Archives

• 1. Innovation of models across agro-environmental scales

  Models are tools for understanding agro-environmental processes like plant production, plant-soil interactions, soil degradation and soil erosion. These models are progressively used in land use planning and assessment of agro-environmental processes. Therefore, it is important that they reflect different spatio-temporal scales and complex process interactions, such as socio-economic driving-forces, soil management practices and geo-ecological processes. However, modelling research still faces the challenge to cover each of the processes affecting agricultural landscapes across spatial and temporal scales. We invite contributions showing innovative tracks for tackling the problems of scale transitions and interdisciplinary model coupling, which help to understand the agro-ecological environment and to provide better tools for spatial planning.

  Keynote speaker: Dr. Andreas Baas

• 2. Soil as a water resource

  Soil is the best medium to store water for humans and plants. Rainfall that reaches the soil surface either infiltrates or flows away as runoff. Infiltrated water remains in the rootable depth of the soil as green water or percolates as blue water to the groundwater. Green water is lost in evaporation or is taken up by plants as transpiration. Land degradation affects these terms of the field water balance and causes a decrease in rainwater use efficiency. We invite papers and posters that show successful mitigation strategies or practices that makes rainfall more profitable and hence contribute to improved food security

  Keynote speaker: Dr. Jenny Barron

• 3. Innovative land management for sustainable use

  Changes in landscape and climate pose a thread on present agricultural systems, with more variability in precipitation, increase in river peaks and sea level rise. To protect our agricultural areas, it is necessary to adapt our land management systems. In this adaptation process, we are looking for new and innovative strategies that work with nature and contribute to themes like flood prevention, biodiversity, food production by water and nutrient harvesting. We invite papers and posters, which deal with field studies,modelling or theoretical approaches toward integrated innovative land management practices.

  Keynote speaker: ​Dr. Marc Corbeels

• 4. Academic training and development

  This theme questions how academic training of young academics from 3rd world countries contributes to development in their home countries. Since 1990 about 50 students obtained their PhD at the Land Degradation Development (LDD) Group of Wageningen University. Many of these alumni now hold important positions in their home country. A number of these alumni will show their experiences in oral presentations while other participants are invited to submit posters showing development 3rd world countries that is triggered by academic training.

  Keynote speaker: Prof. Dr. Ir. Eric Smaling

• 5. Sustainable Land Management Policies

  Given the need to foster sustainable land management to maintain its various (public) goods and services, there is often a clear rationale for government interventions and policies. These can range from specific national incentives in the form of fertilizer subsidies to general farm income support, as with the Common Agriculture Policy in the EU. In developing countries such support is often embedded in rural development policies that target smallholder farmers. An important issue is the actual impact of such policies on good stewardship of land. We invite papers and posters which deal with the theoretical basis and the impact of sustainable land management policies.

  Keynote speaker: Dr. Teunis van Rheenen