Indicators for the definition of land quality as a basis for the sustainable intensification of agricultural production

Abstract

Sustainable intensification (SI) is a concept for increasing agricultural production under sustainable conditions to meet the needs of the growing population of the world. To achieve this goal, the intrinsic potential of soils for SI has to be considered. This report aims at identifying indicators for arable soils in Germany, which have the best natural resilience and performance and therefore can be used for SI. Six intrinsic land and soil characteristics (organic C content, clay+silt, pH, CEC, soil depth and slope) were selected as indictors for defining the resilience and performance of land. New data from arable sites from LUCAS topsoil survey 2009 were used and attributed to arable land, applying the Arc Geographical Information System (ArcGIS). The results of this investigation reveal that 39% of the actual analyzed arable land can be recommended for SI in Germany. A comparison with the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating shows that most of this land reflects the highest potential for agricultural yields. Approximately 61% of the analyzed agricultural land is not suitable for intensification, about 1.5% should be reduced in intensity with a possible conversion to avoid environmental harm. The most frequent limitation factor for SI is a too low cation exchange capacity in German soils.