Impact of diversified cropping systems and fertilization strategies on soil microbial abundance and functional potentials for nitrogen cycling.

Diversified cropping systems and fertilization strategies were proposed to enhance the abundance and diversity of the soil microbiome, thereby stabilizing their beneficial services for maintaining soil fertility and supporting plant growth. Here, we assessed across three different long-term field experiments in Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Northern Germany) whether diversified cropping systems and fertilization strategies also affect their functional gene abundance. Soil DNA was analyzed by quantitative PCR for quantifying bacteria, archaea and fungi as well as functional genes related to nitrogen (N) transformations; including bacterial and archaeal nitrification (amoA), three steps of the denitrification process (nirK, nirS and nosZ) and N assimilation (nifH), respectively.

A methodology to determine pesticides pollution sources in water catchments: study case (Belgium).

In the Walloon Region (Belgium), a Committee of Investigation was created in 2007 to investigate and determine the potential pesticides pollution sources in drinkable water catchments. This Committee, constituted by a multidisciplinary team of experts i.e agronomists, soil scientists, phyto-chemists, hydrogeologists, is coordinated by the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W) and funded by the Société Publique de Gestion des Eaux (SPGE).

Biofilters to treat the pesticides wastes from spraying applications: results after 4 years of study.

Biofilters were developed in order to eliminate or reduce the quantity of pesticides from rinsing and cleaning waters of sprayers. Biofilters consist in 1, 2 or 3 plastic containers of 1 m3 placed in a vertical pile and containing a substrate elaborated from a homogenised mixture of local soil, chopped straw and compost able to absorb and degrade the pesticides. Biofilters are installed near the area for cleaning and rinsing the sprayer and the waste waters are pumped into the system.

The heterogeneity of sprout inhibitor application with chlorpropham.

The CIPC or chlorpropham is used on potatoes as "sprouting inhibitor". These lasts years, some set of belgian potatoes treated by CIPC exceeded the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL), fixed at 5 mg/kg. The heterogeneity of sprout inhibitor application would be one of the causes of over-dosage.

Rinsing and management of pesticides' containers.

In order to reduce the effects on the environment, it is necessary to improve the management of pesticides' containers. Usually, users burn or bury empty containers. These methods, even though decreasing must be avoided or even forbidden.

Comparative study of anti-drift nozzles' wear.

When spraying, the drift is a restricting factor which reduces the efficiency of pesticides treatments and increases their impact on the environment. The use of anti-drift nozzles is the most common technique to reduce the drift effect. The basic principle of all anti-drift nozzles is to produce bigger droplets (Imag DLO, 1999) being less sensitive to the wind.

Study of potatoes' sprout inhibitor treatments with chlorprophame.

Studies carried out in 1999 by the University of Ghent showed that 36% of potatoes' samples contained Chlorprophame (CIPC) residues and that 7.9% of them exceeded the maximal limit of residues (RML), fixed at 5 ppm. The heterogeneity of sprout inhibitor application would be one of the causes of over-dosage.

Fast, simultaneous simulation of the integrated urban wastewater system using mechanistic surrogate models.

The urban wastewater system components (sewer, treatment plant, and river) are often modelled using complex mechanistic models. Mechanistic surrogate models are introduced here as simplified models that still contain some physical knowledge. Surrogate models are faster, but are less but still sufficiently accurate, and require more data to be calibrated.