Members of the Sustainable Soils Group at 快播视频 Environment Centre are in Vienna this week for the European Geosciences Union General Assembly – a meeting of 1000s of scientists from across the world, and with delegates online since the pandemic.

From the mystery of missing phosphorus in long-term agricultural experiments, to the mysteries of tree methane in the Brazilian Amazon and new data science techniques to new microscopy methods, we’re looking forward to sharing our research, meeting others with shared interests, and catching up with friends and colleagues.

See below for the timetable of contributions – come meet with us or join online and find out more:

Monday

EGU23-12072 | Posters on site | 听听

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Angeliki Kourmouli, Liz Hamilton, Rebecca Bartlett, Rosemary Dyson, James Gore, Robert Grzesik, Iain Hartley, Iain Johnston, Alexandra Kulawska, Carolina Mayoral, Susan Quick, Michaela Reay, Zongbo Shi, Andy Smith, Sami Ullah, Clare Ziegler, and A. Rob Mackenzie
Mon, 24 Apr, 10:45鈥�12:30听听 Hall A | A.228听

Tuesday

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Holly Blincow, Sunitha Pangala, Niall McNamara, and Alison Hoyt
Tue, 25 Apr, 08:53鈥�09:03听听 Room 2.95, EGU23-1783 | Oral session | 听听

Jennifer Davies, Victoria Janes-Bassett, Martin Blackwell, Andrew Burgess, Jessica Davies, and Philip Haygarth
Tue, 25 Apr, 11:30鈥�11:40听听 Room 1.15/16, EGU23-3112 | Oral session | 听

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Mengyi Gong, Rebecca Killick, Christopher Nemeth, John Quinton, and Jessica Davis
Tue, 25 Apr, 16:30鈥�16:40听听 Room G2, EGU23-2400 | Oral session | 听听

Thursday

Jess Davies, John Quinton, Roisin O’Riordan, Paul Hatch, Susanna Dart, Adam Birchall, Birgit Hontzsch, Charles Campion, and Noel Farrer
Thu, 27 Apr, 15:05鈥�15:15听听 Room 0.96/97, EGU23-7840 | Oral session | 听

Friday

Quynh听Nhu Phan Le, Crispin Halsall, Stoyana Peneva, Olivia Wridley, Wulf Amelung, Melanie Braun, John Quinton, and Ben Surridge
Fri, 28 Apr, 14:05鈥�14:15听听 Room K2, EGU23-13873 | Oral session | 听

Emilee听Severe, Ben Surridge, Rachel Platel, Michael Coogan, Michael James, Peter Fiener, and John Quinton
Fri, 28 Apr, 15:05鈥�15:15听听 Room K2, EGU23-13713 | Oral session | 听

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Madhur Atreya, John-Baptist Kauzya, Stacie DeSousa, Evan Williams, Austin Hayes, Karan Dikshit, Jenna Nielson, Abigail Palmgren, Sara Khorchidian, Shangshi Liu, Anupama Gopalakrishnan, Eloise Bihar, Carson Bruns, Richard Bardgett, John Quinton, Jessica Davies, Jason Neff, and Gregory Whiting
Fri, 28 Apr, 17:15鈥�17:25听听 Room -2.20, EGU23-8573 | Oral session | 听听听

Happy 2022! To celebrate, we have written a series of blogs that dig in (pun intended) to the many connections between soils and food. These blogs are inspired by our sustainable soils research at 快播视频 and include a recipe that connects our soil research to the dinner plate! Read them all here. We hope you enjoy digging into both our research stories and recommended recipes. Enjoy 鈥� bon appetit!听

3. Plastics in farming – an emerging risk? Nhu Phan
4. Tree methane – getting to the root of it, Holly Blincow
5. Soil loss – a future of scarcity? Helena Ripley
6. Unsung city soils – can they put more food on our plates? Jess Davies
7. To P or not to P? The question for sustaining soybean soils, Hannah Walling
8. Ken-ya manage soils more sustainably? Tommy Escott
9. You can’t teach old trees new tricks, or can you? Angeliki Kourmouli
10. Harvest reflections and the growth of plastics, Emilee Severe

e.severe@lancaster.ac.uk Twitter:@EmileeSevere

If you look out the kitchen window at my parent鈥檚 home you will see my mother鈥檚 pride and joy (and no it鈥檚 not me) it is a small patch of soil, her garden. As a growing girl, I spent hours in that garden, making rows, planting seeds, supporting my mother in her endless war against the weeds and of course the culmination of our summer鈥檚 labour, harvesting. I can remember small changes my parents made over the years to improve our bounty. As a little girl, I can vaguely remember using raised soil beds for the carrots. Then we moved to planting everything in ridges and furrows. Later, to suppress the weeds, we added grass clippings around the borders of the garden. I remember my dad creating all sorts of cages, stringed lines and stakes to help the tomato plants grow tall and fruitful. 听

