Implementation of soil compaction risk assessment system

Soil compaction is one of the biggest threats to soil health. When the soil is compacted, the pore volume of the soil and the continuity of the pores decrease. As a result, the drainage capacity of the soil and gas exchange between the soil and the atmosphere deteriorate, and the mechanical resistance of roots and organisms such as earthworms increases, which in turn negatively affects soil ecosystem services, especially regulatory services (e.g. flood control, climate control) and production services (e.g. eg agricultural production). Land compaction results in major ecological and economic damage to farmers and society. Soil compaction is an acute problem in modern agriculture, which is expected to become even more serious as agricultural machinery (especially tractors, combines and harvesters, fertilizer spreaders) becomes heavier and heavier. This results in an increased risk of soil compaction, especially in the subsoil (the soil below the tillage depth), which is particularly serious because subsoil compaction is considered almost permanent. The soil's natural regeneration capacity is very limited in the subsoil - studies have shown that compaction damage in the subsoil persists for decades. It is therefore important to prevent soil compaction in the first place.

The main purpose of this project is to investigate whether and, if so, how the Terranimo® decision support system could be included in the farmer's operational planning. Terranimo® aims to make it clear to the user how a certain machine affects the ground. The model is freely available at www.terranimo.se. Terranimo® is already used today by farmers, advisors and machine manufacturers in various countries, mainly in Europe but also in other parts of the world.

In the project, we want to investigate how different groups of possible end users experience the tool - relevance, function and usability, and then partly find interesting strategies for how the decision support can be used and partly how it could be adapted to the needs identified. What is required for Terranimo® to become a natural part of every farmer's management and thereby contribute to reduced soil compaction? How should the information be packaged and visualized so that it becomes interesting to use in practice? How can the decision support be better adapted to the users' needs? The project therefore has an interdisciplinary approach that involves researchers with knowledge in the subjects of soil science, agronomy and social science, farmers, owners of machine stations, advisers and government representatives. Together, we want to identify opportunities and obstacles to using Terranimo® today, and come up with new solutions and ways to use and integrate Terranimo® into the farmers' farm operations.

RådNu's role in the project is to be responsible for the social science part in collaboration with other countries' social science researchers.