On-farm research and collective learning

BOKU University works with farmer groups and advisors to study what happens on fields under everyday farming conditions. Results from eastern Austria indicate that adapted approaches increase SOC by about 16% compared to standard conventional farming. SOC gains depend on soil texture and may be lost again if management changes — long-term commitment of several years to decades is especially important.

An Austrian farmer phrased it like this:

"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. (…) I always make decisions on a case-by-case basis."

Many farmers describe climate change as their main motivation. A key idea is Humusaufbau — the build-up of soil organic matter. Community plays an important role: farmer networks and associations allow knowledge to be shared so that others do not have to repeat the same mistakes.