Reduction of the environmental and climate impact of cultivating raw material crops through the use of the beneficial effects of optimized subsoil tillage methods.

The adaptation of production methods for raw material crops holds a key position in reducing the climate impact of agriculture. This form of utilization is suspected of promoting the CO2 source function through the increased depletion of soil carbon stocks. There is a particular need for action regarding the reduction of negative climate and environmental impacts when applying digestate. Various factors suggest that these problems can be addressed using the well-known technique of partial subsoil tillage. Unlike traditional subsoil tillage, the risk of subsequent yield losses, subsoil compaction, and increased energy expenditures is low here. This is because, in partial subsoil tillage (pST), a controlled mixing of carbon-poor subsoil into the plow layer and the transfer of topsoil into well-rooted shafts in the subsoil are combined. In the topsoil, imbalances in the carbon and nitrogen dynamics are created, which should lead to a rapid rebuild of organic matter stocks and thus to CO2-C sequestration and nitrogen fixation. At the same time, organic carbon located in the subsoil after pST should be protected from rapid decomposition. The overall goal of the project is to determine whether pST actually has the mentioned effects and whether it can be optimized through an interdisciplinary research approach to achieve a lasting reduction in the climate and environmental impact of raw material crop production in agricultural practice.