DeepHorizon Project

👣🌍 Some of the biggest impacts on soil happen in ways we don’t always see.

That’s why DeepHorizon keeps exploring innovative practices that can help protect soil health and support more sustainable farming 🌱🚜

Our newest Soil LMP is now live!
Take a look and discover how small changes in the field can make a big difference underground.

🔗 Learn more: https://deephorizon.eu/soil-lmp/traffic-restriction-mpe0epbq

Agroscope | Aristotle University of Thessaloniki IEEE Student Branch | Evenor-Tech | Sorbonne Université | Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna | Earth and Life Institute - UCLouvain | Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)

DeepHorizon Project Sustainable soil management and biodiversity research across Europe

Vienna, you’ve been amazing! 🫰
We’re heading home with sore feet, plenty of new ideas, and probably a bit too much Sachertorte. 🍰
It’s been an absolute whirlwind of a week. We didn’t just show up; we made some serious noise:
😃 12 presentations (our "Power Hour" was legendary! ⚡).
💬 Posters that sparked amazing debates in the halls.
🤗 And the cherry on top: Cornelia Rumpel taking home the Philippe Duchaufour Medal. 🏆
A massive THANK YOU to everyone who swung by our sessions, asked the tough questions, or just grabbed us for a coffee to talk about what’s happening beneath our feet. It’s your energy that keeps us digging deep! ⛏️🌱
Now, we’re off to turn all this science into real-world solutions. See you in the field, or at the very latest, at ! 🌍✨

🏆 The Grand Finale: Celebrating the Philippe Duchaufour Medal Lecture at

Today marks a truly prestigious moment for the DeepHorizon project. As we reach the final day of the EGU General Assembly 2026, we are incredibly proud to celebrate the recognition of one of our project’s leading scientific voices.

This evening, Cornelia Rumpel will take the stage to deliver the Philippe Duchaufour Medal Lecture. This honor is awarded for outstanding research in soil science, and Cornelia will use this platform to share her vital vision on "Soil organic matter research in a changing world." It is a moment that not only recognizes her career but also highlights the scientific rigor that drives our Horizon Europe mission.

🎤 Speaker: Cornelia Rumpel
⏰ Time: Thursday, May 7 | 19:05 – 19:35 (CEST)
📍 Location: Room F2

In her lecture, Cornelia will explore how integrating interdisciplinary research is essential to understanding soil organic matter stabilization—a key factor in global climate resilience and sustainable development.

It has been an intense and rewarding week for our team, with 12 contributions showcasing our work on subsoil health. We couldn’t have asked for a more inspiring way to conclude our time in Vienna. If you are still at the Austria Center, join us for this special session to celebrate the future of soil science together! 🌍🌱

Today is the most intense and exciting day for the DeepHorizon Project at EGU 2026 as our team effectively takes over the scientific program with a marathon of insights. We have already kicked off the morning in the vibrant poster halls where Leah Eitelberg, Mathieu Javaux, and Naoise Nunan have been engaging with fellow researchers in Hall X1 to discuss everything from subsoil water use and ecosystemic solutions to the complex world of microbial enzyme activities. It has been an incredible morning of networking and deep scientific exchange right at the heart of the poster sessions.
The momentum is only building as we head into this afternoon for what we are calling the "DeepHorizon Power Hour" in Room 2.95. Starting at 14:02, our project will feature a consecutive series of five oral presentations that showcase the full multidisciplinary scope of our Horizon Europe mission. Wulf Amelung will lead the session, followed in quick succession by Jan Frouz, Yuting F., Yacouba ZI, and finally Aurélien Lengrand. It is a rare and unique opportunity to witness the collective progress of our 19 partner institutions all in one room. If you are at the Austria Center Vienna today, we strongly encourage you to grab a seat in Room 2.95 to explore our latest findings on subsoil health, carbon storage, and land management. We cannot wait to see you there and continue these vital conversations!
More info here:
Leah Eitelberg: https://lnkd.in/er7DQBdy
Mathieu Javaux: https://lnkd.in/eUxJndA3
Naoise Nunan: https://lnkd.in/eZjeRGs9
Wulf Amelung: https://lnkd.in/eVh5QX5d
Jan Frouz: https://lnkd.in/eSGNJ32S
Yuting Fu: https://lnkd.in/e8Ya3EqE
Yacouba Zi: https://lnkd.in/e9dBTUE6
Aurélien Lengrand: https://lnkd.in/e58X3hGq

