Agriculture

Demonstration site in Estonia ©Loreta Tale

Across the Nordic-Baltic region, agriculture faces multiple threats from both a warming climate and unsustainable farming practices.

Increasingly unpredictable growing seasons, drought, flooding, crop monocultures, intensive tillage and over-dependency on chemical fertilisers are contributing to declining soil health, nutrient and biodiversity loss and weaker yields. To address these interrelated challenges, Precilience is testing different approaches to soil management, crop diversification and water management, aiming to promote both ecosystem recovery and a more climate resilient sector.

Explore the demonstrations below to see what we’re testing and where.

Soil Management

Øsaker Demonstration site in Norway ©Hanne Jaasund Ørmen

Lead partner: Estonian University of Life Sciences

Soil is a living system, and its health is essential for resilient ecosystems and long-term agricultural productivity. Across the Nordic-Baltic region, we’re testing how different tillage practices and soil improvers affect soil structure, yields, biodiversity, and fertility. Our aim is to identify region-specific solutions that restore and protect soil health in the face of climate and environmental pressures. Why not take a closer look at what we’re doing in each location?

Foulum Experimental Station: soil improvers
This demonstration is studying the effect of liquid biochar to test its ability to quickly deliver nutrients to plants. Biochar studies were undertaken in Denmark in the past and we want to compare new and historical data.
Pärnumaa: soil improvers
Nordkalk AtriGran, wood ash, and limestone ash are being tested on heavy clay soil to improve structure, water retention, and resistance to compaction.
Pärnumaa: tillage
This demonstration compares minimal vs. conventional tillage on heavy clay, focusing on soil properties and soil microbial diversity (pathogens & symbionts).
Viljandimaa: tillage
This demonstration compares minimal vs. conventional tillage on fertile, organic soils, with a focus on soil properties and microbial diversity (pathogens and symbionts).
Jõgevamaa: cover crops & tillage
This location has some of the best soil in Estonia. This demonstration is testing direct seeding, minimal tillage & conventional ploughing with cover crops (sunflower, silage, maize, phacelia, common vetch).
Jokioinen: soil improvers
This site is testing how different soil improvers from agrifood residues (fibre sludge, lime-stabilised pulp mill sludge, composted pulp mill sludge) affect soil pathogens, soil fertility, greenhouse gas emissions, nitrate and carbon.
Lieto: soil improvers
This site will apply pulp & paper mill sludge, structure lime and gypsum improvers and test how they affect soil properties, structure and pathogen presence. This site is near the river Savijoki and so the water quality is also going to be monitored downstream of the testing site.
Kjelle: tillage & cover crops
Norway has recently introduced policies favouring spring ploughing. This site is testing four tillage approaches: autumn ploughing with spring cereal; autumn ploughing with autumn cereal; spring ploughing with spring cereal; spring cereal with autumn grown cover crops.
Øsaker LT: tillage
This site was established in 1975 and provides a long term view of different practices. This site will test autumn ploughing with stubble cultivation and spring harrowing and; spring harrowing without ploughing. Soil properties at various depths will be analysed.
Øsaker: soil improvers & cover crops
This location is known for its grain production. On this site, we are testing: spring-sown cover crops; autumn-sown cover crops; biochar and structure lime, looking at plant yield, disease occurrence, soil moisture, temperature and properties (carbon, nitrogen, pH, bulk density, aggregate stability).

Crop Diversification

Soil sample collection, Estonia ©Liina Soonvald

Lead partner: Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)

Long-term cereal monocultures, nutrient leaching and declining soil fertility are placing growing pressure on agricultural systems across the Nordic region. Crop diversification and cover crops offer promising solutions for improving soil structure, reducing nutrient losses and enhancing resilience to drought and flooding. Through trials in Finland, Norway and Sweden, Precilience is exploring region-specific strategies to support more sustainable and adaptive cropping systems.

Somero
On a farm in Somero, Luke will demonstrate the potential and realities of diversifying land use, crops, and rotations to improve climate resilience and enhance biodiversity. Results will be compared with parcel-level data (2016–2023) and the performance of the top 10% of farms in the region.
Østfold
In Østfold, cover crops sown in both spring and autumn are being studied for their impact on soil water dynamics, crop performance, and overall soil health.
Akershus
This site focuses on how cover crops influence nutrient losses in both surface and subsurface runoff. Their effect on crop production is also being assessed.
Trøndelag
In Trøndelag, cover crops are being trialled under northern growing conditions to better understand their role in maintaining soil health and supporting resilient cropping systems.
Lilla Böslid
At the Lilla Böslid experimental farm, cover crops are being tested using different mixtures and sowing methods (spring undersowing vs. August sowing). This approach aims to reduce nitrogen leaching, improve soil fertility, and build resilience against climate-driven nutrient losses.
Borgeby
Testing at Borgeby will explore flower fields or cereal plus cover crop combinations in 2025, with a vegetable crop being tested with or without tillage in 2026.

Water Management

Lead partner: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Crop systems are affected by extreme drought and increasing rainfall variability, demanding water management strategies that minimise impacts on water quality and require targeted investments to maintain yield levels and quality under changing weather conditions. In response, Precilience explores a range of water management strategies in rainfed and irrigated farming to support agricultural adaptation to extreme crop system conditions. The work is carried out via on-farm demonstrations and testing in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway, with emphasis on nature-based solutions, evaluated through discussions and field measurements of crop yield and disease, soil erosion, and water quality.

Samsø
The site in Eastern Denmark focuses on collecting drainage water in reservoirs during wet periods and recirculating it through irrigation in spring. The demonstration aims to manage excess winter water to improve agricultural reliability, investigate nitrogen removal during water retention, and accelerate reservoir implementation.
Lemvig
In western Jutland efforts focus on collecting drainage water in basins within sandy soils to reduce winter waterlogging and spring drought in agriculture. This approach also aims to provide a sustainable water supply for Power2X industries, minimising the reliance on groundwater resources.
Gotland region
Testing in this region explores water management infrastructure for mitigating dry spells and droughts through on-farm data collection of water quality and the quantity of water stored for irrigating vegetable crops.
Kalmar/Öland
At this site, water management infrastructure is explored for mitigating dry spells and droughts through on-farm data collection on water quality and the quantity of stored water used for irrigating feed in dairy-livestock production.
Holmebekken
This demonstration reopens the eroded section of Holmebekken stream to improve water management and reduce soil erosion by stabilising the new riverbed with stones.
Grimsrud
At the Grimsrud agricultural field, drainage runoff is measured from three systems to assess their efficiency, impact on crop growth, and nutrient losses: one traditional, two with perpendicular channels, one with filling and one without.
Skjønhaug
The Skjønhaug pond and wetlands, established in 1999 to reduce runoff, have gradually filled up, lowering retention efficiency. They will be emptied in winter 2025/26 to assess sediment and nutrient buildup, and the impact of restoration will be monitored.
Jokioinen: controlled drainage
This site run by Luke demonstrates controlled drainage as a means of reducing nutrient leaching and greenhouse gas emissions on a cultivated peat soil. Research is also done on the impact on farming methods and yields.
Kaarina: a swale and berm system
A swale and berm system was implemented on clay soil in Southwest Finland to improve rainwater management and support fruit tree growth. Monitoring on this site includes comparison of swale performance with traditional drainage, using sensors to track soil moisture, temperature, and groundwater levels.

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