Project cooperationUpdated on 24 January 2026

Advanced Soil Biodiagnostics for Ecosystem Health

Associate Professor at National University "Chernihiv Polytechnic"

Chernihiv, Ukraine

About

Traditional chemical soil analyses offer only a static snapshot of nutrient levels. Biodiagnostics, however, treats soil as a dynamic, living system. The soil microbiome is the first responder to external stressors—whether from climate change, chemical pollution, or military impact—serving as a high-precision "early warning system" for ecosystem degradation.

​​We evaluate the state of agroecosystems through key biological indicators:

​Microbial Biomass Carbon (MBC): To quantify the active organic living component.

​Enzymatic Activity: Assessing metabolic potential through indicators such as dehydrogenase and phosphatase levels.

​Soil Respiration (CO2 efflux): Measuring mineralization intensity and the efficiency of the carbon cycle.

​Soil Health Index: Developing an integrated scoring system based on biological markers to define "soil health" beyond mere yield.

​Resilience Modeling: Determining the capacity of agrocoenoses to recover from anthropogenic and environmental pressure.

​Climate Mitigation: Optimizing carbon sequestration by managing microbial-mediated organic matter decomposition.

​​The project facilitates the transition from extractive farming to regenerative agriculture. By integrating these microbiological datasets into Digital Twins, we enable stakeholders to predict long-term soil fertility, environmental risks, and climate resilience with unprecedented accuracy.

Stage

  • Drafting - writing the project proposal
  • Completing the consortia

Topic

  • HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-01: Living labs to enhance soil health in managed forests and in natural/semi-natural lands
  • HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-02: Enabling user-centred and open innovation initiatives to enhance soil health in Ukraine
  • HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-03: Monitoring soil health in practice: equipping stakeholders to sample, analyse, and interpret soil health indicators
  • HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-04: Boosting EU competitiveness: advancing food system transformation through innovative soil health solutions

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