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Global Soil Partnership

RECSOIL implementation in Belgium

Project overview

Phase VI – Implementation and Monitoring

Project name:

  • VPA-2 Soil Revitalization project in Belgium
  • VPA-2 of the European Soil Revitalization Programme, under retroactive validation by Gold Standard
Number of participating farmersProject area (hectares)Annual SOC sequestration potential (tCO2e)
103 with ongoing enrollment3 6399 097.5 (conservative estimate)

Region (municipality): All regions within the country

Target area for scaling up: Belgium (additional 2 000 hectares)

Main crops: Durum wheat, maize, sugar beet, rapeseed, potato, soft wheat and barley

Soil threats addressedSSM practices implemented
• Soil erosion
• Soil compaction
• SOC/soil organic matter loss
  • Soil organic cover (e.g. cover cropping and organic mulch)
  • Tillage management (e.g. no-till, conservation tillage, reduced tillage and precision tillage)

A biostimulant for soil revitalization was applied: NUTRIGEOⓇL. It is a liquid product derived from organic and inorganic compounds and is classified as a soil conditioner. It accelerates the humifying micro-organisms and activates soil enzymes. NUTRIGEOⓇL has been designed to use several mechanisms to enhance carbon sequestration through increased fungal activity evidenced as higher C-use efficiency ,production of stabilized C molecules by fungi and increased soil aggregation by hyphae and glomalin production.

 

Number of samples takenCohort 1 and cohort 2: 2 546 samples taken over 1 273 sampling points for SOC baseline assessment
Soil indicators analysed and standard operating procedures (SOPs) used
  • Determination of sampling location: stratified sampling
  • Soil sampling: local Soil Organic Carbon Monitoring Reporting and Verification Protocol [GSOC-MRV]), Annex 3
  • Further sampling procedures described in the VPA Design Document
  • Bulk density: cylinder method
  • SOC: Walkley-Black method and infrared spectroscopy (IR)

 


The following training courses are currently being conducted:

Gaïago has developed several training courses dedicated to stakeholders directly or indirectly impacted by the project such as Gaïago’s own employees, farmers and retailers. It includes the following types of training:

  • the University of Soils, hosted by Gaïago and dedicated to retailers and distributors; and
  • the Fertility Clubs hosted by retailers and distributors (with the support of Gaïago) for farmers.

The project officially contributed to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 (Quality Education). The following indicator will be monitored throughout the project. A number of employees provided skill development training via the project. On average, 370 people should be trained every year over the 5-year crediting period of the project.

Co-benefits of the project:
  • The reduction of soil compaction: NUTRIGEOⓇL accelerates the organic matter build-up in the soil. It improves soil structure which leads to more porosity, and a soil that is easier to drain and less compacted.
  • The improvement of soil fertility and health: Prebiotics like NUTRIGEOⓇL lead to enhanced soil fertility via the modulation of microbial activity. NUTRIGEOⓇL application results in a significant increase in the activity of key enzymes such as laccase activity. This enzyme plays a key role in soil revitalisation after intensive farming, helping to degrade a variety of organic compounds in the soil, including lignin, phenols, pesticides and other organic pollutants.