Welcome to the INRAE Info&Sols research unit website

The Info&Sols unit works, firstly, to characterise the state of soils over space and time and seeks to understand and model how they function, with a particular focus on their physical and biogeochemical properties and processes. Secondly, it develops methods for assessing the quality or health of the soils and their multifunctionality, by proposing simple, accessible indicators combined with interpretation guidelines, in response to the needs of public agricultural, environmental, health and land-use planning policies.

As part of its involvement with the Groupement d'Intérêt Scientifique sur les Sols (GIS Sol), the unit organises the monitoring and survey of French soils in conjunction with its regional partners. It coordinates 4 major national programmes: the multi-scale soil mapping programme Inventaire, gestion et conservation des sols (IGCS), the soil quality measurement network (RMQS), the soil test database (BDAT) and the metal trace elements database (BDETM). As such, it supports public policy, produces maps and national statistics and represents France in European and international bodies.

The unit is also developing digital tools for data management, analysis and dissemination in connection with the national soil information system and as part of the development of INRAE's environmental observatory information system.