On 1 December 2025, the NitroScope team from Ghent University visited the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W) in Gembloux, Belgium, to strengthen collaboration and advance joint activities within the framework of the NitroScope project. The visit marked an important step in preparing the Belgian pilot site and aligning experimental infrastructures with the project’s scientific objectives.
During the visit, the CRA-W team presented their ongoing work in precision agriculture, cropping systems trials, long-term field experiments, and soil nitrogen laboratory procedures. These activities form a strong foundation for studying nitrogen dynamics under real farming conditions and offer valuable opportunities for integration within NitroScope.
Discussions focused on how CRA-W’s experimental platforms and datasets can be incorporated into NitroScope’s monitoring, modelling, and data harmonisation activities. The exchange of expertise highlighted the complementarity between CRA-W’s long-standing experimental infrastructure and Ghent University’s sensing technologies and modelling approaches.
Next steps
The visit resulted in agreement on two key activities that will be implemented as part of NitroScope’s work at the Belgian pilot site:
- A nitrogen mineralization incubation experiment at the CRA-W nitrogen laboratory, scheduled to start in February 2026, aimed at improving understanding of soil nitrogen processes.
- A two-year intensive greenhouse gas monitoring campaign in selected long-term experimental plots, starting in February 2027, to support the assessment of nitrogen-related emissions under different management conditions.
These activities will contribute critical data to NitroScope’s efforts to improve nitrogen flux quantification and modelling across diverse agricultural systems.
Supporting modelling and data integration
CRA-W also confirmed that historical soil, yield, weather, and satellite datasets will be made available to support NitroScope’s modelling activities. Access to long-term datasets is essential for calibrating models, validating results, and ensuring consistency across regions and pedo-climatic zones.
The combination of experimental data, historical records, and advanced sensing and modelling tools will strengthen NitroScope’s ability to deliver robust, science-based insights for nitrogen management.
Moving forward
This visit reinforces the collaborative approach at the core of NitroScope. By bringing together complementary expertise and infrastructures, the project aims to bridge field experimentation, data analysis, and practical application.
As NitroScope progresses, continued collaboration between Ghent University and CRA-W will play a key role in advancing the project’s objectives and supporting improved nitrogen management across European farming systems.