Stop het stikstoflek: de weg naar een groene landbouw
Wat als een deel van de oplossing voor de stikstofcrisis zich onder onze voeten bevindt?
Wanneer landbouwers meststoffen toedienen aan hun gewassen, is dat met één doel: planten voorzien van voldoende voedingsstoffen om te groeien. Eén van de belangrijkste voedingsstoffen is stikstof, maar een aanzienlijk deel van die voedingsstof bereikt nooit het gewas waarvoor ze bedoeld is.
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De reden daarvoor ligt verborgen in de bodem. Onder elke landbouwakker leeft een enorme gemeenschap van bacteriën en andere micro-organismen. Zij vervullen onmisbare functies voor een gezonde bodem, maar sommige bacteriën gebruiken ook een deel van de beschikbare stikstof. Daarbij zetten ze die om in stoffen die verloren gaan naar het milieu.
Dat heeft belangrijke gevolgen. Een deel van de stikstof wordt omgezet in lachgas, een krachtig broeikasgas dat bijdraagt aan klimaatverandering. Een ander deel komt terecht in grond- en oppervlaktewater, waar het de natuurlijke balans kan verstoren. Zo kan een overaanbod aan voedingsstoffen leiden tot algenbloei en zuurstoftekort, met negatieve gevolgen voor vissen en andere waterorganismen. Ook op het land kan een teveel aan stikstof de biodiversiteit aantasten, een belangrijk aspect van de huidige stikstofcrisis.
De uitdaging is daarom duidelijk: hoe zorgen we ervoor dat meer stikstof beschikbaar blijft voor planten, zonder de voedselproductie in gevaar te brengen?
Bacteriën tijdelijk op de rem zetten
Een veelbelovende oplossing bestaat uit zogenaamde nitrificatie-inhibitoren (hierna ‘stikstofremmers’).
Deze stoffen vertragen tijdelijk de activiteit van specifieke bodembacteriën die stikstof omzetten in minder bruikbare vormen. Daardoor blijft stikstof langer beschikbaar voor het gewas en gaan er minder voedingsstoffen verloren naar het milieu.
Hoewel deze producten vandaag al worden gebruikt in de landbouw, blijkt hun effect sterk te variëren. Een stikstofremmer die op het ene perceel uitstekend werkt, kan elders veel minder efficiënt zijn. Tot nu toe was onvoldoende duidelijk welke rol de eigenschappen van de bodem daarin spelen.
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Waarom dezelfde oplossing niet overal werkt
Landbouwgronden verschillen sterk van elkaar. Sommige bodems zijn zuur, andere eerder neutraal. Sommige bevatten veel klei, andere bestaan vooral uit zand. Die verschillen bepalen niet alleen welke gewassen goed groeien, maar beïnvloeden ook de effectiviteit van stikstofremmers.
In mijn onderzoek analyseerde ik een grote verzameling landbouwbodems uit de Benelux. Hierdoor kon ik op een veel grotere schaal dan in eerdere studies onderzoeken hoe bodemkenmerken de werking van twee veelgebruikte stikstofremmers beïnvloeden.
Daarnaast onderzocht ik niet alleen verschillende bodems, maar ook verschillende dosissen van deze producten. Dat maakte het mogelijk om na te gaan onder welke omstandigheden stikstof het langst beschikbaar blijft voor planten.
De resultaten tonen aan dat bodemeigenschappen een belangrijke invloed hebben op de effectiviteit van stikstofremmers. Deze bevindingen openen de deur naar een meer gepersonaliseerde aanpak, waarbij landbouwers advies kunnen krijgen dat afgestemd is op de specifieke kenmerken van hun perceel.
Minder verliezen, dezelfde opbrengst
Die kennis kan een belangrijke bijdrage leveren aan een duurzamere landbouw.
Wanneer stikstof langer beschikbaar blijft voor gewassen, kan een groter deel van de toegediende meststof effectief worden benut en zijn vaak minder meststof applicaties nodig. Dat betekent dat landbouwers minder stikstof verliezen aan het milieu en tegelijk efficiënter omgaan met hun meststoffen.
Zo ontstaat een win-win. De landbouwproductie hoeft niet af te nemen, terwijl de uitstoot van broeikasgassen en de belasting van waterlopen kunnen worden verminderd.
Een gezonde bodem blijft essentieel
Duurzame landbouw draait echter niet alleen om efficiëntie. Een maatregel is pas echt duurzaam wanneer ze ook veilig is voor het ecosysteem waarin ze wordt toegepast.
Daarom onderzocht ik in een tweede deel van mijn thesis enkele nieuwe kandidaat-stikstofremmers. Daarbij keek ik naar hun invloed op het bredere bodemleven.
De bodem is een complex ecosysteem waarin duizenden soorten bacteriën, schimmels en andere organismen samen zorgen voor vruchtbaarheid, nutriëntencycli en weerbaarheid tegen stressfactoren zoals droogte.
Door de impact van nieuwe stikstofremmers op die biologische balans in kaart te brengen, levert dit onderzoek kennis die essentieel is voor de ontwikkeling van toekomstige producten. Een effectieve stikstofremmer moet immers niet alleen werken, maar ook de gezondheid van de bodem behouden.
Naar een toekomstbestendige landbouw
De uitdagingen rond stikstofvervuiling beperken zich niet tot Vlaanderen. Over heel de wereld zoeken landbouwers, onderzoekers en beleidsmakers naar manieren om voedselproductie te combineren met een lagere milieubelasting.
Mijn onderzoek draagt bij aan die zoektocht door beter te verklaren waarom stikstofremmers niet overal hetzelfde effect hebben en hoe hun toepassing kan worden geoptimaliseerd.
De inzichten kunnen relatief snel worden toegepast, omdat stikstofremmers vandaag al wereldwijd worden gebruikt. Daardoor heeft dit onderzoek het potentieel om onmiddellijk bij te dragen aan efficiënter stikstofbeheer, een betere waterkwaliteit en een lagere uitstoot van broeikasgassen.
Soms worden landbouw en natuur voorgesteld als tegenstrijdige belangen. Dit onderzoek toont echter dat beide elkaar kunnen versterken. Door de processen in de bodem beter te begrijpen en af te stemmen op lokale omstandigheden, kunnen we werken aan een landbouw die productief blijft én tegelijk haar impact op het milieu verkleint.
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