Field season 2022 started for AgriChar Estonian field experiments

Past weeks we enjoyed the warm weather in Estonian fields, this growing season 2022 we have there four field experiments! 

First of all, our new recycling fertilizer experiments focusing on granular fertilisers based on oil-shale ash and lime enriched with essential soil nutrients is past the greenhouse experiment phase and with the most promising recipe we started now field experiments in Ahja and Aovere fields in Southern Estonia. By today, both fields have also been sown to cereals (oats and barley) and let's keep fingers crossed for some decent rain now!

 

In this project we work in synergy with Estonian NGO Soil Innovation Cluster and Estonian University of Life Sciences, University of Tartu  and Ekosovellus and the aim of our work package is to test most suitable fertilizer recipes. Stay tuned for the results and check also other interesting results from the Cluster website https://soilprotection.earth!

 We also fertilized our two field experiments in Viljandi and set them ready for new growing season. Our drainage experiment  where we added biochar as backfill filter material to see the effects on drainage water quality, has now functional, tailor-made measurement wells with V-notch that allow to record the flow rates (thanks to Pipelife Estonia). Further, with the funding from August Johannes and Aino Tiura Foundation as well as Emil Aaltonen Foundation we were able to purchase automated ultrasonic water level measurement devices produced by ELIS/sold by Konwell Estonia) that help us to record flow rates in drainage lines during the growing season. In early May 2022 we set these up while also measuring the GHG emissions from the treatments. 

 

Finally, we also started new field season for our lake sediment recycling field experiment (already sixth growing season!), collected there the leachate and sowed the plots to barley. Thanks for the great teamwork to all who participated, but especially Mina, Jure and Subin!

Our next plans are related with starting field season and measurements also here in Helsinki, with our two long-term biochar experiments. These start already 13th growing season!