Data repositories that adhere to the FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) principles are crucial for maximizing the value and efficiency of research data. A recent paper published in the European Journal of Soil Science (https://bsssjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejss.70103?af=R) presents how specialized research data infrastructures advance agricultural soil research. The study showcases the BonaRes Repository, which implements the FAIR principles to enable effective data sharing and reuse.

Since its establishment in 2018, the BonaRes Repository (www.bonares.de/service-portal/data-repository) has published 815 datasets, which have been reused in 62 scientific publications. The repository offers specialized tools for data quality assurance and maintains infrastructures for the management and publication of soil profiles and long-term field experiment data. The platform provides standardized data essential for meta-analyses, research synthesis, and modelling studies, which help address complex challenges in climate change and agricultural systems. Researchers so far have utilized the repository's data for various purposes, with an emphasis on method development and evaluation. Through integration with national and international research data infrastructure - such as the FAIRagro consortium (FAIRagro.net), the repository extends its scope across agrosystems science. This connection facilitates the discovery and utilization of soil research data by the scientific community.

Reference: Lachmuth S, Dönmez C, Hoffmann C, Specka X, Svoboda N, Helming K (2025) Facilitating Effective Reuse of Soil Research Data: The BonaRes Repository. European Journal of Soil Science 76(2), e70103. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70103.

Figure copyright: Susanne Lachmuth (ZALF e.V.)

Figure Caption: Core infrastructures and services of the BonaRes Repository

Contact: Susanne Lachmuth, susanne.lachmuth@zalf.de, +49 (0)33432 82-178, Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)

Note: This press release was edited using Notion AI and then carefully checked and revised from the perspective of the AI regulations at ZALF (Notion Labs, Inc. 2024. Notion AI. San Francisco, CA: Notion Labs, Inc. Available at: https://www.notion.so/product/ai).