The Jyndevad Experiment – a scientific heirloom in the borderlands
In 1942 – in the midst of the Second World War – a field experiment was established at the Jyndevad Experimental Station, just 1.8 km from the Danish-German border. The aim was to find a solution to a very specific challenge: how to boost crop yields – particularly potatoes – on the area’s sandy soils. The answer turned out to be lime. Two years later, phosphorus was added to the mix.
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Today, more than 80 years on, the experiment is still running – and more relevant than ever. It offers unique opportunities to study the long-term effects of cultivation strategies at a time when understanding the role of soil in the green transition has never been more important.
“We now have a research platform that is truly one of a kind – and which can be used to explore questions that hadn’t even been imagined when the experiment was first established in 1942,” says Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen, who took over scientific responsibility for the Jyndevad experiment in spring 2023.
Four fields, eight decades – and invaluable gradients
Originally, the experiment was laid out across four adjacent fields (V1–V4). Over the years, two of these fields were converted – one into woodland (V4) and the other into permanent grassland (V3). The experimental treatments, however, have continued in fields V1 and V2, both of which remain in arable rotation. In these two fields, annual measurements are taken of grain and straw yield, and soil samples are regularly collected and archived.
After eight decades of systematic treatments, the fields now contain significant gradients in pH and phosphorus levels. In field V1, larger soil samples can be taken at greater depths, whereas field V2 is kept relatively undisturbed to preserve the unique gradients in soil properties.
“It’s extremely rare to have an experiment with such strong gradients in both pH and phosphorus content. This makes the Jyndevad field trial a goldmine for research – allowing us to gain a much deeper understanding of mechanisms related to plant growth, greenhouse gas emissions and more,” explains Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen.
An open invitation to collaborate
When Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen assumed scientific responsibility for the field trial, she co-authored a comprehensive review article on the experiment together with Jørgen Eriksen, Bent Tolstrup Christensen and Gitte Rubæk. The article has just been published (read it here), and provides a detailed description of the experiment.
“We also outline how the trial has been used in a wide range of research activities – from studies on root growth through the soil profile to investigations of how lime and phosphorus applications affect nitrous oxide emissions,” says Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen.
“We would very much welcome new colleagues who are interested in developing ideas and projects that make use of this long-term experiment. Jyndevad is part of our scientific heritage – and its value will only grow if we continue to make active use of it,” she says. “So, if you’re working on a research idea where the Jyndevad experiment could play a role, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”
Contact
Assistant Professor Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen, mail: ifp@agro.au.dk