Although, the biggest change I remember is when my parents abandoned the sprinkler and started irrigating the garden with t-tape. T-tape or drip irrigation tape is a thin plastic hose with tiny holes in the bottom, which allows water to slowly drip on plants. From that point on, there were no panicked cries exclaiming we forgot to turn off the sprinkler. There was a dramatic decrease in weeds growing between the rows of vegetables and we used less water to irrigate our garden. Soon after geotextile fabric was laid down around the zucchinis (courgette), cucumbers and pumpkins to help the soil retain moisture and of course to get rid of those dang weeds! These changes were welcomed by everyone as it meant less time in the garden and more time for other things.听

Globally farmers are also adopting plastic products for the same reasons my family did. Many agricultural plastic products, such as plastic mulch film, reduce the amount of pesticides and water that farmers need to put on their crops [1-2]. Additionally, plastics can increase the growing season and crop yields while also decreasing food loss and fertilizer use [1-2].听听听

With all these wonderful benefits, using plastics brings a new change that I did not recognize as a growing child, microplastics. I would guess the majority of people reading this blog have seen news stories or documentaries about plastics in the ocean, but what about microplastics in the soil? What are these plastics doing to our soils and how are they moving from our land to the water? Will there be a point where the negative effects of microplastic outweigh the benefits of plastics in agriculture?听听

At the moment, we don鈥檛 have a lot of answers to these questions and initial research is showing the effects of microplastics on soil depends on location, crops, farming practices and of course the soil itself [3-5]. Although, we cannot allow this lack of understanding to overshadow what we do know. We know that microplastics in various quantities are very harmful for both aquatic and terrestrial animals. We know that microplastics move in the environment6,7. We also know we can reduce the amount of microplastics in our farmlands and urban centers by first replacing plastics with non-plastic products where possible, reusing plastic products and finally recycling and properly disposing of plastic waste. Plastics do so much good in our world especially in agriculture, yet the microplastics they shed are harmful.听听

1. Cusworth, S. J., Davies, W. J., McAinsh, M. R. & Stevens, C. J. Sustainable production of healthy, affordable food in the UK: The pros and cons of plasticulture. Food Energy Secur. n/a, e404 (2022).听
2. FAO. Assessment of agricultural plastics and their sustainability: A call for action. 160 https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7856en (2021).听
3. Liang, Y., Lehmann, A., Yang, G., Leifheit, E. F. & Rillig, M. C. Effects of Microplastic Fibers on Soil Aggregation and Enzyme Activities Are Organic Matter Dependent. Front. Environ. Sci. 9, 97 (2021).听
4. de Souza Machado, A. A., Kloas, W., Zarfl, C., Hempel, S. & Rillig, M. C. Microplastics as an emerging threat to terrestrial ecosystems. Glob. Change Biol. 24, 1405鈥�1416 (2018).听
5. Sch枚pfer, L. et al. Microplastics persist in an arable soil but do not affect soil microbial biomass, enzyme activities, and crop yield. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. (2022) doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.202200062.听
6. Rehm, R., Zeyer, T., Schmidt, A. & Fiener, P. Soil erosion as transport pathway of microplastic from agriculture soils to aquatic ecosystems. Sci. Total Environ. 148774 (2021).听
7. Brahney, J., Hallerud, M., Heim, E., Hahnenberger, M. & Sukumaran, S. Plastic rain in protected areas of the United States. Science 368, 1257鈥�1260 (2020).听

Recipe: Zucchini Brownies

Now as I have been writing this post my parents have texted yet another picture of their harvest bounty.听 So it seems only natural that I should share the recipe for one of my favorite harvest treats, zucchini brownies. Do you think this can count as one of my 5-a-day?

