This co-authored paper, with contributions from our colleagues Luis Moreira de Sousa and Jorge Mendes de Jesus, presents a re–make of the Python implementation of the WPS standard. It embraces modern Python technologies and the possibilities they offer. The adoption of WSGI (Web Server Gateway Interface) opens new ways for load balancing request execution and application encapsulation, that are exemplified with modern Python technologies.

This work provides a valuable contribution to the development of GLOSIS, developed under Pillar 4 of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP).

Our colleague Fenny van Egmond is in Rome (28-30 October 2019) to attend the third meeting of the Global soil laboratory network (GLOSOLAN). The network was established in 2017 in the framework of the GSP’s pillar 5 on ‘Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators for the sustainable management and protection of soil resources’. GLOSOLAN is aimed at facilitating networking and capacity development through cooperation and information sharing between soil laboratories with different levels of expertise.

Our colleagues Johan Leenaars and Stephan Mantel are in Ethiopia (22-26 October 2019) to prepare 18 soil scientists, from eight universities, for a soil survey campaign covering 18 woredas (districts).

Our colleagues Rik van den Bosch, Bas Kempen and Luis de Sousa are in Rome (21-23 October 2019) to attend the annual meeting of the International Network of Soil Information Institutions (INSII). INSII will review progress with the implementation of Pillar 4 on ‘Soil information and data’ of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP).

The Pillar 4 working group is developing a Global Soil Information System (GLOSIS) that will bring together soil data from disparate holdings across the globe in a federated way, using a common ‘language’ for exchanging soil data via the web.

Our colleagues Stephan Mantel and Fenny van Egmond are attending the kick-off meeting of the EU-H2020 INNOVAR project on 'Next generation variety testing for improved cropping on European farmland'. The project is led by Agri-food & Biosciences Institut (AFBI, NI).

ISRIC will contribute to work packages on soils, data analysis and data management. 

Integrated soil data are needed to inform climate mitigation, land management and agricultural practices. Avni Malhotra et al. discuss recent advances in soil carbon data led by the International Soil Carbon Network (ISCN) and other groups, including ISRIC.

The data team at ISRIC – World Soil Information has just released a new version of standardised soil profile data for the world. These were derived from WoSIS (World Soil Information Service), ISRIC’s central database. The present version contains quality-assessed and standardised data for some 196 thousand soil profiles, representing over 832 thousand soil layers (or horizons), and over 6 million records. The profiles come from 173 countries.

On August 26th, ISRIC, The Nature Conservancy China and the Liaoning Institute of Sandy Land Control and Utilization signed a framework agreement on joint cooperation on 'restoration of degraded sandy land and sustainable use in Liaoning province'.

ISRIC will closely collaborate with TNC to provide internationally promising sustainable land management practices for local application.

Our colleagues Niels Batjes and Fenny van Egmond contributed to this research review in Global Change Biology, led by Prof. Pete Smith (Univ. of Aberdeen), as a contribution to ISRIC's CIRCASA and GRA-related activities. The paper reviews methods and challenges of measuring SOC change directly in soils, before examining some recent novel developments that show promise for quantifying SOC.

Bertin Takoutsing and Yuri Gelsleichter, two 2019 CLIFF-GRADS Awardees, are currently completing their research stay at @ISRICorg.

Yuri Gelsleichter, from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and Bertin Takoutsing, from the World Agroforestry Centre (Cameroon), came to support ISRIC and work on their PhD-research during a six month stay in Wageningen. They came as visitors and leave as Friends of ISRIC. We look forward to continued collaboration.