Environmental research
Our research objectives include the maintenance and improvement of agricultural capacity of soil and other growth substrates. Soil management and plant nutrition are developed hand in hand with production and the environment.
In terms of agricultural ecology, the main emphasis is on agricultural sustainability. Important areas of the study include the surveillance of production environment, research on factors influencing sustainability, agri- environmental indicators and environmental risks, as well as research on the regional structures and social relations in agriculture. Our current regional aims cover intensified efforts to prevent water pollution, the protection of the biodiversity and the sustainable development of rural areas.
The sustainability of food production is improved by better production systems, interdisciplinary research on complete food systems and also through transformation of ecological concepts into marketable products and environmental education.
Environmental research is headed by Professor Sirpa Kurppa, Director of Environmental Research, PhD, Dos. Agric. Zoology.
The facilities for Soil and environment and Environmental management and their laboratories are located in Jokioinen, in southwest Finland. Ecological production is stationed in two joint research centres in Mikkeli and Juva, in southeast Finland. The former focuses on ecological studies of berries and herbs, while the latter concentrates on organic production and its systematic implementation.
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