D5.1- HANDBOOK ON WP5 SETTING UP, PROTOCOLS FOR SAMPLING, SAMPLE PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS

The WP5 aims to determine the relationship that exists between soil biodiversity and other variables such as the crop production or emission of greenhouse gases. The first step in carrying out this work package is to establish a series of standardized procedures for experinmental set up, sampling, processing of these samples, data collection and characterization, and data analysis. This deliverable presents, in the form of an appendix, a handbook of methods to carry out all the analyzes that will allow establishing the soil and crops characteristics of the different pedoclimatic regions. Therefore, the protocols agreed by the project members are included. The aspects considered in this handbook of methods are:

- Experinmental design
- Crop growth and quality properties. This part includes the development of the crops, the yield, the incidence of diseases, and the nutritional evaluation of cereals, legumes and vegetables.Types of sampling of the soils (oriented to determine dry bulk density, biodiversity or physicochemical characteristics).
- Earthworm sampling.
- Physical characterization of the soil including determination of dry bulk density, coarse fragments, water holding capacity, humidity, soil hydraulic conductivity, particle size distribution and aggregates.
- Chemical characterization of the soil including determination of pH, salinity, and content of organic matter, organic and inorganic carbon, total and inorganic nitrogen, available phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, boron, effective exchange capacity, cations (iron, manganese, copper, zinc and molybdenum), and pesticides.
- Biological analyzes that include biodiversity measures (of worms, nematodes and microorganisms), using techniques such as DNA extraction and purification, or fatty acid analysis.
- Soil greenhouse gas emission.