Recipe credit: My neighbour, Joni Burtenshaw

Ingredients

2 c. shredded zucchini
1/3 c. cocoa
陆 c. chopped nuts
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
陆 c. oil
陆 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs

Method

Mix in order given and bake in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan at 175 degrees C for 30 minutes.

a.kourmouli@lancaster.ac.uk Twitter:@AKourmouli

Photo credit: Thomas Downes

All human activities, from breathing to burning fossil fuels, emit carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. Once the CO2 molecules are in our atmosphere, they absorb and radiate heat, and together with a group of other gases, they create the greenhouse effect. Because of this effect, we are able to live on this planet without freezing to death! However, because of the increases in our activities the concentration of atmospheric CO2 has been rapidly increasing, breaking a record high in 2021 [1] trapping more heat in the atmosphere and increasing global temperatures. 听

It鈥檚 not all doom and gloom though since trees can take CO2 from the atmosphere and use it as a source of energy via a process called photosynthesis. The trees will use CO2, together with sunlight, water and nutrients from the soil, to grow, as well as transport it via their roots to the soil. The carbon (C) in the soil will either be used as a source of energy from the microorganisms living there, converted to unavailable forms, and kept stored securely in the soil and some of it will return to the atmosphere as CO2. That means even minor changes in the atmospheric CO2 can have huge effects on the soil鈥檚 ability to store and release carbon, potentially releasing even more C to the atmosphere and amplifying global warming.听听

The entire world鈥檚 forests are estimated to store about 86 times more carbon [2] than what the entire world emitted just last year [3] and about half of it is stored in the soil. For decades, scientists focused their research on young trees to observe the effects of elevated CO2 on the forest ecosystems, ignoring the mature trees, as they thought they were not able to take up more C from the atmosphere, but alas they were wrong! Mature forests, even as old as 800 years old, are still able not only to take up C from the atmosphere but also to store it in the soil securely [4], assisting in offsetting the atmospheric CO2 emissions. 听

My research focused on the only mature forest experiment in the Northern hemisphere, where the entire woodland is exposed to atmospheric CO2 concentrations that all of us will experience in less than 30 years’ time [5]. More specifically I am interested in how the roots, the soil microbes, and the soil nutrients will respond to higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations and if their intertwined interactions will change in the future.听

1 听

2 Pan, Y., et al., (2011). A large and persistent carbon sink in the world鈥檚 forests. Science.听听

3 听

4 Luyssaert, S., et al., (2008). Old-growth forests as global carbon sinks. Nature.听听

5 听

Walnut smothered-in-syrup cake听鈥�

A syrup-dripping recipe coming directly from a Greek mum.听

Ingredients

For the cake:听

2 cups of ground walnuts, ideally finely ground听

1 cup of panko breadcrumbs, or make your own听

1 cup of white sugar听

5 eggs听

20 grams of baking powder听

1 shot of raki (cognac will do as well)听

听

For the syrup:听

2 cups of water听

1.5 cups of white sugar听

A few cloves听

Peels from half a lemon听

Method

Start with the syrup, the key in this recipe is cold syrup warm cake. Also, you will need a square or rectangular baking tray instead of a round one.听

Add the syrup ingredients to a pot and boil for 5 minutes. Remove the cloves and the lemon peels and let it cool down.听听

Add the dry ingredients (walnuts, breadcrumbs, sugar, and baking powder) in a bowl and combine. Add the eggs and the alcohol and mix well. You do not want your mix to be very runny but equally you do not want it dry. If needed, you can add another shot of alcohol, or two, but do not overdo it!听

Place it in a preheated oven at 180C for about 45 minutes or until nicely brown. You can use a knife to check whether it is thoroughly baked inside. Remove from the oven and portion it immediately in multiple squares (be careful it is hot!). With a ladle pour slowly the syrup covering the cake entirely. Do not worry if the cake looks like it is drowning, it will absorb the syrup.听听

t.escott@lancaster.ac.uk Twitter: @tommyjescott

Photo credit: John Quinton

Soil is fundamental to global food production, whether it be in the direct production of crops or providing feed to sustain livestock. The physical, biological, and chemical properties of soils have a defining influence on yield, which can make or break the ability of societies to put food on the table. Therefore, protecting our soils, whilst maximising output is an important balancing act.

