Use of a smartphone app as a tool for participative detecting and monitoring of visually recognisable plastic remainders in soils

D3.4 Use of a smartphone app as a tool for participative detecting and monitoring of visually recognisable plastic remainders in soils. Month 20, 48Task 3.4 Baseline assessment of soil quality and the levels of MaP, MP and NP in the CSSTask leader: POLITO | Participant(s): WU, FiBL-CH, POLITO, WR, GIUB, | Timing: M3-142 fields per CSS farm will be selected according to the information on the frequency and duration of plastic use (T3.2). These 2 fields will be selected following farmer indications and to obtain the most relevant contrast in each farm: one with high plastic inputs and one without.Task 3.4.1: Sampling at the CSS Concerning samples, they are expected to be close to 440: 11 CSS with 10 farms; in each farm, 4 samples (2 per identified fields) will be collected according to homogenized sampling schemes defined in WP2. Due to the uneven plastic distribution in soils, we need to develop a representative soil sampling strategy based on soil sampling protocol norms (ISO 18400-104). This will involve testing of the horizontal and vertical variability to define the number of samples and the sampling depth. Task 3.4.2: Baseline for future assessment of soil qualityIn parallel to the survey conducted at the CSS, selected fields will be characterized using standardized chemical, physical and biological methods for soil quality assessment provided by the monitoring plan. Specified laboratories among the MINAGRIS team will run measurements, related to MNP and other pollutants, They will receive the samples according to the specific requirements of the method (moist, frozen, dried and sieved). Selected sites will be assessed in situ for future experiments with water infiltration and flows (WP5-6) and the abundance of soil invertebrates (WP4).Task 3.4.3: Baseline assessment of MaP, MP and NP in soils at the CSS The methods for MaP and MP (T3.3) will be applied to samples taken according to T3.4.1. At certain sites based on soil quality and MP load, NP will be quantified by GIUB, POLITO, WU and WR (methods elaborated in T3.3). Certain CSS will be revisited towards the end of the project to verify new methodologies or for back to the field validation of the experiments conducted in WP5 and WP6.