Austria

Obersiebenbrunn (Austria I)

This experimental field has an area of 1 ha and it is located in Obersiebenbrunn (Lower Austria). It belongs to the Lower Austria Farmers’ School. This field is divided in sixteen plots to test different types of irrigation and tillage variants and determine their impact on the yield of different crops (e.g. soybeans, maize and winter wheat). In May 2020, all plots were sampled to quantify water fluxes in the soil using environmental tracers. The field is equipped with sensors to monitor water content and additional data such as soil texture, bulk density and crop yields have been collected within the last two years. The partner involved in this case study is University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna.

Mistelbach (Austria II)

This case study is located in Mistelbach (Lower Austria), owned by the Lower Austria Farmers’ School, which cooperates with University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna in research projects. On this 1 ha field, alchemia-nova has implemented a bio-inspired multi-layer drainage system with activated biochar to capture runoff water, and retain or remove nutrients (i.e. phosphorus and nitrogen). It was installed in spring 2021, and its monitoring depends on farming practices and rainfall events.

Gleisdorf (Austria III)

This case study is located in Gleisdorf, in the Austrian region of Styria. The field is divided in two, consisting of 7 ha of organic farming and 3.7 ha of conventional farming. In this field, alchemia-nova and Martin Regelsberger have installed a bio-inspired drainage system with activated biochar for nutrient (i.e. phosphorus) retention. Here, aim is to compare infiltration and water retention between organic and conventional fields.