I have recently worked on two projects, aimed at tackling some of these key issues. During a Research Master鈥檚, I evaluated the efficacy of the liquid fraction of digestate, a by-product of biogas generation, under different horticultural applications. So-called 鈥済reen鈥� fertilisers could play a vital role in meeting crop nutrient demands more sustainably, encouraging a move away from the unsustainable production of mineral fertilisers. I found that, whilst not suitable as a sole nutrient source for tomatoes, liquid digestate could potentially be used successfully as a replacement to mineral fertiliser in high-phosphorus (P) soils, on account of its low P content. This could help prevent the over-application of P and prevent leaching into waterbodies.听听

However, cropping systems must be approached holistically 鈥� simply applying a bucketload of nutrients will not work if soils are fundamentally degraded. In Kenya, on account of overgrazing and an increasingly unstable climate, , leading to significant soil erosion and bare, unvegetated patches of soil. Soil erosion can also cause cultural erosion 鈥� cattle form a tenet of the lives of many Kenyans, and a loss of pastures applies pressure to pastoralists鈥� livelihoods. Surprisingly, little research has been done on restoring grasslands in Africa, and many contemporary methods have not been scientifically evaluated. Through this project, we are aiming to understand the mechanisms and efficacy of different methods of grassland restorations within different ecosystems across Kenya.听听

Recipe: Kachumbari (Kenyan Fresh Tomato and Onion Salad)

I have decided on a salad known as Kachumbari, which combines the two elements of my recent research: Kenya and tomatoes. The dish is served as a side, represents a fusion of Kenyan and Indian cuisines, and is jolly good on a hot day! You can find the original recipe here: 听

Ingredients

陆 medium red onion, diced
2 large tomatoes
戮 avocado
1 small chilli
陆 lime, juiced (approx. 1 Tbsp juice)
1 Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp salt

Method

1. Place the diced onion in a small bowl and massage the salt into the onion pieces. Cover the salted onions with water and let stand for 10 min.
2. Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes, avocado, and chilli and add them to a bowl.
3. Drain the onions and add them to the vegetables.
4. Finish by adding the lime juice and cilantro.
5. Mix well and enjoy!

h.j.walling@lancaster.ac.uk Twitter: @HannahWalling98

Soil plays a key role in all food production, with soils providing over 95% of food and mineral nutrition for human life [1]. My PhD research is focused on the role of soils and nutrients in soybean, with a focus on phosphorus (P). Soybean (Glycine max L. (Merr.)) is a globally important crop, with production levels today being 13 times higher than the 1960s [2]. Soybean, or soya as it is more commonly known, acts as the largest source of both vegetable oil and animal feed, as well as being a key component of vegan or vegetarian diets [3]. The demand for soya is continuing to increase, with 5% of the UK population now being vegan or vegetarian [4] contributing to demands of increased soybean production.听听

There are two basic ways to meet this demand, expanding production area, or improving production levels in current production areas. We are suggesting that the more sustainable option is to do this by improving production levels and closing yield gaps. Closing yield gaps, i.e. growing more crop per unit area, has the potential to meet this demand. We are suggesting that one such way to close these yield gaps is through improved P fertiliser application, however, we are unsure if the benefits outweigh the costs. Hence the question, To P or not To P? Phosphorus fertiliser application has high environmental costs 鈥� costs of production and transport, and it鈥檚 environmental damage to waterbodies.听 听

Phosphorus not only plays a key role in crop production, but also in human health. Phosphorus is a major component of bones, teeth, DNA and RNA, as well as being a component of cell membrane structure and the body鈥檚 key energy source ATP, soybeans and fermented soy provide up to 100% of the recommended daily intake [5]. However, it is not as simple as applying more P fertiliser to soybean cropping systems to provide more soy, there are several pathways and mechanisms that we hope to understand more throughout my PhD. 听

[1]

[2]

[3] Balboa et al., 2021. Shifts in Soybean Yield, Nutrient Uptake, and Nutrient Stoichiometry: A Historical Synthesis-Analysis

[4]

[5] .

Recipe: Tofu and edamame noodles (VE)听

Soybean makes up a key component of many foodstuffs common in Asian cuisines, including tofu, soy sauce and edamame beans, and this recipe combines all of those 鈥� hope you enjoy!听听

Ingredients

• 4 nests wholewheat noodles
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce, plus extra to taste
• 3-4cm fresh ginger, grated
• Grated zest and juice 1 lime, plus wedges to serve
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• Bunch fresh coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 200g tofu, sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 200g frozen edamame beans

Method

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the noodles according to the pack instructions. Drain and reserve a cupful of the cooking water. In a small bowl mix the soy sauce, ginger, lime zest and juice, garlic and coriander stalks with 4 tbsp of the noodle cooking water.
2. Heat a large non-stick frying a pan or wok with a splash of oil and cook the tofu for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, turning to coat. Set aside and wipe out the pan.
3. Add another splash of oil to the pan along with the frozen edamame beans. Add the soy/ginger/garlic sauce and heat for 1-2 minutes, then add the noodles and toss well to combine. Top with the tofu, sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with lime wedges and soy sauce.

jess.davies@lancaster.ac.uk Twitter: @ProfJess Davies

Image Credit: Roots in the City Community Garden in Liverpool, part of our Liverpool Growers Network that grew out of Rurban Revolution.

