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The HumusKlimaNetz: a model and demonstration project for humus build-up and preservation in arable soils
The HumusKlimaNetz is a pilot and demonstration project to investigate the possibility of increasing humus content in arable soils. The project is being conducted on 150 farms across Germany, half of which are organic and half conventional. The main objective is to evaluate long-term measures for the preservation and buildup of humus. With the aim of implementing these measures on a broad scale by the end of 2027.
The overall coordination of this project is the responsibility of German association of organic farmers, food processors and retailers (Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft (BÖLW)) and the German Farmers‘ Association (Deutscher Bauernverband (DBV)). Scientific support is provided by the Thünen Institute. The HumusKlimaNetz is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food (BMEL) and executed by the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE).
In order to build up and maintain humus, the participating farms are using a variety of approaches, ranging from extended crop rotations, the sowing of catch crops or undersown crops or the growing of perennial crops to the combining forest and arable land in agroforestry systems. Researchers at the Thünen Institute are measuring and evaluating the impact of these approaches on the humus content in the soil. Furthermore, they address the measurement of the costs of individual measures, socio-economic issues, the evaluation of possible synergy effects and the preparation of whole-farm carbon footprint.