On May 13, 2025, the prototype of a soil sampling probe – designed to extract undisturbed soil cores up to 1 meter deep – was successfully tested at the experimental field of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo.

This marks an important step within Work Package 3 of the SUS-SOIL Horizon Europe project, which focuses on sampling and characterizing soils across diverse land-use types to assess subsoil health and degradation.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the SUS-SOIL Living Lab encompasses the municipalities of Ilidža, Bugojno and Živinice, where 240 soil samples will be collected from agricultural, forested, and urban areas. The samples will undergo detailed analysis to assess physical, chemical, and biological properties of subsoils.

Key WP3 activities include:
Soil sampling and mapping
Laboratory analysis and subsoil degradation assessment
Identification of threats like compaction and organic matter loss
Testing of agroecological interventions for subsoil recovery

Experts from the Federal Institute of Agropedology joined the probe testing, contributing essential expertise as one of the country’s leading institutions in soil monitoring and management.

With its varied soil types and increasing land degradation risks, Bosnia and Herzegovina stands to greatly benefit from the tools, data, and sustainable land use strategies developed through SUS-SOIL.