Rebuilding soil organic matter: farming in eastern Austria

Soils in the Austria’s breadbasket

While disturbances can cause sudden changes in soil carbon, long-term land management often determines SOM levels in agricultural landscapes.

Eastern Austria provides an instructive example. The lowlands in eastern Austria form one of the country’s most important agricultural regions and are often referred to as Austria’s ‘breadbasket’. The region is influenced by a Pannonian climate, characterized by warm, dry summers and cold winters. These conditions support productive farming, especially where nutrient-rich, deep soils such as Chernozems and Cambisols occur. The area is particularly important for cereal and oilseed production, alongside winemaking (viticulture).

Left: © Soil profile: Chernozem developed on loess by Angelika Hromatka

Right: © Typical landscape in the lowlands of Eastern Austria by Orracha Sae-Tun