In the hustle and bustle of a city, have you ever stopped to think about the soil under your feet? If not, you can be forgiven. Soils in urban places – be they villages, towns, cities, or suburbs 鈥� have often been overlooked by not only the general public, but also scientists.

Soil science has its roots in the 1800s. Emerging out of agricultural necessity and geological curiousity, soil science was founded with scientists like Liebig studying nutrients stored in soils to understand plant nutrition, and Dokuchaev identifying some of the foundational principles of soil formation. To this day, most of our soil science has been focused on agricultural and natural environments.听

Whilst soil science was being born on Russian steppes and agricultural fields in the 19th Century, the industrial revolution was rapidly transforming soils across the Western world as urban settlements rapidly grew. As heavy machinery and vehicles became more commonplace, our settlements got denser and roads, railway tracks, pipes and cables disturbed soils across landscapes. Today, whilst urban land use only makes up a small percentage of our land area 鈥� only 1% of habitable land supports human settlements and infrastructure globally 鈥� the soil in these areas still matters.听

Soils provide many services to us as human beings: they infiltrate water helping reduce flood risk, they store carbon helping to regulate the climate, and of course they support plant growth and help put dinner on the table. Most of our food comes from agricultural fields, but what about soils in cities 鈥� could they play an important part in food production and our diets? This is a question we have been exploring at 快播视频 through our Rurban Revolution project.听

Whilst we might not have dedicated much of our space in towns and cities to growing food today, there鈥檚 lots of opportunity to do so. Our showed that the greenspace we have in towns and cities could provide us with up to 40% of the fruit and veg we currently grow on farms in the UK or import. This estimate assumes that we can get the same yields on this land as in horticultural farms, and it includes using all of our playing fields, parks and gardens for growing. Using all this space isn鈥檛 realistic of course, but it suggests that by even using a small fraction of this land we could significantly boost our supplies of fresh local fruit and veggies.听

But can urban soils be as productive as farmland? Our suggests that yes they can! We compiled data from 200 studies conducted across 53 countries around the world where people had measured urban yields, for a whole host of crops. We found that for almost all crops, urban agriculture had average yields as high or higher than conventional farm settings 鈥� only sugarbeet did better in the field. Some of the bumper yields come from growing in controlled indoor environments 鈥� but crops like cauliflowers, brassicas, beetroots and rhubarb did as well or better in the urban soils.听

And what was the most studied urban grown fruit and vegetable? The humble lettuce. Hope you enjoy this recipe from published by The Guardian 鈥� perfect if you have a garden lettuce glut from those too often unsung city soils.听

Recipe: Lettuce and spring onion tart (V)听

Ingredients

1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
4 little gem hearts, trimmed and quartered
15g butter
2 bunches spring onions
100g lancashire (or a medium cheddar or hard goat’s cheese)
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
200ml double cream
200ml whole milk

For the pastry:
250g plain flour
A pinch of salt
125g cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
快播视频 75ml cold milk

Method

Start with the pastry. Sift the flour and salt together, or give them a quick blitz in a food processor. Rub in the butter with your fingertips 鈥� or blitz again 鈥� until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the cold milk, little by little, until the pastry just comes together, then turn out on to a work surface and knead briefly to bring it into a ball. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Roll out the pastry quite thinly and use it to line a 25cm tart tin, leaving the rough edges hanging over the sides. Line with foil and baking beans, and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the pastry with a fork in a few places, and bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes more, until just starting to colour. Trim away the excess pastry around the edge.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the little gem quarters, season and cook for about five minutes, turning them once or twice, until they’re golden brown on the cut surfaces. Add the butter, letting it melt in the pan, then spoon it over the lettuces. Arrange the lettuce hearts in the pastry case.

Reduce the heat under the pan a little. Trim and roughly chop the spring onions, then saut茅 gently for five minutes. Add to the tart, then crumble over the cheese.

