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Discovering the subsoil

Grant
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
Digital, Industry and Space
€12 Million
Research & Innovation Action
17/01/2023
20/09/2023

Subsoil refers to the horizons immediately below the topsoil. In the past, this layer has often been neglected as most land management practices (e.g. tillage, cover crops) are focused on the topsoil. The same goes for the availability of spatial datasets on soils at both national and EU-scale. However, the subsoil can have a large impact on a soil’s potential productivity and supply of ecosystem services. It is estimated for example that plants extract between 10 and 80% of their nutrient and water requirements from the subsoil. Also, subsoils play a key role in the carbon cycle: globally, subsoils store two times more soil organic carbon than the uppermost 30 cm.

-Identify drivers and pressures on the subsoil that impair a range of soil functions and ecosystem services as well as on subsoil degradation and identify indicators to assess changes in soil ecosystem functioning
-Develop tools and methods for risk assessment as regards subsoil degradation
-Identify existing as well as develop and test sustainable management practices to improve subsoil conditions (e.g. water retention, nutrient provision, habitat for soil biodiversity, carbon storage) and minimise soil disturbances
-Establish robust methods to spatially assess and monitor the state of subsoils and improve data collection. The long-term storage and access to subsoil data should be done in close collaboration with the European Soil Observatory (EUSO)

-Improved access to data and knowledge on the spatial variations in the chemical, physical and biological conditions and dynamics in subsoils for land managers and public authorities to support the development of sustainable management practices and financial and policy incentives
-Enhanced access and deployment of sustainable management practices to improve the protection, sustainable management and restoration of subsoil in agricultural and forest soils and to increase relevant soil-dependent ecosystem services such as the provision of food and fibre or the enhancement of soil biodiversity
-Improved understanding of the role of subsoil in climate change adaptation and mitigation, e.g. regarding carbon and water storage

HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
Digital, Industry and Space
€5 Million
Innovation Action
17/01/2023
20/09/2023

Onsite digital technologies are emerging in food production and have the potential to detect and eliminate threats to food safety. Similarly, digital applications, such as remote imaging and sensing can be used to monitor nutrients and pollutants in soil and help assess how these threats are e are transmitted to food. There is a need to improve the development and application of digital tools (incl. light-based applications) in primary production and food industries and boost their technological upscale as a means to address more effectively the soil-food nexus.

-Identify challenges to the upscale of existing digital technologies (incl. light-based technologies) related to the soil-food nexus
-Advance and/or develop innovative digital technologies and AI incl. light-based methods/models/tools and remote sensing, including exploratory modelling for calibration and prediction, to identify nutrients (e.g. C, N, P, K) and pollution which have a bearing on food quality and safety
-Explore and mobilize the potential of digital technologies in improving soil management practices (i.e. targeted fertilization, soil remediation) and demonstrate practical applications in relation to food quality and safety
-Improve knowledge on the use of remote sensing methods for the identification and assessment of contaminated soils and their risks for food quality and safety

-Increased availability of effective onsite digital tools (e.g. light-based technologies, remote sensing) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor the presence of nutrients and micro-nutrients, pollutants and pathogens in soil and food in various production phases of post-harvested food grown in soils
-Improved in-field detection of soil parameters leading to better food nutritional composition or posing a risk to food safety
-Digitalised European food industry through a more effective application of technologies including light-based technologies
-Advanced technological solutions are available to estimate polluted (e.g. pathogens, heavy metals) or nutrient surplus soils

HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-05
Digital, Industry and Space
€12 Million
Innovation Action
17/01/2023
20/09/2023

Proposals will address the complex dynamic of energy consumption and energy efficiency of small fishing vessel fleets and their related operations. Activities should also address good practices in fisheries management allowing fish stock to grow, which will lead to an increase in catch per unit effort and result in fuel consumption reduction per unit of catch. Close cooperation between the fishing community, researchers and other stakeholders is a crucial requirement to ensure that solutions and technologies are suitable for and acceptable by the end-users and economically viable for (often) very small fishing enterprises.

-Identify a set of suitable innovative and sustainable solutions, technologies and practices to be tested, validated and demonstrated in real conditions to reduce emissions and fuel consumption of small fishing vessels (12-15 meter), to increase energy efficiency in on board fishing operations and comply with EU regulatory frameworks

-Enhanced implementation European Green deal objectives and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
-Reduced fuel consumption and emissions from small fishing vessels and improved energy efficiency in related operations as well as noise pollution
-Accelerated renewal of fleets of small fishing vessels
-Increased users’ choices and responsible user behaviors
-Improved monitoring and understanding on the impact of small-scale fishing fleets on climate change and marine biodiversity

HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
Digital, Industry and Space
€7 Million
Research & Innovation Action
17/01/2023
20/09/2023

