Soil-friendly practices in horticulture, including alternative growing media
Call text (as on F&T portal)
View on F&T portalExpected Outcome:
Activities under this topic will help to progress towards the objectives of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, in particular its specific objectives 2 “Conserve and increase soil organic carbon stocks”, 4 “Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration” and 6 “Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops”. Activities should also contribute to EU climate action and to other policies in the framework of the European Green Deal, such as the Organic Action Plan[1], the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030[2] and the proposed Nature Restoration Law[3].
Project results should contribute to all of the following outcomes:
- Reduced carbon and overall environmental footprint of the horticultural sector[4] and more sustainable production systems, reducing negative impacts on soil health throughout the value chain.
- Novel products (e.g. alternative potting and soil-improving materials), production processes and management options for soil management are developed and tested and show improved environmental, social, health and safety performance, as demonstrated through improved testing and validation methods throughout the entire life cycle.
- Sustainable alternatives to peat are more widely available and used in conventional and organic horticulture.
- Policy measures and other incentives have been explored and elaborated to further the uptake of sustainable alternatives to peat.
Scope:
Practices in horticulture can affect soil health and related ecosystem services at different points in the value chain, for example at production sites as well as further upstream. Within horticultural production systems, soils are often subjected to particularly intensive use, which can cause among others soil compaction, soil pollution (e.g. excess nutrients, pesticides or microplastics), and salinization as a consequence of intensive irrigation. Peat is commonly used in nurseries, greenhouses and amateur horticulture as a growing medium and for soil improvement, as it has an excellent water retention capacity, is highly fertile due to the reduced leaching of nutrients and can improve the soil buffering capacity. The extraction of natural peat, however, is highly contentious as the disturbance of peatlands leads to habitat loss, soil degradation, CO2 emissions and increased flood risks. Therefore, sustainable alternatives to natural peat are required. While various peat-free or peat-reduced growing media have become more widely available in recent years, their performance with regard to environmental and other relevant criteria remains difficult to assess.
Proposed activities should:
- Identify, develop and promote horticultural practices and production systems that conserve or improve soil health. This should include alternative materials to be used as sustainable substitutes for peat as substrate or soil improver in organic and conventional horticulture, with the aim of attenuating soil stress and strengthening ecosystem services.
- Demonstrate the feasibility and economic viability of the newly developed alternatives to the use of peat in horticulture. This should be done in accordance with relevant EU regulatory frameworks related to their placing on the market.
- Generate data to support improved environmental, social, health and safety performance of alternative growing media in a life-cycle perspective and taking into account potential trade-offs and indirect consequences, including outside of the EU, where relevant.
- Develop and/or improve sustainable management practices in horticulture (including digital technologies and infrastructures) to reduce the use of inputs such as plant protection products, fertilizers and water in horticultural crops. Measures should also contribute to improving soil structure and mitigating soil compaction. Where applicable, practices should cover both protected (greenhouses and tunnels) and open field systems.
- Identify and analyse barriers (economic, social or regulatory) that may hinder the uptake of the proposed soil-friendly practices by professional producers as well as by private consumers in amateur horticulture, and where relevant suggest suitable measures to overcome the identified obstacles.
- Develop and test material for awareness raising, dissemination and training to promote the uptake of soil-friendly horticultural practices. This material should be used by agricultural advisory services, in vocational training and other relevant contexts.
In this topic the multi-actor approach has to be implemented by involving a wide range of stakeholders (e.g. industry including SMEs, public authorities, research centres, public and private investors, civil society) to co-create sustainable solutions and increase opportunities for them to be scaled up. The topic should involve the effective contribution of SSH disciplines.
The proposals selected under this topic should dedicate the necessary resources to work closely together to maximise synergies. Proposals should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the EU Soil Observatory and other projects funded under the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’. Furthermore, proposals should take into account and build on outputs from other relevant projects such as e.g. EXCALIBUR[5].
Potentially, the projects funded under this topic could also cooperate with living labs and lighthouses that will be created in this call or future calls of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’.
null
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5-7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/farming/organic-farming/organic-action-plan_en
[2] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en
[3] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/nature-restoration-law_en
[4] For the purposes of this topic, horticulture is understood broadly to include the production, by professionals or amateurs, of various types of vegetables, fruits, grapes, nuts, medicinal and ornamental plants (including trees and woody plants) and mushrooms as well as related practices (e.g. hydroponics and aquaponics), while excluding large-scale arable crop production or animal husbandry.
[5] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/817946
News flashes
EVALUATION results
Published: 06/12/2022
Deadline: 20/09/2023
Available budget: EUR 126.00 million
Budget per topic with separate ‘call-budget-split’:
Topic code
Type of action
Budget (EUR million)
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
RIA
12.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
RIA
14.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
IA
12.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
IA
14.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
IA
13.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
RIA
7.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
CSA
6.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
RIA
36.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
RIA
12.00
The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls)
8
6
12
15
17
6
15
37
7
Number of inadmissible proposals
0
0
0
3
2
1
1
0
0
Number of ineligible proposals
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Number of above-threshold proposals
4
3
9
5
11
4
7
19
3
Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals (EUR million)
24.5
19.9
52.0
35.0
70.0
26.4
41.2
220.4
35.6
Number of proposals retained for funding
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
4
1
Number of proposals in the reserve list
1
1
3
1
2
1
2
1
2
Funding threshold
14.5
12
12.5
13
14
13
15
12.5
14
We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.