Combine the eggs, egg yolk, cream and milk, season well, then pour over the tart filling. Bake for about 35 minutes until golden on top. Serve warm or cold.

To celebrate听 on the 5th of December we have written a series of blogs that dig in (pun intended) to the many connections between soils and food. These blogs are inspired by our sustainable soils research at 快播视频 and include a recipe that connects our soil research to the dinner plate! We are publishing a blog a day between 21st November and the 5th of December. We hope you enjoy digging into both our research stories and recommended recipes. Enjoy 鈥� bon appetit!

h.ripley1@lancaster.ac.uk

I know the Jurassic Coast in Dorset and Devon well, an incredible landscape that fostered my interest in the environment from a young age. This part of the world introduced me to my first scientific hero, Mary Anning, and gave me a context from which to understand the cycles of the natural world. The Jurassic Coast is famous for its fossils: ammonites, belemnites, and ichthyosaurs (though I鈥檝e never found one of those). These fossils are revealed through the erosion of the cliffs, which were once sediment at the bottom of a shallow sea. This is a fast-eroding coastline, every time I visit it looks different due to landslides. There are multiple warnings about landslides and staying safe while on the beaches and cliffs, plus constant reinforcement of the coast around towns and villages. Walking under Golden Cap when I was about 10, some stones coming loose, and I was very aware that if there was a rockfall I couldn鈥檛 out run it. Erosion is scary. 听

Erosion is no less scary in an agricultural setting. Soil is a valuable and fragile resource, globally it develops at a rate of around 2.5 cm per听1000 years. But the rate of soil formation varies in different locations, and in many areas more soil is eroded than is produced. For instance, in Mediterranean hillside orchards, my research focus, erosion is a huge issue affecting the production of olives, oranges, grapes, almonds, lemons and many more crops. Staples of the Mediterranean diet. The semi-arid climate means that there are long dry spells when the soil dries out, leaving it vulnerable when the heavy rain comes. The slopes of the hills encourage erosion, as any water that doesn鈥檛 infiltrate into the soil starts running over the surface, collecting loose soil, and forming gullies. Plant cover helps to reduce erosion, preventing the impact of raindrops on the soil surface (they break up aggregates, enabling soil to wash away), and allowing the water to pool, deposit sediment and soak into the soil. However, it is a common practice for hillside farmers to remove any vegetation from between their trees due to concerns about competition for water and nutrients. This increases the risk of erosion.听

During my PhD I have been identifying and analysing fast growing plants, native to the Mediterranean, that could be planted in orchards for short periods of time. The autumn and winter are when most of the heavy rains hit, so this is when most of the soil erosion happens. Growing plant cover for these seasons and letting it die off in the spring before the hot, dry summer, enables more farmers to consider using plants to control soil loss. Without sustainable management practices, like the use of plant cover, soil erosion will continue, with impacts on crop yield and quality. Furthermore, the soil washed from the fields ends up in water courses, causing pollution. Thankfully, due to increased awareness and policy changes, more farmers are using plant cover to prevent erosion.听听

Recipe: Chocolate and orange biscotti

It鈥檚 coming up to Christmas – citrus time, when the orange farmers are rushed of their feet. But we get to enjoy the benefits (chocolate oranges, satsumas in stockings and a vitamin C boost). This recipe is a great winter treat to dunk in coffee (it was my Christmas Day breakfast last year). Enjoy!听

Adapted from

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

300 g plain flour听

100 g caster sugar听

50 g soft brown sugar听

1 陆 tsp baking powder听

1 tsp cinnamon听

80 ml vegetable oil听听

1 large egg听

1 orange zested听

50 g chopped almonds听

50 g dark chocolate chips听听

Method

1. Heat oven to 180 oC/ 160 oC fan/ gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Mix the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the orange zest, chopped almonds and chocolate.
2. In another bowl, mix the oil, egg and 3 tbsp hot water. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing well until it forms a dough. Knead the dough lightly and add some more water if it is too dry. Divide the dough into two logs of 25 x 8 cm. Put the logs on the baking tray into the pre-heated oven for 25-30 mins. Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for 15 mins.听
3. With a sharp knife, cut the cooled logs into 1 鈥� 2 cm thick slices and lie flat on the baking tray (or two if needed). Return to the oven for 10 mins, turn the biscotti over and cook for another 10 mins. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Best served with coffee or hot chocolate.听听

h.blincow@lancaster.ac.uk Twitter: @HollyBlincow

听When you think of trees, you often associate them with providing oxygen, up-taking carbon dioxide (CO2) and playing a vital role in mitigating against global warming. Whilst all that is true, more recent discoveries have shown they emit methane (CH4), particularly in wetlands and peatlands across the world鈥�听

