Project News – ReKKS

Lysimeter successfully installed

UGT GmbH is a part of an international working team that consisted of scientists from Kostanay State Pedagogical Institute, Altai State University, “AMAZONE” Kasachstan, Leibniz University Hannover, University of Halle, UFZ Halle, in the project ReKKS.

Rekks Lysimeter Einbau_2

Installation of the lysimeter station. Photo credit: UGT GmbH


The task of the UGT was the development and fabrication of a weighable lysimeter station that operates during the whole year. Plant-accessible water is the limiting factor for agricultural yields in the steppe zone of Kazakhstan, especially in the light of the ongoing climate change with an increase in the mean annual temperatures along with more infrequent precipitation events in the study area.
Rekks Lysimeter Einbau_3

Installation of the lysimeter station. Photo credit: UGT GmbH


This week we have successfully completed the installation of the lysimeter station. The weighable lysimeter station consisting of two gravitation lysimeters. Quantitative and qualitative parameters of the soil water budget will be recorded for different soil management systems.

Two different undisturbed soil monoliths (steppe vs. farmland lysimeter) were excavated from the site of investigation and placed in the lysimeter vessels for further research.
Rekks Lysimeter Einbau_4

Installation of the lysimeter station. Photo credit: UGT GmbH


The installed sensor technology works very well. First measured values already show a clear difference between the steppe lysimeter and the farmland lysimeter. The possibility of remote data transmission represents a major contribution to the success of the project.
We would like to thank Tobias Meinel, Olga, Sharnabek and Yevgeni Pelzer and his team for the support during the installation of the lysimeter station.
We hope for further good cooperation. The next maintenance will take place in one year and we are looking forward to seeing you again in Kazakhstan.
 
ReKKS
“Innovations for Sustainable Use of Agricultural Resources and Climate-adaption in the Arid Steppes of Kazakhstan and Southwestern Siberia (ReKKS)”