Rebuilding soil organic matter: farming in eastern Austria

On-farm research

In eastern Austria, improvements in SOC are not only driven by policies but also by strong farmer-led initiatives, often going beyond what is required by law or supported by subsidies. Their shared goal is to increase soil organic carbon and make farming more resilient to climate change. By exchanging experiences, testing new ideas, and adapting practices to their local soils and climate, these farmers drive innovation from the ground up.

BOKU University works closely with these farmer groups and advisors to study what actually happens on fields under everyday farming conditions. This on-farm research is especially valuable because it reflects real farming systems rather than controlled experiments. As an Austrian farmer put it:

"There is no standard formula that we work according to; instead, each step is carefully considered and weighed up in terms of its advantages and disadvantages. And then we act accordingly. (…) I always make decisions on a case-by-case basis."

Research shows that combining several soil-friendly practices works better than applying single measures alone. Results from eastern Austria indicate these adapted approaches increase SOC by about 16 % compared to standard conventional farming. However, SOC gains depend on soil texture and may be lost again if management changes — which makes long-term commitment of several years to decades especially important. For a set of 20 farmers who participated in a study, the average time since implementing the first soil-friendly practice was 26 years.

Optional: Learn more about SOC and other soil parameters in on-farm research in Austria in Rosinger et al. (2023).