Applied Science for Farming
Connecting soil biogeochemistry, nutrient tracing, and isotopic tools with practical decisions in agricultural systems.
At SPICe Lab, we believe that the gap between advanced geochemical science and everyday farming decisions is smaller than it appears. Isotopes and trace elements offer some of the clearest windows into how nutrients move through soils, how plants access them, and how agricultural management shapes long-term soil health.
The science behind it
Agricultural soils are dynamic geochemical systems. The availability of nutrients to plants is not simply a function of what's present — it depends on mineralogy, organic matter, microbial activity, water chemistry, and the isotopic and elemental signatures that track how those systems have changed over time.
Biogeochemical cycles
Understanding how carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and micronutrients cycle through soil, water, and plant systems — and where those cycles are broken or inefficient.
Nutrient tracing with isotopes
Stable isotopes can distinguish nutrient sources, track uptake pathways, and reveal whether applied fertilizers are reaching plants or being lost to leaching or volatilization.
Trace element signatures
Elemental ratios in soils and plant tissues are sensitive indicators of soil health, contamination, and the effectiveness of amendments — information that bulk chemistry alone cannot provide.
Soil–plant interactions
Geochemical proxies help characterize rhizosphere dynamics, mineral weathering contributions to nutrition, and conditions under which micronutrient deficiencies develop.
Southern Chile as a field context
Southern Chile presents a particularly rich context for this work. The region combines volcanic soils of varying ages, high rainfall seasonality, intensive agricultural and forestry land use, and growing pressure from climate variability. These conditions generate genuine geochemical questions that matter for both scientific understanding and practical farm management.
SPICe Lab is positioned at this intersection — bringing isotopic and elemental tools developed in international research contexts to the specific agricultural challenges of the South Pacific region.
Practical programs for Chilean producers
Alongside our scientific and consulting work, SPICe Lab operates applied agricultural programs directly supporting small producers in the regions of La Araucanía, Los Ríos, and Los Lagos. These programs integrate greenhouse infrastructure, technical support, and biogeochemical principles into accessible formats for family farming operations.
These programs are conducted in Spanish and designed specifically for the local agricultural context.
Ver programas agrícolas (ES) →Collaboration and research opportunities
If you work in agricultural geochemistry, soil science, or related fields and are interested in collaboration, data sharing, or joint research in southern Chile, we would be glad to hear from you.
Areas open for collaboration
We are particularly interested in connecting with groups working on isotope-based nutrient tracing, rhizosphere geochemistry, soil organic matter dynamics, or long-term agricultural monitoring in volcanic or temperate soil systems. Methodological interests include LA-ICP-MS applications to plant-soil systems, stable isotope approaches to nutrient cycling, and geochemical indicators of soil health at the landscape scale.
Get in touchInterested in geochemical approaches to agriculture?
Whether you're a researcher, an institution, or an agricultural organization looking to incorporate geochemical tools into your work, SPICe Lab can offer consulting, project design, and analytical coordination.