SOAR is a research school. In addition to the focus on PhD students, SOAR also includes graduates, postdocs and supervisors in the activities and networks. This is important because they also constitute the research environment, in which the PhD student is under education. SOAR wants to contribute to the professional discussions with a special focus on the organic food and farming systems.
The research interests of SOAR cover a wide range of subjects within organic agriculture and food systems:
Farming system research
Crop production
Resource management
Ecosystem services
Climate change mitigation and adaptation
Livestock production
Animal health and welfare
Consumer and citizens’ involvement
Regulations and policies
Food chains
Food sovereignty
Name
Sofie Bryndum
Project
Production of high quality crop specific organic fertilizers from locally available resources
Supervisors
Andreas de Neergaard, Jakob Magid, LIFE
University
University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences
The objective is to contribute to improved management of macro nutrient balances when restricted to organic sources of fertilization. The research focuses on nutrient provision for high value crops (i.e. vegetables) that can justify investments of time and resources in quality nutrient provision.
Background
This project investigates methods to enhance the quality of organic fertilizers made from composting of locally available resources and validates the organic fertilizer’s effects.
There are two working hypothesis: I) that locally available organic waste and residues can contribute significantly to local nutrient demand if transformed via low-tech processing technologies and II) that organic fertilizer quality can be enhanced by careful selection of compost starting materials and by reduction in nutrient losses through low-cost infrastructure and management.
The research is particularly interesting for the developing world where there is a need for improved resource management and more sustainable agricultural production while finances are limited. Hence the research is carried out in collaboration with CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza) in Costa Rica, which is the local setting for the experimental trials and fieldwork. Nevertheless, the research will also be of interest to stakeholders in the developed world such as organic farmers.