For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.
EVALUATION results
Published: 06/12/2022
Deadline: 20/09/2023
Available budget: EUR 126.00 million
Budget per topic with separate ‘call-budget-split’:
Topic code
Type of action
Budget (EUR million)
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
RIA
12.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
RIA
14.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
IA
12.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
IA
14.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
IA
13.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
RIA
7.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
CSA
6.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
RIA
36.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
RIA
12.00
The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls)
8
6
12
15
17
6
15
37
7
Number of inadmissible proposals
0
0
0
3
2
1
1
0
0
Number of ineligible proposals
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Number of above-threshold proposals
4
3
9
5
11
4
7
19
3
Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals (EUR million)
24.5
19.9
52.0
35.0
70.0
26.4
41.2
220.4
35.6
Number of proposals retained for funding
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
4
1
Number of proposals in the reserve list
1
1
3
1
2
1
2
1
2
Funding threshold
14.5
12
12.5
13
14
13
15
12.5
14
We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.
For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.
Flash information on the CALL results
(flash call info)
The HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01 call was closed on 20th September 2023. 123 proposals were submitted in response to this call. The breakdown per topic is indicated below:
Topic code
Topic name
Budget (in million €)
Number of submitted proposals
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
Discovering the subsoil
12.00
8
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
Soil pollution processes – modelling and inclusion in advanced digital decision-support tools
14.00
6
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
Onsite digital technologies to monitor nutrients and chemical or biological stressors in soil and plants with relevance for food safety and nutrition
12.00
12
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
Innovations to prevent and combat desertification
14.00
15
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
Soil-friendly practices in horticulture, including alternative growing media
13.00
17
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
Soils in spatial planning
7.00
6
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
Back to earth: bringing communities and citizens closer to soil
6.00
15
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
Co-creating solutions for soil health in Living Labs
36.00
37
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
Carbon farming in living labs
12.00
7
TOTAL
126.00
123
The evaluation results are expected to be communicated between December 2023 - January 2024.
Flash information on the CALL results
(flash call info)
The HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01 call was closed on 20th September 2023. 123 proposals were submitted in response to this call. The breakdown per topic is indicated below:
Topic code
Topic name
Budget (in million €)
Number of submitted proposals
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
Discovering the subsoil
12.00
8
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
Soil pollution processes – modelling and inclusion in advanced digital decision-support tools
14.00
6
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
Onsite digital technologies to monitor nutrients and chemical or biological stressors in soil and plants with relevance for food safety and nutrition
12.00
12
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
Innovations to prevent and combat desertification
14.00
15
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
Soil-friendly practices in horticulture, including alternative growing media
13.00
17
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
Soils in spatial planning
7.00
6
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
Back to earth: bringing communities and citizens closer to soil
6.00
15
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
Co-creating solutions for soil health in Living Labs
36.00
37
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
Carbon farming in living labs
12.00
7
TOTAL
126.00
123
The evaluation results are expected to be communicated between December 2023 - January 2024.
Opening date: 2023-01-17 (3 years ago)
Closing date: 2023-09-20 (3 years ago)
Procedure: single-stage
Budget: 13,000,000
Expected grants: 2
Contribution: 6,500,000 - 6,500,000
This call topic has been appended 6 times by the EC with news.
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2024-03-28
call update: flash evaluation results&#x... -
2024-03-28
call update: flash evaluation results&#x... -
2023-09-22
 flash information on the call resu... -
2023-09-22
 flash information on the call resu... -
2023-01-17
the submission session is now available... -
2023-01-17
the submission session is now available...
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01
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Timeline
Call published · 30 Sep 2024 (2 years ago)
All expected milestones for this call have passed.
Work programme published
07 Oct 2022 · est.
Call opens
17 Jan 2023
Call closes
20 Sep 2023
Outcome expected
20 Feb 2024 · est.
Grant agreement signed
20 May 2024 · est.
Call published
30 Sep 2024
-
Work programme published Estimated
07 Oct 2022 · 4 years ago
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Call opens
17 Jan 2023 · 3 years ago
Submissions can be made from this date.
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Call closes
20 Sep 2023 · 3 years ago
Deadline to submit a proposal.
-
Outcome expected Estimated
20 Feb 2024 · 2 years ago
The maximum time to inform applicants of the evaluation outcome is five months after the call closes.
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Grant agreement signed Estimated
20 May 2024 · 2 years ago
The maximum time to sign the grant agreement is three months after applicants are informed of the outcome.
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Call published
30 Sep 2024 · 2 years ago
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