| On Topic
together can lead to improved crop yields,
while also altering the soil structure so that it
holds water for longer. Rather than heavy
rainwater running straight off the land and
overwhelming water courses and sewers, it will
be retained in the land before being slowly
released, easing that pressure.”
Dr Karen Johnson, Associate Professor in
Environmental Engineering at Durham
University said:
“I always like to remind people of President
Roosevelt’s quote ‘A nation that destroys its soil
destroys itself’. At Durham we run a research
project called ROBUST (Regeneration of
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
Brownfield land Using Sustainable
Technologies) which uses soil improvement
technologies to restore soil functions. We are
currently working in the field at Weetslade
Country Park with The Land Trust who own the
park and NWG who have provided financial
support.
“Returning minerals and organic matter back
to soil where they came from is one way to
increase water holding capacity and also to
stop us losing this precious resource in the
floods. When we add the soil improvement
technologies to the soil we see big
improvements in soil erosional resistance as
well as in water holding capacity. Without them
we literally see soil washed away in many
flooding cases – this is because we have
neglected soil for decades and it is weak and
can’t hold onto water very well.
“We have to look after our soil, it’s not
glamorous but it does underpin all life. This is a
global issue not just a UK issue.”
More details about the ROBUST project
available here:
https://www.durham.ac.uk/robust
August 2017 | Farming Monthly | 13