholds for soil health indicators (i.e. what is good and what is bad). Approaches for this may include use of agronomic data, expert knowledge, databases. etc.
Need to couple the use of soil health indicators with demonstration of best farming or land management practices, i.e. recommended solutions to soil health problems.
Need for multidisciplinary monitoring processes and techniques and actions on the ground.
Need for integrated indicators or sets of multiple indicators (holistic approaches).
What developments in indicator research can be expected in the near future? Working around taxonomic barriers.
2. Identify resource persons, institutions and partnerships to be in charge of training and capacity building on different topics for different stakeholders (technicians, students, and especially farmers and other land managers), and identify current programmes where various representative pilot sites are well characterized and documented to obtain baseline data on healthy soils under different conditions.
3. Identify ongoing or recent research, field experiences and expertise on soil health indicators that can be built on. How to capacitate or train the farmer in the use of bioindicators (participatory approaches). Collation of available materials and creation of new materials (e.g. interpretive guidelines for the use of soil health indicators). How to develop networking and materials development and dissemination capacity.
4. Mainstreaming.
Need for involvement of the private sector without creating dependency for farmers.
How to promote use of bioindicators for comparisons of agricultural systems; degradation assessment; environmentally sound agricultural policies; C sequestration and other ecosystem services.
Mechanisms for influencing policy-makers and planners locally, nationally and regionally; lessons learned from cooperatives, FFSs and other lessons still to be learned.
How to calculate or predict economic benefits, losses and thresholds, and influence policies.
Expected results: Establish clear and concrete approaches and methods to overcome the specific gaps, needs and constraints identified during the discussion. Present a draft plan of action with short- and long-term goals.
B. Working group on adaptive management
Dan Bennack, Inst. Ecología, Xalapa, Mexico
Gustavo Bernal, INIAP, Ecuador
Lijbert Brussaard, EU/Univ. Wageningen
Sally Bunning, FAO, Rome
Ademir Calegari, BrazilArnaudo Colosi, Brazil
Gabriel Fernandez Brazil
Richard Fowler, ACT, Africa
Avilio Franko, Brazil
Michele Gauthier, CBD Sec.
Fatima Guimarais, Brazil
Patrick Lavelle, IRD, France
Rusvel Rios, CAMAREN, Ecuador
O.P. Rupela, ICRISAT, India
Eolia Treto-Hernández, Cuba
Martin Wood, Univ. Reading, United Kingdom
Session 1 - Objective
Provide the basis for the development of practical guidelines on the basis of existing know-how, experiences and materials to promote on-farm research and technology development in integrated soil biological management (i.e. strategies, approaches and technologies) with a view to enhancing the productivity and sustainability of diverse land use systems and conserving soil and associated agricultural biodiversity.
Issues for discussion
1. Brief overview and agreement on adaptive management and integrated biological management concepts for soil and agro-ecosystems.
Adaptive management techniques and practices: essential components (social, biological, ecological, physical, cultural, economic, technical; approaches; lessons learned, etc.).
Essential components of integrated (biological) management of soil ecosystems (crop, animal, soil, water, human resources and agricultural systems); linkages and synergy between soil biological, chemical and physical management schemes.
The ecosystem concept (definitions and principles).
2. Discussion on opportunities for integrated biological management of soils in different farming contexts (basic principles, techniques, practices and approaches; contributions to agricultural sustainability).
How to move away from a focus on mechanical soil conservation to a focus on soil health and life.
How to maintain or enhance soil organic matter quality and quantity (roots, mixed crops, systems).
How to minimize the use of chemicals and develop alternatives (cost, safety, etc.).
How to enhance resource use efficiency (i.e. diversity at different scales; balance use of external inputs with recycling of locally available resources; reduce losses; efficient use of energy).
How to restore degraded soils and manage problem soils and fragile soils.
How to intensify soil management (over time and space) without degrading the resource base (sustained productivity and income for subsistence and commercial farmers).
What techniques are available for managing the living soil components (biota) to enhance agricultural production and what is their potential in certain systems (BNF, plant genetic resources, earthworms, etc.; build on traditional and modern techniques; link above- and below-ground biodiversity)?
What lessons and successes can be built upon from each region in terms of useful approaches (i.e. promoting participatory on-farm research technology development; ecosystem or agro-ecological approach; participatory monitoring; networking)?
3. Identify major approaches with wider potential such as organic agriculture, conservation agriculture, diversified systems and other promising approaches and techniques, and suggest how to build on them, for example building on the following examples for representative farming systems.
Increase plant diversity at various scales (field to landscape).
Field margins, windbreaks, forest refugia and other landscape-scale preserved areas to increase landscape biodiversity and associated ecosystem services.
Linking above-ground with below-ground diversity; management implications; protect the habitat, key functions and biodiversity of soil organisms.
Minimize negative effects of various agricultural inputs; use of integrated plant nutrition and IPPM approaches.
Session 2 - Objective
Evaluate farmers needs and constraints for adoption of biological management of soil ecosystems and adaptation of current practices in a range of different managed systems
Issues for discussion
1. What is known and where are the gaps? With a focus on solutions on how to overcome constraints and lack of knowledge in different agro-ecosystems and socio-economic context, in particular opportunities to strengthen collaboration and capacity building in the different regions, themes, etc.
How to move from technology transfer to adaptive management or participatory technology development approaches.
