For application in broiler production, we developed a multispecies (MSPB) and a chicken-specific (CSPB) probiotic preparation in fluid form. The MSPB contained different probiotic species of human origin, whereas the CSPB consisted of 7 Lactobacillus species isolated from the digestive tract of chickens. In a field trial with broilers, MSPB treatment resulted in a slight increase (by 1.84%) in broiler productivity based on an index taking into account daily weight gain, feed efficiency, and mortality. The CSPB treatment reduced mortality in 2 subsequent field trials and raised productivity by 2.94 and 8.70%. In a controlled trial with broilers showing a high index of productivity, probiotic treatment further raised productivity by 3.72%. Based on the present 4 studies in combination with 9 studies published earlier, it is suggested that with higher productivity rates of the broilers the effect of probiotics becomes smaller.

No abstract

Een kenmerk van een bodem dat indicatief kan zijn voor één of meer bodemfuncties. Bodemfunctie: De rol van de bodem in het vervullen van bepaalde doelstellingen. Onderscheid wordt gemaakt in verschillende type bodemfuncties: productiefunctie, draagfunctie, regulatiefunctie en informatiefunctie. In dit rapport hanteren we de indeling van Ten Berge & Postma (2010). Referentiewaarde: De waarde waarmee een meetresultaat kan worden vergeleken in termen van hoog of laag, zonder oordeelsvorming in termen van goed of slecht. Streefwaarde: De waarde horende bij een beoordeling 'goed'. Systematiek voor bodemkwaliteitsbeoordeling: Een overkoepelende, samenhangende en logische aanpak voor afleiding van een indicatorset met streefwaarden en referentiewaarden voor bodemkwaliteitsbeoordeling van landbouwgronden, met gebruikmaking van onderbouwde en in het publieke domein gedocumenteerde kennis en gegevens. begrippenlijst Bodemkwaliteitsbeoordeling van landbouwgronden in Nederland 2 Tabel 1: Geselecteerde indicatoren voor het bepalen van de bodemkwaliteit, gecombineerd uit Van den Elsen et al., (2019) en De Haan et al. (2019) 1. De set is opgesteld vanuit bodemvruchtbaarheid / bemestingsoogpunt. n.b. niet bekend, maar wel wenselijk. Wanneer de cel in de laatste kolom leeg is, is de klassieke methode 'snel & goedkoop' en is er geen noodzaak voor een alternatieve meetmethode. De aard van de indicator kan per sector verschillen, bijvoorbeeld voor P: in de melkveehouderij P-voorraad & P-beschikbaar, en voor de akkerbouw Pw; voor de akkerbouw zou 'Nmin in het najaar' als indicator kunnen worden opgenomen.

A new stand‐alone wireless embedded network system has been developed recently for continuous monitoring of soil water contents at multiple depths. This paper presents information on the technical aspects of the system, including the applied sensor technology, the wireless communication protocols, the gateway station for data collection, and data transfer to an end user Web page for disseminating results to targeted audiences. Results from the first test of the network system are presented and discussed, including lessons learned so far and actions to be undertaken in the near future to improve and enhance the operability of this innovative measurement approach.

It has become increasingly clear that desertification can only be tackled through a multi-disciplinary approach that not only involves scientists but also stakeholders. In the DESIRE project such an approach was taken. As a first step, a conceptual framework was developed in which the factors and processes that may lead to land degradation and desertification were described. Many of these factors do not work independently, but can reinforce or weaken one another, and to illustrate these relationships sustainable management and policy feedback loops were included. This conceptual framework can be applied globally, but can also be made sitespecific to take into account that each study site has a unique combination of bio-physical, socio-economic and political conditions. Once the conceptual framework was defined, a methodological framework was developed in which the methodological steps taken in the DESIRE approach were listed and their logic and sequence were explained. The last step was to develop a concrete working plan to put the project into action, involving stakeholders throughout the process. This series of steps, in full or in part, offers explicit guidance for other organizations or projects that aim to reduce land degradation and desertification.

Fire can considerably change hydrological processes, increasing the risk of extreme flooding and erosion events. Although hydrological processes are largely affected by scale, catchment-scale studies on the hydrological impact of fire are scarce, and nested approaches are rarely used. Taking a unique approach, we performed a catchment-scale experimental fire to improve insight into the drivers of fire impact on hydrology. In north-central Portugal, rainfall, canopy interception, streamflow and soil moisture were monitored in shrub-covered paired catchments pre- and post-fire. Post-fire runoff coefficients were higher than pre-fire, and fire changed the rainfall-streamflow relationship – although the increase in streamflow was only significant at the subcatchment-scale. Fire also increased the response of topsoil moisture to rainfall, and caused more rapid drying of topsoils after rain events. Since soil physical changes due to fire were not apparent, we suggest that changes resulting from vegetation removal played an important role in increasing streamflow after fire, namely: (1) increased effective rainfall and decreased transpiration – increasing the amount of water available for (sub)surface runoff, (2) more rapid development of soil water repellency and decreased surface water storage – increasing overland flow risk, (3) more rapid breakdown of post-fire soil water repellency – increasing infiltration during extended rain events. Results stress that fire impact on hydrology is largely affected by scale, highlight the hydrological impact of fire on small scales, and emphasize the risk of overestimating fire impact when upscaling plot-scale studies to the catchment-scale. Finally, they increase understanding of the processes contributing to post-fire flooding and erosion events

Soils form the basis for agricultural production and other ecosystem services, and soil management should aim at improving their quality and resilience. Within the SoilCare project, the concept of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS) was developed as a holistic approach to facilitate the adoption of soil management that is sustainable and profitable. SICS selected with stakeholders were monitored and evaluated for environmental, sociocultural, and economic effects to determine profitability and sustainability. Monitoring results were upscaled to European level using modelling and Europe-wide data, and a mapping tool was developed to assist in selection of appropriate SICS across Europe. Furthermore, biophysical, sociocultural, economic, and policy reasons for (non)adoption were studied. Results at the plot/farm scale showed a small positive impact of SICS on environment and soil, no effect on sustainability, and small negative impacts on economic and sociocultural dimensions. Modelling showed that different SICS had different impacts across Europe—indicating the importance of understanding local dynamics in Europe-wide assessments. Work on adoption of SICS confirmed the role economic considerations play in the uptake of SICS, but also highlighted social factors such as trust. The project’s results underlined the need for policies that support and enable a transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in a coherent way.

In 2019 is de indicatorset Bodemindicatoren voor Landbouwgronden in Nederland (BLN), versie 1.0 ontwikkeld. De indicatorset moet bijdragen aan een duurzaam beheer van alle landbouwgronden in 2030. Dit rapport is een eerste evaluatie van de BLN, versie 1.0 en geeft een actualisatie, resulterend in BLN, versie 1.1 op de korte termijn waarin een aantal kleinere vernieuwingen voorgesteld worden en een ontwikkelpad voor een BLN, versie 2.0 voor de langere termijn. De BLN, versie 2.0 moet leiden tot een verbeterde systematiek om relatief goedkoop en eenvoudig de bodemkwaliteit integraal vast te stellen van landbouwbodems in Nederland zowel op perceelsniveau als nationaal niveau.