Assessing optimal nutrient management practices in view of agronomic and environmental impacts

As a promovendus, I will work on the project with the title “Assessing optimal nutrient management practices in view of agronomic and environmental impacts”. This PhD is a joint programme of Wageningen University (Netherlands) and the University of Ghent (Belgium). My project will provide information and aid along with other projects in the completion of the European funded Project: Nutribudget. Subtasks that will be undertaken by the PhD candidate under the umbrella of the EU project NUTRIBUDGET will be: 1.1. Co- create a Mitigation Measures Catalogue covering animal production, plant production and agro-processing industries including current and potential applicability on conventional, organic and agroecological farming systems. 1.2. Quantify the impact of the measures under 1.1. on selected soil fertility indicators, nutrient budgets and related environmental indicators by deriving empirical (statistical) models by meta-analyses of literature data. 1.3. Predict the response of selected indicators (under 1.2) given the site properties of the farm / region or country and satellite derived indices reflecting crop type, crop yield, and presence of agronomic events using the models under 1.2 for selected regions and farming systems (linked to WP2/3 of the Nutribudget project). 1.4. Define a roadmap (optimal combinations of mitigation measures) that bridges the gap between the actual and desired nutrient and carbon state (linked to WP1 and WP4) and the results of the post doc work of WU. The deliverables that the PhD candidate will submit are: 1. Current and desired nutrient management practices within the European Union farming systems: opportunity map”. Deliverable D1.1. Published in scientific paper. 2. Set of empirical meta-analytical models linking impacts of management measures to site conditions. Deliverables D1.2 and D1.3. Published in scientific paper. 3. Application of the meta-analytical models for selected regions and farming systems. Published in scientific paper. 4. Roadmaps to achieve agronomic and environmental targets on regional level. Deliverable 2.5. Published in scientific paper together with postdoc.