Viikki Agricultural Production Laboratory

VAPL

Overview

Open-air Platform

Parent institution: University of Helsinki, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry
Active since 2023
Active through

Co-located with

  • ICOS
  • LTER
  • Emphasis

Fields of study

  • Atmospheric chemistry and physics
  • Isotopic chemistry
  • Climatology, Climate Change
  • Environmental sciences, Pollution
  • Soil science
  • Microbiology
  • Terrestrial biology, Ecology
  • Other
  • agricultural sciences, forest sciences, food science, economical sciences

Contact Information

Alakukku, Laura
email: laura.alakukku@helsinki.fi

UH plans to establish Viikki Agricultural Production Laboratory (VAPL) in 2017–23 to expand the process-orientated research carried out on other land use forms of existing ANAEE-Finland infrastructures to agricultural ecosystems. The farm scale infrastructure includes the measurement facilities for field (Station for Arable Field and Environment, SMEAR Agri). Infrastructure of SMEAR Agri is planned to cover soil (water, air, redox potential), weather, gas (gas emission (automated samplers), 3−5 m eddy towers), and crop (photosynthesis, canopy height (ultrasonic sensor), leaf chlorophyll in canopy, LAI, minirhizotron) measurement facilities on cereal and/or grass fields for integrated agro-environmental research. As an option also runoff and water quality measurements from field are planned to determined.

The Location

Country: Finland

Latitude: 60.21416667

Longitude: 25.02861

Nearest town: Helsinki

Distance from neaerst town: km

Relevant Research Questions

UH plans to establish Viikki Agricultural Production Laboratory (VAPL) in 2017–23 to expand the process-orientated research carried out on other land use forms of existing ANAEE-Finland infrastructures to agricultural ecosystems.
The objectives are 1) to examine the functioning of the soil-crop-water course-atmosphere -system by utilizing continuous measurement data to increase the understanding of agriculture ecosystem-environment interaction, to develop the models and new cultivation methods to reduce environmental loading from fields and to enhance soil carbon sequestration.
2) to establish a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to examine the agricultural production in farm scale (e.g. nutrient and material flows, environmental issues)

Advantages

The site will be new and modern measurement technique is planned to use. Field treatmetns and measurements (soil-plant-water-atmosphere) can be done in plot and field scale. Viikki and Kumpula campuses of UH located near the site providing multidisciplinary research environment and possibilities to interdisciplinary collaboration. Agricultural research can be connected to the research of other land use forms (e.g. the research carried out on other SMEAR stations). Good possibilities to hos international collaborators.

Limitations

The site is fully available by 2023.

Experimental Capabilities

Experimental Facilities

Usual field experiment facilities are available for field studies. Experimental herd of 60 cows (including also cows fitted with rumen cannulas) is available for dietary manipulations.

Experiments duration: Months, Decades;

Experimental Aerea

Total area: 110000 m²

Whole parcel of 11 ha is planned to include in the site.

Available area: 110000 m²

Experimental Unit Size

unit size: 100 m²

It depends what will be examined on the field. The experimental units will be decided based on the treatment and need of research. In animal experimentation one cow usually can be considered as an experimental unit.

Replicates

Replicates number: 3

It depends what will be examined. The number of replicates will be decided based on the research question and the design of the experiments.

Cross-Ecosystem Manipulation

Field located next to the forest. Also the Baltic sea is near the field.

Manipulation Techniques

Field: E.g. on the field the tillage/cropping sequence/fertilization can be manipulated.
Habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss: field-forest sites located side by side providing good possibility to compare different land use forms. Likewise grass, pasture and cereal cultivation can be compared on field.

Temporary storage

  • Dark room
  • Drying oven
  • Freeze drier
  • Freezer
  • Liquid N
  • Refrigerator

Available Instruments

  • UPLC
  • Zetasiser nano ZS
  • Pamas SBSS
No Electricity

Electricity not available on site.

Distance from Laboratory facilities

Climate

Years measured:

Temperature

Mean Temperature: °C

February Mean Temperature: °C

July Mean Temperature: °C

Wind

Mean Annual Speed: m/s

Max. Annual Speed: m/s

Dominant Direction:

Precipitation

Total annual precipitation: mm

Mean snow cover duration: 0 days

Soil Types

State Variables

Continuously Measured

  • (aquatic) Conductivity
  • (aquatic) Nutrient levels
  • (aquatic) Oxygen content
  • (aquatic) pH
  • (aquatic) Turbidity
  • (aquatic) Water temperature
  • Air humidity
  • Air temperature
  • Atmospheric pressure
  • Canopy temperature
  • Incident PAR
  • Soil temperature
  • Soil water content
  • Soil water potential

Spot Measured

  • Population densities

Environmental Pressures

Variable Ecosystem Status
Hydro Agrosystem Planned
Airpoll Agrosystem Planned
Soilerosion Agrosystem Planned
Management - Nutrients (levels or nutrient type) Agrosystem Planned
Management - tilling or other physical manipulation Agrosystem Planned
Management - conventional vs. organic or other eco-friendly practice Agrosystem Planned
Management - grazing (pressure or animal species) Agrosystem Planned
Management - rotation practice Agrosystem Planned
Habitatfrag Agrosystem Planned
Pests Agrosystem Planned
Biodiversity Agrosystem Planned

On site Staff and Accomodation

Peak season staff

No on-site staff.

Off season staff

No on-site staff.

Visiting personnel

No visitors allowed.

No beds on site

No showers on site

No laundry on site