Land and Water Management Laboratory

The Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Laboratory (SWMCN Laboratory) of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, which is located at Seibersdorf, 35 km south of Vienna, plays a key role in the implementation of the Soil and Water Management & Crop Nutrition (SWMCN) Subprogramme. The SWMCN Laboratory assists in the development and transfer of robust and affordable nuclear techniques to Member States to optimise soil, water and nutrient management practices and strategies that enhance sustainable agriculture, with a high resilience to climate change, and contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from farmlands.

With an increasing focus in Member States to enhance the efficient use of soil and water resources and improve the ecosystem services of these, there are significant shifts in the use of isotope and nuclear techniques from a field plot approach to an area-wide scale. The development and adaptation of new robust and cheaper isotope and nuclear techniques allow scientists and technicians to effectively measure changes in soil and water quantity and quality at a range of scales (field plot to catchment scales).

The Laboratory produces an Annual Report which is available for downloading together with the biannual Newsletter on the Sub-Programme's present and future activities.