Review and identify good and bad traditional and modern techniques, and ways to move from bad practice to good practice. Suggest clear examples to build on.
How to enhance cooperation and shared understanding among farmers, extensionists, technicians and scientists on integrated biological management of soil ecosystems (institutional mechanisms; examples of dynamic processes): (i) identify any specific requirements or problems for specific farming systems - contexts or target groups (examples) and major technical gaps in terms of management practices and their impact on soil biological functions and on ecosystem productivity and resilience; (ii) needs for dynamic iterative learning process (not wide application of standard techniques) and for multidisciplinary activities and techniques; (iii) how to stimulate the capacity of local or regional farmers to adapt, improve and share experiences (capacity building and training of the farmer, researcher and technician for integrated and adaptive management and participatory approaches); and (iv) what is known in terms of determining economic benefits, losses and thresholds (tools; know-how).
2. Identification of major technical gaps and farmer needs and potential solutions.
Plant breeding needs; inoculants.
Microbial and fauna management.
Organic matter management and soil conservation.
Landscape and agro-ecosystem biodiversity for pest and disease control, economic gains, nutrient management, etc.
3. Concrete suggestions for addressing major gaps and implementation of potential solutions.
Proposals for capacity building and training in integrated soil management (where, when, by whom).
Collation of available materials and creation of new materials on farmers integrated soil management techniques. Who takes the lead?
Use of current networks and training courses to incorporate various stakeholders (farmers, technicians, students, researchers and agribusiness) in disseminating these techniques.
How to link agribusiness, NGOs and public institutions in the process of adopting integrated biological management of soil ecosystems.
Problems of scale: integrated management at the local scale must be scaled up to the landscape level (with wider adoption of practices) for true benefits of integration of soil use and management to be realized at the regional level.
Establish network of projects and experiences for incorporating integrated soil management (global, national).
How to obtain support at the various levels (from farmer to international governments) for integrated soil biological management (policy level, technical collaboration, financial resources).
International agendas and conventions on soil management and conservation (IUSS; Agenda 21; UN-CCD; UN-FCCC; UN-CBD; FAO-CGRFA; etc.).
Expected results
Identify solutions in terms of capacity building, partnerships and mainstreaming to overcome constraints (technical, human, socio-economic, cultural and organizational) in different agro-ecosystems and socio-economic contexts and regions.
C. Working group on innovation and risk management
Paul Cannon, CABI, United Kingdom (Rapporteur)
Felix Dakora, Univ. of Cape Town, South Africa
Diva DeAndrade, Brazil
Mariangela Hungria, EMBRAPA, Brazil
Marcio Lambrais, Brazil
Regina Luizao, Brazil
Ieda Mendes, Brazil
Klaus Merckens, SEKEM, Egypt
Odo Primavesi, Brazil
Rattan Lal, University of Ohio, United States of America
P.S. Ramakrishnan, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Bikram Senapati, Sambalpur University, India
Josef Steinberger, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Session 1 - Objective
Overview of available innovative and promising new technologies and opportunities for their wider use and adaptation with a focus on risk alleviation (human and environmental) and systems approaches.
Issues for discussion
Promising techniques and their potential and evaluation of risks and application of ecosystem approach.
The techniques: bioremediation, inoculation, genetic engineering, molecular marking, organic agriculture, integrated approaches (IPNM, etc.).
The organisms: BNF, genetic manipulation or engineering of micro-organisms and plants, GMOs, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and other symbionts, natural antagonists, phosphate solubilizers, earthworms, biofertilizers, plant growth promoters. Understanding their role and ecological interactions in soils, and the means of promoting their wider use and adaptation (when possible). Improving their efficiency in agricultural systems.
Urban and peri-urban agriculture - using industrial, domestic and agricultural wastes.
GMOs and their implications and international property rights.
Remediation - using microbes for decontamination.
Industrial use of soil organisms and bioprospecting.
Interactions between above- and below-ground biodiversity (e.g. flavonoids and other rhizospheric exudates).
Session 2 - Objective
Identify strategies and approaches for the well-informed and safe use and adaptation of techniques or biological methods including policy, institutional and organizational strategies and actions.
Issues for discussion
Alleviation of risks and constraints. How to promote the precautionary approach.
Needs for further research (field testing and assessment) with a focus on systems approaches, e.g. crop-soil interactions.
Need for balanced and unbiased private and public sector research and government policy. What role for partnerships (e.g. to commercialize, publicize or promote sound innovations; collaborative research)?
Need for community awareness and lobbying capacity of smallholder farmers, associations and support groups.
Need for balanced information for all stakeholders (impact assessment, equal access).
The importance of policy and regulatory frameworks; role of global conventions and standards.
Identify initiatives/networks that can be built upon for cooperation and partnerships; roles and responsibilities; representatives and programme/project interactions.
IRD-Biofonctionnement du Sol.
TSBF Programme.
ASB Programme and African Highlands Initiatives of CGIAR.
CYTED Network and MIRCEN Network.
Mycorrhizal and BNF networks, e.g. ALAR, CGIAR Challenge Programme on BNF.
Piloting participatory technology development (building on private and public sector collaboration as appropriate) for wider use of soil biodiversity related technologies and products.
Expected results
Promote the wider use and local adaptation of safe and promising technologies to enhance the use of soil biodiversity and efficiency of soil biological activity through the identification of concrete opportunities for collaboration, training, networking and piloting activities within a conducive and supportive policy environment.