After a great start yesterday, DeepHorizon ProjectDeepHorizon Project continues its mission in Vienna. Today, we are focusing on how water moves and is stored in the deeper layers of the earth—a factor that is becoming increasingly critical in our changing climate.
We have two major highlights today:
🖼️ Morning Poster Session: Moisture & Resilience Sara König will be at the poster hall to discuss her research on critical soil moisture levels. Understanding how soil depth and texture influence water availability is key to building more resilient ecosystems.
Time: 10:45 – 12:30 (CEST)
Location: Hall X3, X3.120
🎤 Afternoon Oral Session: The Power of Small Scales Ulrich Weller takes the stage to introduce a new modeling approach for soil hydraulics. By looking at how water redistributes at the pore scale, we can better predict how subsoils serve as a reservoir for plants during dry spells.
Time: 17:45 – 17:55 (CEST)
Location: Room 0.16
Are you at the Austria Center Vienna? Stop by Hall X3 for a chat with Sara or join Ulrich’s session to see how we are using the BODIUM model to protect our future water resources.
Let’s keep digging deeper! 🌍🌱
Sara König: https://lnkd.in/ep3b7ZXW
Ulrich Weller: https://lnkd.in/eAbVA6qW
Mathieu Javaux | Luke Wardak| Agroscope | Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) | Evenor Tech S.L.U. - Soluciones para el uso y protección del suelo | INRAE | Soil Capital | Sorbonne Université | The University of Bonn | Université catholique de Louvain | Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna | Varda Foundation | Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)

The EGU General Assembly 2026 starts today! We are excited to open our week of scientific contributions with an insightful oral presentation on the intersection of soil management and sustainable farming.
🎤 Speaker: Wardak ⏰ Time: Monday, May 4 | 11:55 – 12:05 (CEST) 📍 Location: Room 3.16/17
Luke will be discussing how Zero-Tillage affects soil pore structure and the bio-efficacy of herbicides—a crucial topic for balancing w**d control with conservation agriculture. 🚜🌱
If you are at the Austria Center Vienna, come join the session and let's discuss how we can improve soil health from the bottom up!
Stay tuned as we share more highlights from our 12 team presentations throughout the week.

🌱 Great news from !

We are excited to share that one of our key results is now available at the European level 🙌

📢 The Practice Abstract: “Standardized subterranean traps for monitoring deep-soil macrofauna biodiversity” has been published on the EU CAP Network website.

This work contributes to improving our understanding of deep-soil biodiversity through standardized monitoring tools — a key step towards enhancing soil health and uncovering subsoil functions within the critical zone 🌍

🔬 Project: Deploying ecosystemic solutions to improve soil health and uncover subsoil functions in the critical zone

We continue working towards innovative solutions to protect our soils and ecosystems.

Agroscope
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of English
Evenor-Tech
Sorbonne Université
Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Earth and Life Institute - UCLouvain
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)

🏃‍♀️🌱 On March 1, 2026, the DeepHorizon team from the University of Bologna took part in the Bologna Marathon!

The event was a great opportunity to connect directly with citizens and share insights about the fundamental role of mycorrhizae in deep soils. Visitors to our stand were even able to touch and examine mycorrhizal roots — a hands-on way to discover how these fascinating symbiotic fungi support plant health and soil ecosystems.

Moments like these show how powerful science communication can be in sparking curiosity and raising awareness about sustainable soil management.

A fantastic day of sport, science, and community engagement!

Agroscope
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of English
Evenor-Tech
Sorbonne Université
Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Earth and Life Institute - UCLouvain

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🌱 SoilCET 2026 – Soil Carbon in the Ecological Transition
📅 April 1–3, 2026
📍 Rueil-Malmaison (near Paris), France

⏳ Only 10 days left to benefit from the Early Bird rate!

Co-organized by Energies nouvelles and , this international symposium will bring together leading scientists and experts to discuss the role of soil carbon in climate mitigation, adaptation, and food security.

🔎 Main topics:
✔️ Policies, Regulation & Standardization on Soil Carbon
✔️ Soil Carbon Economics
✔️ Soil Organic Matter Dynamics & Carbon Quantification
✔️ Integrated Assessments & Indicators

🎤 Keynote speakers confirmed:

• Eric Ceschia – Research Director & Deputy Director of CESBIO, (France)
• Delphine Derrien – Soil Scientist, , Rennes (France)
• Jan Peter Lesschen – Senior Researcher, University & Research (Netherlands)
• Sylvain Pellerin – Research Director, Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Unit, , Bordeaux (France)
• Davide Viaggi – Professor, of Bologna (Italy)
• Kazem Zamanian – Senior Research Fellow, University Hannover (Germany)

🧪 Due to strong interest, a Rock-Eval training session and lab visit will also take place on March 31 and April 4.

We encourage all partners of to participate, share, and help spread the word across the soil carbon community!

👉 Register now and secure your Early Bird rate.

Agroscope
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki IEEE Student Branch
Evenor-Tech
Sorbonne Université
Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna