D-TECT

Geospatial drainage status detection mapping of organic rich soils for NIR and policy support needs

A challenge for Ireland is the enhancement of our food production system to contribute to climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection and water quality improvements whilst developing resilience for future climate scenarios. In 2022, Ireland developed a pathway to cut economy wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 51% by 2030. This entails a 25% reduction (c. 5.75 Mt CO2e) in GHG emissions from the agricultural sector and significant GHG emission reductions from the land use sector.

D-TECT will focus on drained grasslands on peat soils, which represent a large GHG emission source of, an estimated, 8-9 million tonnes CO2 equivalent per annum, from an area of 335,000 ha. There is a recognition that this estimate relies upon a number of un-tested assumptions regarding the extent, nutrient status and drainage status (shallow versus deep water table) of these soils which need to be interrogated and, where appropriate, refined. Such refinements, as potentially verified by D-TECT, could mean that emission estimates for these soils would be reduced by millions of tonnes annually, offering an opportunity to drastically improve emission estimates in the sector and provide for more informed and justifiable policy with regard to the management of such soils. D-TECT has identified a team and a range of innovative technological and modelling approaches to solve this national challenge and provide more accurate data within a timely and cost effective manner. D-TECT will select and classify lowland peat soils on grassland across a number of sites, roll out technologies, create on the ground validation and monitoring datasets and conduct a SWOT analysis of these technologies to identify a way forward to produce a national drainage status map for Ireland. D-TECT will provide practical mapping and reporting tools that can facilitate data entry as it becomes available into the national inventory for peat soils.

Objectives

The primary objective of D-TECT is to map the drainage status (shallow versus deep water table) of grasslands on peatlands in Ireland and deliver tools to deliver this data broken down as required at different Tiers within the NIR matrix.

In the next 2 years the main objectives will be:

Establish drainage status, nutrient status and land use matrix for peatland grassland soils at case study sites (~200 ha in N. Kerry and Midlands) using different combinations of field, laboratory and technology work in isolation and in combination.
Utilise different aerial and remote technologies in combination with detailed on the ground sensor monitoring (e.g. water table and soil moisture probes); geo-tracked relevant variables, parameters and surrogate surveys to develop high resolution spatial and temporal datasets for computer learning, modelling and mapping initiatives.

Project Partners

Prof Owen Fenton, Project PI and Co-ordinator based at Teagasc, Johnstown Castle
Dr Pat Tuohy, Senior Research Officer based at Teagasc, Moorepark
Lilian O’Sullivan, Task 6 Lead based at Teagasc, Johnstown Castle
Dr Stuart Green, Senior Research Officer based at Teagasc, Ash Town
Reamonn Fealy, Senior Researcher based at the Spatial Analysis Unit, AFBSA, Teagasc Ashtown
Asaf Shnel, Research Technician based in Teagasc Moorepark\
Martin Donoghue, Research Technician based in Teagasc Johnstown Castle
Dr John Connolly, Lead for Trinity College Dublin
Dr Charmaine Cruz, Postdoctoral Researcher based at Trinity College Dublin
Eoin McCarthy, Munster Technological University Lead based at Munster Technological University, Kerry Campus
Muhammad Inam Bari PhD Student with Munster Technological University
Dr Eve Daly University of Galway Lead