Land is a limited resource and needs to be managed carefully to meet the various, conflicting societal demands on land and soil. This includes demands arising e.g. from urbanisation, food/biomass production and environmental protection. Inadequate practices in land management and in land use planning are main drivers of land degradation and result in the loss of important soil functions. Spatial planning has a considerable role in steering a more balanced and sustainable use of land and ensuring that net land take is reduced, in particular if applying the principles of a “land take hierarchy”

-Improve the knowledge on trade-offs required to keep ecosystem services provision with expansion of urban, peri-urban and rural areas
-Identify good planning practices that integrate soils and their ecosystem Services (SES) into the spatial planning
-Demonstrate the impact of these practices on actual land use in urban and rural areas including, land take, the re-use of land, restoration, de-sealing and the support to soil functions
-Provide opportunities for training of planners and exchange of experiences (e.g. events, information tools) between the various actors involved in planning and land use decisions at various levels. Allow for participatory planning processes
-Improve the tools as well as the data and information basis (including maps) available to spatial planners and decision-makers regarding soil functions and ecosystem services

-Increased recognition of the value of ecosystem services in land use decisions due to increased awareness of spatial planners on the importance of soil functions, ecosystem services and soil health overall
-Information on soils is more easily accessible to planners and decision-makers
-Land use efficiency is increased and land take and soil sealing are reduced due to a more effective reuse of land and the application of the principles of the “land take hierarchy”
-Municipalities and authorities have planning tools at hand to develop and implement strategies for no net land take by 2050
-Spatial plans promote the use of Nature-based solutions for the improvement of ecosystem services provision in currently sealed areas
-Approaches for rezoning, restoration and de-sealing are available for building land and infrastructure which is no longer in use or to be reused

HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-OCEAN-SOIL-01-01
Digital, Industry and Space
€15 Million
Innovation Action
17/01/2023
19/09/2023

This joint topic relates to the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission’s third objective, aiming to support at least 75 full-scale deep demonstrations of climate resilience, to Mission Ocean, & waters’ objective 1, protection and restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity and objective 2 – prevent and eliminate pollution of marine and freshwaters. The topic also relates to several specific objectives of the Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”, including to reduce soil degradation and soil sealing and to prevent erosion.

-Contribute to the networking and coordination activities and joint activities of the three Missions, including establishing links with the projects funded under the Horizon 2020, the European Green Deal call and under Horizon Europe, when particularly relevant. for climate adaptation knowledge and solutions
-Include a mechanism and resources to establish links with the Implementation Support Platform of Mission Ocean and Waters and build links with other activities of this to maximize synergies, including with the EU Macro-regional Strategies and regions
-Include a mechanism and resources to establish links with the Implementation Platform of Mission Soil Deal for Europe
-Support the Ocean and Water Knowledge System, in particular by contributing to knowledge creation and data.

-Demonstrate effective and inclusive integrated multi-stakeholder approaches to the management of landscape, soil, water, vegetation at a regional level to increase the resilience of the area to climate change impacts on soils, water, habitats and biodiversity
-Demonstrate effective nature-based solutions and ecological approaches to increase landscape water retention capacity, including soil water retention capacity
-Enhance implementation of the European Green Deal, the EU Adaptation Strategy, the EU Biodiversity Strategy, EU legislation for the protection of freshwaters (such as EU Water Framework Directive and EU Groundwater Directive;) and the EU Soil Strategy for 2030

HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-SOIL-01-01
Digital, Industry and Space
€8 Million
Innovation Action
17/01/2023
19/09/2023

In line with Farm to Fork Strategy, the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Soil Strategy for 2030 and the EU Action Plan: ‘Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil’, proposals should demonstrate scalable breakthrough innovations (technological, business, social and governance) to reduce fertilizer use and to prevent and minimise soil and water pollution from excess nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) in the landscape-river catchment-sea system, including coastal ecosystems, in the Mediterranean Sea basin.

-Upstream prevention/reduction of nutrient losses from soil and pollution with nutrients of soil and water, such as through reduction in the use of fertilizers, improved nutrient retention in soil and slower release to crops, improved nutrient use efficiency, integrated landscape and soil management, reduction of nutrient losses from rural and urban communities
-Prevention of entry of nutrients in river catchments area and/or their reduction, such as reduction of nutrient losses from agricultural and other practices, improved wastewater treatment, use of green filters and other measures for the reduction of the flow of nutrients through the river system and prevention/reduction of their entry into the estuary/sea
-Measures reducing/eliminating excess nutrients from the estuary/sea to reduce and/or eliminate the risk of eutrophication.

-Innovative, reproducible solutions to prevent, minimise and remediate soil and water pollution from excess nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) in the landscape-river catchment-sea system and transition waters in the Mediterranean Sea basin
-Accelerated uptake of innovative solutions to reduce the use of fertilizers and to prevent, minimize and remediate nutrient pollution and to reduce ocean and inland water eutrophication
-Effective monitoring of nutrient pollution in line with existing methodologies under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and under the Water Framework Directive