Reduced nitrate leaching and improved plant nitrogen availability are among the benefits of catch crops. A new model built by researchers from Department of Agroecology can determine the mineralisation of catch crops, and when linked to an agroecosystems model, it allows improved estimated of nitrate leaching and nitrogen supply to following crops.

Pyrolysis is not only a source of sustainable and climate-friendly energy, but the residual product from pyrolysis, biochar, can, in addition to carbon binding, also act as phosphorus fertiliser on agricultural fields.

Twenty-four European research organisations from 16 European countries have joined forces in a new research alliance to forge the foundation for reducing dependence on chemical pesticides in EU agriculture. The initiative is called 'Towards a Chemical Pesticide-free Agriculture', and the collaboration will rethink the way in which research is carried out within agroecology and plant protection.

Researchers from the Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, among others, have created a model that will help farmers in the future predict whether their fields are too wet, dry or suitable for tillage.

Certain nematodes can cause great damage to crops and yields, and they can be difficult to control. Researchers from the Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University have compiled and reviewed the literature to gain a better understanding of the nematodes and find more effective control possibilities.

A 20-year-old experiment on Askov research station at Aarhus University has helped researchers from Aarhus University, among others, find out what happens to organic carbon, left in the soil for many years, and which organisms decompose it. The experiment shows that carbon, which has been fixed in the soil for many years, is still active and a part of the natural biological decomposition process in the soil.

Agriculture in Europe is under pressure to meet environmental requirements, maintain high production and meet demands for a sustainable food supply. The use of fossil fuels and products, as well as imports of soy protein, have serious environmental and climatic consequences for vulnerable areas of the world. At a seminar and exhibition on 28 April in the European Parliament, decision makers, stakeholders from industry, research and civil society from across Europe will meet and discuss new innovative solutions and opportunities for green biorefining in Europe.