Open call for soil MRV providers

We are looking for providers of soil MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) technologies to take part in TRAILS4SOIL – our major research project investigating the impacts of Regenerative and Conservation Agricultural Practices on soil health.

What is TRAILS4SOIL?

TRAILS4SOIL is a large-scale, 5-year research project (2025-2030). We work hand-in-hand with farmers and land managers across 9 countries of Europe to test Regenerative and Conservation Agricultural Practices, assess their impacts on soil health and produce evidence and recommendations to support the long-term productivity, environmental sustainability, and economic viability of farms.  We are funded by the EU and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Find out more…

Your role

Selected providers will play a pivotal role in TRAILS4OIL’s work. Through precise, robust measurements of soil health characteristics, your technology will enable us to evaluate the impacts of Regenerative and Conservation Agricultural Practices on agricultural soil.

You will have the opportunity to test your solutions in real farming conditions across 100 farms in Europe, benefitting from direct collaboration with farmers and researchers.

 You will:

• provide one or more advanced, proven technologies for precisely measuring and monitoring indicators of soil health, such as water retention, organic matter and microbial biodiversity.
• install and maintain equipment and technologies at participating farms
• train farmers and TRAILS4SOIL researchers on how to use the technology
• refine the technology in response to feedback from farmers and other TRAILS4SOIL staff – to ensure its usability and effectiveness under real-world farming conditions
• report and analyse data collected during 2 agricultural seasons
• follow a common framework with other technology providers on the project for data collection

Examples of eligible MRV technologies

• In-situ SOC estimation tools (sensors, handheld probes)
• Laboratory or field-based spectroscopy
• Remote sensing (satellite, drone, airborne)
• Proximal sensing (IoT, electromagnetic methods)
• Modelling platforms and digital tools
• Biomass assessment methods
• AI/ML solutions and digital twins
• Any innovative technology aligned with SOC monitoring needs

Applicants can contact the TRAILS4SOIL co-ordinators for advice and guidance: trails4soil@uco.es

Where will you work?

You will install the technologies and work with farmers and researchers in TRAILS4SOIL’s 5 Living Labs. (What are Living Labs?)

Each Living Lab addresses a specific goal and contains a number of farms across a region of Europe.

It is highly preferable for providers to work in all 5 Living Labs.

Take a look at the Living Labs below to learn more.