Soils contain the largest pool of actively cycled carbon from on-land ecosystems1 and play an important role in carbon sequestration to counteract global warming. So far, when studying greenhouse gas (GHG) release from soil, much of the research has focussed primarily on CO2, but there is a growing importance to study methane. CH4 is the second most impactful anthropogenic GHG after CO22 and has a global warming potential 28 times greater than CO2 over a 100 year time period3.听听

Wetlands cover 12.1 million km2 of the Earth鈥檚 surface4, but they store huge quantities of carbon (535 Gt)5. They play a vital role in sequestering carbon but in forested wetlands, trees may be providing a pathway for this carbon to be emitted in the form of CH46.听

So far, scientists have discovered that trees emit more CH4 in tropical wetland forests than anywhere else in the world7, but the source of this methane is still undiscovered. This is where my study comes in鈥�听

Research has shown that trees themselves have the ability to produce CH4 in their stems and bark but there is still question as to whether methane is also produced in the soil.听听

My study aims to understand CH4 processes that occur below-ground and understand if any of the methane emitted from trees is sourced from soil, and if so, what factors affect this.听听

My research will be focussed on the Brazilian Amazon rainforest which encounters yearly flood events that lasts up to 6 months and as a results, the rainforest become a huge wetland and releases vast quantities of methane. So for my recipe, I have chosen to honour the tasty fruit that grows on trees in Amazonia 鈥� the Acai fruit.听听Pronounced 鈥�补丑-蝉颈驳丑-别别鈥�, this fruit is very difficult to get hold of in the UK, but well worth a try!听

Recipe: Acai Bowl鈥�

Here is a recipe for a Acai bowl by Jessica Randhawa on . A super healthy dish, packed with flavour.听

Ingredients

• 1鈥�banana鈥�-鈥痵liced and frozen听
• 77.5鈥�g鈥�blueberries鈥�-鈥痜谤辞锄别苍听
• 陆鈥�cup鈥�strawberries鈥�-鈥痜谤辞锄别苍听
• 122鈥�g鈥�milk or juice鈥�-鈥痷se your favorite milk (dairy milk, soy, almond, etc) or juice (apple or grape)听
• 陆鈥�cup鈥�plain yogurt鈥�-鈥�(substitute with milk or juice if desired)听
• 2鈥�frozen acai puree鈥�-鈥痓roken into pieces听
• 1鈥�teaspoon鈥�assorted toppings鈥�-鈥痭uts, seeds, fresh fruit, granola, coconut, etc.听

Method

• Freeze your fruit. Slice your banana and transfer it to a small baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper. To the same plate, add the blueberries and strawberries (store-bought frozen fruit will work just as well). Transfer tray or plate to the freezer and allow fruit to freeze completely.听
• Blend. Once frozen, add the milk and yogurt to the bowl of a large, high-speed blender with a tamper. Add the frozen blueberries, strawberries, banana, and broken up acai. With the blender on low, use the tamper to push the frozen fruit down, mixing around as much as possible. Continue to blend on low until smooth, only adding additional liquid when needed.听
• Assemble. Divide the smoothie into two bowls and top with all your favourite toppings. Popular additions include sliced banana, nuts, seeds, granola, and berries. Best enjoyed immediately.听

https://theforkedspoon.com/acai-bowl/

1. 听Janzen, H. H. Carbon cycling in earth systems鈥攁 soil science perspective. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 104, 399鈥�417 (2004).
2. Saunois, M. et al. The global methane budget 2000-2012. Earth Syst. Sci. Data 8, 697鈥�751 (2016).
3. Myhre, G. et al. Anthropogenic and Natural Radiative Forcing. in Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (eds. Jacob, D., Ravishankara, A. . & Shine, K.) (Cambridge University Press, 2013).
4. Gardner, R., Finlayson, M. & Davison, N. Global Wetland Outlook: State of the World鈥檚 Wetlands and Their Services to People Improving water use for dry season agriculture by marginal and tenant farmers in the Eastern Gangetic Plains View project. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328268867 (2018).
5. Zedler, J. B. & Kercher, S. Wetland resources: Status, trends, ecosystem services, and restorability. Annual Review of Environment and Resources vol. 30 39鈥�74 (2005).
6. Jeffrey, L. C. et al. Isotopic evidence for axial tree stem methane oxidation within subtropical lowland forests. New Phytol. 230, 2200鈥�2212 (2021).
7. Covey, K. R. & Megonigal, J. P. Methane production and emissions in trees and forests. New Phytol. 222, 35鈥�51 (2019).

To celebrate听 on the 5th of December we have written a series of blogs that dig in (pun intended) to the many connections between soils and food. These blogs are inspired by our sustainable soils research at 快播视频 and include a recipe that connects our soil research to the dinner plate! We are publishing a blog a day between 21st November and the 5th of December. We hope you enjoy digging into both our research stories and recommended recipes. Enjoy 鈥� bon appetit!听

q.phanle@lancaster.ac.uk Twitter @QNPhanLe98

Have you ever walked by an agricultural field and noticed instead of plants stretching for miles you see rows and rows of plastics? Surprisingly as it may seem, that is just a small portion of the plastics being used on the farms. There are also plastics-coated seeds and fertiliser, the pipes irrigating the fields, and the packaging around the final products. Plastic also makes their way into biosolid fertiliser as well as municipal compost which is deliberately spread on the field. For years, plastic has become a key component in our modern agriculture.

It is undeniable that plastic helps to increase both agricultural productivity and profitability. For example, the use of agricultural plastics allows for our vegetables and fruits to be grown whatever the season and gives them better quality. 鈥淗owever, despite the many benefits, agricultural plastics also pose a serious risk of pollution and harm to human and ecosystem health when they are damaged, degraded or discarded in the environment,鈥� according to a 鈥� in 2021.

When it comes to those small pieces of the degraded plastics, there is so much unknown. For example, there are studies showing the adverse effects of plastic, especially micro- and nano-plastics, in a large quantity, toward the health of soil, plants and soil organisms, but to which extent do they affect? How does plastic transfer along the food chain and threaten food safety? Whilst time is needed to find answers for these questions, more decisive action has been called by FAO to 鈥渃urb the disastrous use of plastics across the agricultural sectors.鈥� Would there be more strict regulation or management on the use of sewage sludge, compost, and conventional plastic mulch in agriculture, as to safeguard our soil from degradation caused by microplastic pollution? The answer to this requires more thorough assessments of how these agriculture practices attribute to soil plastic pollution, which is also one of our research objectives at 快播视频.

For this research, we are developing laboratory methods for the isolation, quantification, and characterization of plastic residues within the soil, which will be applied later for the measurement of plastic in soils under different applications of sewage sludge and compost.
Whilst some of us are working to understand and tackle the troubles plastics may cause, others try to find alternatives. For example, in 2013, a UK start-up Skipping Rocks Lab introduced its first product, , an edible water bottle made from brown seaweed, as a waste-free alternatives to single-use plastic bottles and cups. The way seaweed has been used as a bio-based, biodegradable, and recyclable container in disposable food packaging reminds me of a traditional Japanese dish called Sushi, where seaweed paper is used to wrap a bunch of fragment sticky rice, raw fish, and vegetables. As a favourite dish to many people around the world, I am excited to share the recipe to the blog readers.

Recipe: Sushi

This recipe comes from website and can be adapted to whatever you fancy.

Ingredients & equipment

Nori sheets (seaweed sheets), Sushi seasoning (vinegar), sushi rice, salmon, carrot, cucumber and avocado, bamboo sushi mat.

Method

Place a cup of rice (rinsed previously with water) in a pot and add 1.5 cups of water, add the lid, and bring to the boil. Once its boiling reduces to simmer for around 8-10. After that, cool the rice quickly by spreading it out on a tray, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sushi seasoning and mix well.

Place the nori sheet longest edge at the bottom, shiny side facing down. Wet your hands to prevent the rice from sticking, then place a thin layer of rice across the sheet leaving about an inch gap at the top.

Add salmon with avocado and/or cucumber. Or a vegetarian roll with capsicum (peppers), avocado and carrots.
Make one full roll of the rice keeping it tight, hold the roll in place. Then wet your fingers with the water and slightly dampen the remaining edge of the nori sheet then continue to roll the sheet, sealing the roll.

Cut the roll in half then keep cutting the pieces in half again until you have 8 pieces. Keep running the knife under a little water in between cuts to prevent the rice from sticking to it.