Presentation G6094 Results at the International Congress on Soil Management in Croatia

NPD Prof. Valentina Pidlisnyuk and the UJEP research team, including Dr. Karim Al Souki and PhD students Ghazwa Basma, Batoul Hamade, and Abdulmannan Rouhani, together with Co-Director Dr. Tatyana Stefanovska (NULES, Ukraine), presented results from the NATO SPS MYP G6094 project at the International Congress “Soil Management and Interdisciplinary Approaches to Global Challenges.” The congress was organized by the Croatian Soil Society and held on 14–18 September 2026 in Vodice, Croatia. The event brought together researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders from diverse disciplines to discuss sustainable soil management in response to current environmental, agricultural, and societal challenges. The scientific programme included keynote lectures, oral and poster presentations, workshops, and an exhibition of soil monitoring equipment.

The G6094 team presented contributions addressing Miscanthus-based phytotechnology supported by biochar and biomass ash, soil carbon dynamics, entomopathogenic nematodes, and phytomanagement of degraded and brownfield soils. Specifically, the following presentation were delivered: Pidlisnyuk V., Ust’ak S., Newton R.A., Mamirova A., Vana V. Revitalization of military conflict-affected soils through miscanthus-based advanced phytotechnology with waste-derived soil amendments; Rouhani A., Pidlisnyuk V., Al Souki K., Basma G., Ust’ak S., Vana V., Hertz A. Optimizing biomass ash application from controlled trails to field validation for soil and plant improvement; Stefanovska T., Husieva A., Skwiercz A., Pidlisnyuk V., Hertz A., Kononchuk O., Markiv V., Shapoval P., Stadnik V., Sozanskyi M. Three-years biochar effects on soil carbon dynamics and nematode food web under miscanthus in post-conflict soils; Medkov A., Stefanovska T., Shapoval P., Stadnik V., Sozanskyi M., Pidlisnyuk V. Biostimulants and soil texture effects on entomopathogenic nematodes in miscanthus-based systems on degraded soils; Hamade B., Pidlisnyuk V., Basma G., Rouchani A., Al Souki K. Enhancing the soil quality with different amendments under the cultivation of Silphium perfoliatrum: field experiment; Basma G., Stefanovska T., Skwiercz A., Ust’ak S., Pidlisnyuk V. Arundo donax and organic amendment-assisted phytomanagement for improving soil health on a brownfield site.

The congress provided opportunities for strengthening international collaboration. Professor Pidlisnyuk held meetings with Prof. Zeljka Zgorelec and Dr. Alekdandra Persin (University of Zagreb), prof. Muhamad Riaz (Governmental College University Faisalabad, Paristan). She had a discussion with Co-Director Dr. Tatyana Stefanovska, NULES, Ukraine related the current layout of the project’s implementation at the military site in Vorzel, Ukraine. Along with Dr. Karim Al Souki the particularly relevant was a meeting with Dr. Christian Heerdt of Umwelt-Geräte-Technik GmbH, Germany. Discussions focused on advanced soil monitoring equipment, including field lysimeters and other monitoring systems, and their potential application at the G6094 Miscanthus research sites in Chomutov. The possibility of visiting a field-scale experiment in Germany was discussed. Such a visit would provide an opportunity for the G6094 team to become familiar with advanced field-monitoring technologies and assess their potential application in ongoing Miscanthus × giganteus phytotechnology experiments in Chomutov.