AnaEE Science Conference 2026

Session

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

29 Sept 2026, 11:30

Palais de l'Europe

Description

Examining innovations in experimental design to test sustainable practices in agricultural systems, this session emphasizes nutrient cycling, soil health and microbiome, developing restoration options, and plant productivity under varying environmental pressures.

Keywords: agroecosystems, soil health, nutrient fluxes, crop yield, sustainable farming, open-air facilities

94. Keynote: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Marie-Hélène Jeuffroy (INRAE)

29/09/2026, 11:30

Oral

Examining innovations in experimental design to test sustainable practices in agricultural systems, this session emphasizes nutrient cycling, soil health and microbiome, developing restoration options, and plant productivity under varying environmental pressures.

15. Biochar-loaded Bacillus for Fusarium Wilt of Cucumber and Soil Health Improvement

Mr Xian Wang (China Agricultural University)

29/09/2026, 12:00

Oral

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (FOC) poses a serious threat to greenhouse cucumber production. This study applied a Biochar-loaded Bacillus inoculant to suppress soilborne disease. High-temperature fir wood biochar (HPB, 800°C) achieved a loading efficiency of 98.86% for Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA), attributed to its well-developed pore structure and its...

25. Long-term soil management legacies alter grassland responses to fertilisation and drought through plant–soil interactions

Laura Puura (University of Tartu)

29/09/2026, 12:15

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Oral

Land use intensification strongly affects grassland biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, yet its long-term effects on soil-mediated responses to environmental change remain poorly understood. We investigated whether soil communities originating from extensively and intensively managed grasslands generate contrasting responses to fertilisation and drought in experimental grassland...

28. Unexpected consequences of breeding: new barley varieties have more positive interactions with soil organisms and yield more

Anna Marija Firere (University of Tartu, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences)

29/09/2026, 13:30

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Oral

Background and objectives
Population growth increases food demand and this has been maximised over time through breeding varieties with higher yield. In parallel, the widespread use of pesticides and fertilisers can reduce the diversity and abundance of soil organisms. Concerns about biodiversity loss highlight the need for sustainable food production. One approach to achieve this is to...

30. Agroecological Mosaics as Nature-Based Solutions for Biodiversity and Production in Portugal’s Côa Valley

Mónica Pinto (CITAB - University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro)

29/09/2026, 13:45

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Oral

Mediterranean farm-scapes are frequently portrayed as trade-offs between crop output and conservation, yet their fine-grained heterogeneity may already deliver the multifunctionality sought by Nature-based Solutions (NbS). We surveyed thirteen 1-ha plots along a land-use gradient in the Côa Valley that ranges from organically managed montado-like and riparian galleries to mechanised vineyards...

40. From Plant Phenotyping to Agroecological Phenotyping: Enabling the Agroecological Transition Across Scales

Roland Pieruschka

29/09/2026, 14:00

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Oral

Agroecological transition aims to redesign agricultural systems based on ecological principles while maintaining productivity and ecosystem service provision under increasingly heterogeneous and dynamic environmental conditions. Achieving this transition requires quantitative approaches capable of assessing crop performance, stability, resilience, and service delivery within complex,...

46. Agroecological feed production and water quality: boreal open-air lysimeter platform

Kirsi Järvenranta (Natural Resources Institute Finland)

29/09/2026, 14:15

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Oral

Background and objectives

In livestock-dominated regions, cattle farming poses a risk of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) leaching into surface and ground waters. At the same time, it faces pressure to cope with challenging global conditions and a changing climate. Agroecological methods aim to sustain production while reducing dependence on fossil-based fertilisers and nutrient losses to...

62. Breeding reduced barley plasticity in nutrient acquisition pathways

Dr Kaisa Torppa (University of Tartu)

29/09/2026, 14:30

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Oral

Background and objectives

Enhancing arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis in crops appears as a promising way to increase agricultural sustainability, as AM fungi can aid their host plants in nutrient uptake and protect them from pathogens and environmental stresses. Simultaneously, crop domestication and breeding have produced less AM-responsive crop varieties, which may only benefit from...

85. Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Biscogniauxia mediterranea Isolates Associated with Almond Canker in Portugal

Dr Toufic El Beaino (CIHEAM BARI)

29/09/2026, 14:40

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Poster

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Biscogniauxia mediterranea Isolates Associated with Almond Canker in Portugal

Ana Faustino¹˒², Liliana Marum¹˒², Orges Cara³, Marilita Gallo³, Toufic Elbeaino³

¹ CEBAL/IPBeja, 7801-908 Beja, Portugal
² MED & CHANGE, CEBAL, 7801-908 Beja, Portugal
³ CIHEAM Bari, Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano, Bari,...

90. Assessing the Effects of No-Tillage and Biochar Application on Soil CO₂ Emissions in a Rotational Cropping System

Dr Manuel Acosta (Global Change research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences)

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Poster

In agricultural cropping systems, the larger part of the carbon is stored in the soil. Improving agricultural practices has great potential to increase the amount of carbon sequestered in cropland soil. Promising approaches in recent years are changes in management practices and biochar application. We conducted soil CO2 emissions (SCO2) measurements on four identical plots with different...

33. Design and field evaluation of site-specific management practices for optimizing nutrient and crop protection inputs

Vojtech Lukas

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Poster

Technological advances in agricultural machinery, sensing technologies and spatial data analysis provide new opportunities to characterize field variability and adapt crop management practices to site-specific conditions. These approaches are particularly relevant for agricultural systems characterized by large field sizes and high spatial variability, such as those in the Czech Republic,...

106. Greenhouse gas trade-offs of regenerative winter wheat management under elevated CO2 and drought

Dr Karel Klem (1Global Change Research Institute CAS, Brno, Czech Republic 2 Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic)

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Poster

Background and objectives
Regenerative agriculture based on no-till management, cover crops, and organic amendments is increasingly promoted as a climate-smart strategy improving soil health and drought resilience. However, its short-term impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) exchange under future climate conditions remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated how regenerative...

42. The development of a novel biopesticide for integrated pest management strategies

Dr Sarah Mathura (The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine)

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Poster

Background and Objectives
The launch of the Farm to Fork Strategy under the European Green Deal in 2020 highlighted the urgent need to develop and commercialize innovative solutions that support sustainable agricultural practices. A key objective of this strategy is the reduction of synthetic pesticide use. Consequently, numerous biopesticides are being developed as environmentally...

68. Understanding soil carbon sequestration through perennialization: insights from long-term experiment and methodological evaluation

YIWEI SHANG (Aarhus University)

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Oral

With the accelerating transition toward a low-carbon bioeconomy, diverse biomass crops are increasingly introduced into traditional agricultural systems to support biorefinery or provide renewable bioenergy. However, how different crops and different cropping systems impact soil organic carbon (SOC) across the soil profile remains poorly understood, partly because few long-term field...

34. Water management as a tool to mitigate environmental effects and to adapt to climate change in boreal cultivated peatlands – NorPeat

Juho Kinnunen (Natural Recourses institute Finland)

Session 2: Sustainable Agroecology and Soil-Plant Systems

Poster

In Finland, around 10 % of fields are on drained peatlands, yet these areas contribute to more than 50 % agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With target for carbon neutrality by 2035, there is significant pressure to reduce GHG emissions from cultivated peatlands. The local significance of these peatlands presents socio-economic challenges due to their uneven distribution across the...