GENERAL OBJECTIVE
The general objective of NitroScope is to deliver systemic solutions for accurately quantifying and managing European nitrogen fluxes to improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) and reduce losses from nitrate leaching and N₂O emissions. This will be achieved through enhanced monitoring across 100 data collection sites, 20+ farms and 5 pilot sites, supported by improved sensors, remote sensing and upgraded N₂O measurement methods. A unified database and cloud platform will strengthen reporting, while region-specific emission factors and model-based decision support will be developed through an integrated modelling ensemble. NitroScope will also test improved N management practices and deploy two farm-management add-ons to actively engage land managers in reducing N losses across Europe.
Generate and manage an accessible European N database, able to store and harmonize historical data, field data and models outputs.
Involve farmers and land managers in the monitoring of N fluxes and foster their adoption of improved N management practices.
Develop, adapt and optimize sensing and monitoring tools to quantify different forms of N.
Improve knowledge on the mechanisms governing N translocation from soil and the drivers of the variability in different pedo-climatic zones.
Study, by means of better calibrated process-based models, N fluxes from plot scale to national level.
Develop tailor made N management & conservation strategies in various European pedo-climatic zones, and provide a comprehensive assessment of their agronomic, socio-economic and environmental impact.
Compute the full N budgets at country and European scales, assess their uncertainty with respect to data and future climates and land use.
Foster an innovation infrastructure based on a multidisciplinary ecosystem enabling the exploitation of project results across the European farming industry and supporting the up-scaling of the proposed solutions.