Contact/s:
Robert Dohál
robert.dohal@gmail.com
Living Laboratory on Living and Healthy Soil, Capable of Producing Healthy Food
Slovakia
Mild Continental Climate
- Improved Water Retention – reduces impact of rainfall fluctuations; water remains in porous soils.
- Enhanced Nutrient Availability – balanced mineralization; organic nutrients more accessible to plants.
- Stronger Plant Health & Quality – increased disease resistance; fewer harmful substances; higher nutritional value.
Thematic Areas
Production System/s
Summary for Practicioners on the Main Finding(s)/Innovative solution(s)
A healthy, structurally aerobic soil must maintain a proper water/air ratio to retain moisture without displacing air. Key to this is enabling water infiltration, leaving plant residues on the surface, and avoiding disturbance to soil layers and organisms—thus respecting natural principles and the soil microbiome. Plants and fungi play vital roles in nutrient and moisture transfer over long distances. On this farm, mechanical loosening and ploughing have been replaced by biological soil processing— a symbiosis of plant roots and fungi. Soil organic matter and fungi help stabilise soil aggregates.
The farm Agricultural Cooperative Krakovany – Stráže follows a holistic approach, implementing practices gradually:
⦁ In 2011, minimisation technologies were introduced, and ploughing was stopped.
⦁ From 2013, cover crops were used.
⦁ Between 2016–2018, they transitioned to full no-till farming.
⦁ From 2020/2021, they eliminated fungicides, insecticides, and artificial fertilisers.
Monitoring began in 2014, in partnership with the University of Agriculture, focusing on organic carbon soil. Since 2020/2021, mineral nitrogen is assessed during different crop stages. From 2020, microbial life, particularly soil fungi and bacteria—is also monitored. In 2023, collaboration with the Slovak Academy of Sciences began, using DNA metabarcoding to assess soil fungal diversity.
Additionally, soil compaction is being measured after machinery passes, comparing conventional fields to those under no-till for 8–10 years. These studies are part of various academic theses (bachelor, master’s, PhD, and Habilitation), including assessments of the economic benefits of switching from conventional to regenerative practices.
Summary for Practicioners in Native Language
Zdravá štruktúrna aeróbna pôda musí mať správny pomer vody a vzduchu, ktorý umožňuje zadržiavanie a presakovanie vody tak, aby sa vzduch nevytláčal. Presakovanie vody, ponechávanie rastlinných zvyškov na povrchu, nenarúšanie jednotlivých pôdnych vrstiev a života v pôde, teda rešpektovanie prírodných princípov a prírodného mikrobiómu, je predpokladom zdravej pôdy; rastliny a huby si totiž dokážu preposielať živiny a vlahu na veľké vzdialenosti. Mechanické kyprenie, oranie pôdy, bolo preto na farme nahradené biologickým spracovaním pôdy, symbiózou koreňov zelených rastlín a hubami. Pôdne organické hmoty, včítane pôdnych húb tak dokážu zabezpečiť stabilizáciu pôdnych agregátov. Farma uplatňuje holistický prístup, neuplatňuje iba jeden vybraný parameter, ale využíva kombináciu viacerých, pričom jednotlivé kroky boli zavádzané postupne:
⦁ Od roku 2011 začali s minimalizačnými technológiami a prestali s orbou,
⦁ od roku 2013 zaradili krycie plodiny,
⦁ v rokoch 2016 až 2018 postupne prešli úplne na bezorbové hospodárenie,
⦁ od sezóny 2020/2021 úplne prestali používať fungicídy, insekticídy a umelé hnojivá.
V roku 2014 sa začal uplatňovať systém monitorovania: merania prínosu regeneračných postupov začali meraním organického uhlíka v pôde, v spolupráci so Slovenskou poľnohospodárskou univerzitou v Nitre. Od rokov 2020-2021, kedy prešla farma na hospodárenie bez hnojív, sa hodnotí minerálny dusík v pôde v rôznych fázach vegetácie. Od roku 2020 je sledovaná úroveň mikrobiálneho života v pôde s dôrazom na pôdne huby a baktérie. V roku 2023 začala spolupráca so Slovenskou akadémiou vied na hodnotení diverzity pôdnych húb v pôdnych vzorkách metódou DNA metabarcoding.
Okrem toho, prebiehajú druhý rok merania zhutnenia pôdy po prejazde kolies (rôzne kvalitné pneumatiky – flotácia) poľnohospodárskych strojov a porovnanie prejazdu po konvenčne obrábanej pôde (pri orbe) a prejazdu po pôde, ktorá bola 8-10 rokov v bezorbovom režime. Všetky merania a výskumy boli a sú realizované v rámci vedeckých (bakalárskych, diplomových, doktorandských, habilitačných) prác. Vrátane prác hodnotiacich ekonomický prínos zmeny hospodárenia z konvenčného na regeneračné.
Longer Description
A healthy, structurally aerobic soil must maintain a proper water/air ratio to retain moisture without displacing air. Key to this is enabling water infiltration, leaving plant residues on the surface, and avoiding disturbance to soil layers and organisms—thus respecting natural principles and the soil microbiome. Plants and fungi play vital roles in nutrient and moisture transfer over long distances. On this farm, mechanical loosening and ploughing have been replaced by biological soil processing— a symbiosis of plant roots and fungi. Soil organic matter and fungi help stabilise soil aggregates.
The farm Agricultural Cooperative Krakovany – Stráže follows a holistic approach, implementing practices gradually:
⦁ In 2011, minimisation technologies were introduced, and ploughing was stopped.
⦁ From 2013, cover crops were used.
⦁ Between 2016–2018, they transitioned to full no-till farming.
⦁ From 2020/2021, they eliminated fungicides, insecticides, and artificial fertilisers.
Monitoring began in 2014, in partnership with the University of Agriculture, focusing on organic carbon soil. Since 2020/2021, mineral nitrogen is assessed during different crop stages. From 2020, microbial life, particularly soil fungi and bacteria—is also monitored. In 2023, collaboration with the Slovak Academy of Sciences began, using DNA metabarcoding to assess soil fungal diversity.
Additionally, soil compaction is being measured after machinery passes, comparing conventional fields to those under no-till for 8–10 years. These studies are part of various academic theses (bachelor, master’s, PhD, and Habilitation), including assessments of the economic benefits of switching from conventional to regenerative practices.