Year of Endorsement: 1937

Number of Endorsement’s Act/Government’s Gazette Number (FEK): Law 835, 362/17-09-1937 Part Α and Presidential Degree 296, FEK 86/06-04-1981 Part Α.

 

Address / Communication: Theodora Matsi

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

School of Agriculture, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

e-mail: thmatsi@agro.auth.gr

Tηλ: +30 2310 998682

 

Members – Teaching Staff

Theodora Matsi, Professor

Tel.: +30 2310 998682

e-mail: thmatsi@agro.auth.gr

https://people.auth.gr/thmatsi/

Evagelia Golia, Professor

Tel.: +30 2310 998809

e-mail: egolia@agro.auth.gr

https://people.auth.gr/egolia/

Ioannis Ipsilantis, Professor

Tel.: +30 2310 998846

e-mail: iipsi@agro.auth.gr

https://people.auth.gr/iipsi/

 

Emeritus and Former Staff

Nick Barbayiannis, Emeritus Professor

Athena Paulatou-Ve, Emeritus Professor

Kiriakos Panagiotopoulos, Emeritus Professor

Vissarion Keramidas, Emeritus Professor

Sofia Kostopoulou, Professor

Helen Kiose-Kabasakali, Lecturer

 

Research Fields

Soil Science, Soil Fertility, Soil Chemistry, Soil Physics, Soil Microbiology, Soil Degradation and Improvement, Soil Pollution and Remediation, Soil Resources Management

 

 

 

History and Research

The Soil Science Laboratory was founded with the purpose of studying soils for their fitness for farming and silviculture, according to Law 835, FEK 362/17-09-1937 part Α and later, Presidential Decree 296, FEK 86/06-04-1981 part. Α. Ever since, and with the developments in Soil Science, the Soil Science Laboratory is covering all clades of Soil Science:

• Soil solid phase: clay minerals and organic matter. Soil solution.
• Soil physical properties and their effect on soil structure.
• Soil chemical properties (pH, salinity, cation exchange, concentrations of the main water-soluble cations and anions, total carbon and nitrogen content, soil total and available amounts of plant essential macro- and micronutrients, as well as toxic elements, and the reactions in the soil solid-solution interphase (ion exchange, sorption, precipitation, redox), as well as the reactions in the bulk soil solution (ion-pair formation and complexation).
• Fractionation (physical and chemical) of soil organic matter and its isotope 13C/15Ν
• Soil fertility. Development of reliable soil tests for plant essential macro- and micronutrients.
• Soil microbial communities. Development of microbial inocula for enhancement of plant growth.
• Effects of application of different materials (plant and animal residues, wastes, pesticides, soil amendments, etc.) on soil quality.
• Soil quality, health and resilience.

 

Teaching Activities

The personal of the Soil Science laboratory teaches seven (7) undergraduate courses of the School of Agriculture and five (5) graduate courses of the MSc program Soil, Water, Energy Resources and Agricultural Environment Management.

 

Undergraduate Courses

• Ν017Υ Soil Science
• Ν042Ε Soil Fertility
• Ν205Υ Soil Physics
• Ν206Υ Soil Chemistry
• Ν222Ε Agricultural Soil Mechanics
• Ν231Ε Soil Microbiology
• Ν240Ε Soil Clay Mineralogy

Graduate Courses

• ΝΔΕΕΠ103Υ Plant-Soil Relationships
• ΝΔΕΕΠ111Ε Environmental Soil Chemistry
• ΝΔΕΕΠ112Ε Agricultural Soil Physics
• ΝΔΕΕΠ113Ε Soil Management – Microbiome Interaction
• ΝΔΕΕΠ114Ε Integrated Soil Nutrient Management

 

Research Activities

The research objectives of the Soil Science Laboratory are the followings:

• Study of soil clay minerals and organic matter
• Species and behavior of plant essential micronutrients in soils
• Evaluation of soil tests of nutrients in respect to their ability to assess soil fertility
• Study of soil microbial community
• Interactions between soil clay minerals and soil water
• Investigation of agricultural practices to improve soil structure
• Evaluation of plant and animal residues, urban wastes, industrial by-products and wastes as soil amendments.
• Applications of mycorrhizal and other microorganisms inocula or biostimulators
• Effects of soil management on soil properties
• Soil quality, health and resilience

 

Facilities and Equipment

The Soil Science Laboratory is equipped with the following instruments – apparatus:

• Isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (SEFCON HS2022)
• Elemental analyzer (EURO EA)
• Atomic absorption spectrometer with flame or graphite furnace and autosampler (SHIMASDZU AA6300)
• Ultraviolet-visual spectrometer (SHIMADZU UV1800)
• Flam photometer (SHERWOOD FP410)
• Ion chromatographer with ECD detector (SHIMADZU GC2014)
• Ion chromatographer with autosampler (DIONEX ICS1000)
• Optical microscopes and stereoscopes with digital camera
• Calcic meter, pH and EC meters
• Digestion equipment
• Freeze-dryer
• Soxhlet
• Wet sieving apparatus
• Sandbox and pressure plate apparatus for pF determination
• Penetrometer
• Fume and laminar flow hood, gel electrophoresis
• High temperature furnace, drying ovens, incubators, water and sand baths, centrifuges

 

 

Photos of the instruments

Elemental analyzer and Isotope-ratio mass spectrometer

 

Atomic absorption spectrometer

 

Ultraviolet-visual spectrometer

 

Flame photometer

 

Gas chromatographer

 

Stereoscope & Optical Microscope

 

Recent Research Projects

The Soil Science Laboratory has participated in many research projects funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Rural Development and Foor, the EU, and other institutions of the Public and private sector. There are also collaborations with Greek and International Institutions:

• Rural Development Programme (RDP) of Greece 2014-2020: Growing of vegetable seedlings in compost-mycorrhizal fungi inoculum (2023-2025).
• Rural Development Programme (RDP) of Greece 2014-2020: Enhanced soil nutrient uptake through mycorrhizal inoculum application (2022-2025).
• Investigation of using geotextile and plastics (as cover of soils and plants) on the deterioration of soils and crops with micro- and nanoplastics (2023-2030).
• Investigation of using the filling material of fire extinguishers as soil amendment and/or fertilizer in various cultivations (2022-2030).
• ΕΛΙΔΕΚ. Safe Ferti-sludge: Assessment of the fertilization capacity and molecular evaluation of the microbial load of sewage sludge treated with minerals (2020-2025).
• ΕΥΔΕ ΕΤΑΚ Operational Program Competitiveness-Entrepreneurship-Innovation. GR: Value chain for the Greek native tulips: development of documented propagation material and integrated conservation for sustainable exploitation (2020-2023).
• Horizon 2020 Grant agreement ID: 818346. SIEUSOIL: Sino-EU soil observatory for intelligent land use management (2020-2022).
• ΕΥΔΕ ΕΤΑΚ Operational Program Competitiveness-Entrepreneurship-Innovation. PRECISE-M: Conservation and sustainable utilisation of rare-threatened endemic plants of Crete for the development of new products with innovative precision fertilisation (2018-2022).
• ΕΥΔΕ ΕΤΑΚ Operational Program Competitiveness-Entrepreneurship-Innovation. MYCCORN: Single-plant resource use efficiency and the investigation of the appropriate mycorrhizal inocula to boost grain productivity of corn genotypes (2018-2022).

Since 2011, the Soil Science Laboratory is operating a soil analysis service, under the title Laboratory analysis of soils, plant tissues, irrigation waters and fertilizers, for:

• Fertilization recommendation
• Leaf analysis
• Assessment of irrigation water quality in respect to the risks of soil salinization and boron phytotoxicity
• Confirmation of the composition of fertilizers and soil amendments
• Improvement of problematic soils
• Investigation of soil pollution by heavy metals
• Evaluation of soil quality, health and resilience

 

 

 

Recent Theses

 

PhD theses

• Papadimou Sotiria. 2025. Investigation of the use of the species Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. for phytoremediation of polluted soils with heavy metals.
• Kouimtzi Marina. 2024. Effect of biochar addition on carbon sequestration and physical properties of two soils differed in their texture.
• Balidakis Athanasios. 2023. Dewatered sewage sludge stabilization with soil amendments and its agronomic use.
• Papaioannou Eugenia. 2023. The effect of agricultural and forest management of chestnut (Castanea sativa) on soil properties and nutrition.
• Samara Eftihia. 2022. Investigation of new methods of dewatered sewage sludge stabilization and the evaluation of its agronomic use.
• Alifragi Maria. 2018. Gradual increase of biological activity in manganese (Mn) by-products deposits.
• Alamanou Maria. 2017. Phosphatase activity in agriculture ecosystems in Northern Greece.
• Bilias Fotios. 2017. Contribution of non-exchangeable potassium to its availability to plants and the buffering capacity of soils.

 

MSc theses

• Stamati Aikaterini. 2026. Interaction of soil texture and different biochar on the modification of chemical (C, N) and structural properties.
• Iordanidis Ioannis. 2025. Management effects on soil organic matter fractions in soils of orchards with peaches and kiwis.
• Karabatzakis Ilias. 2025. Determination of nutritional needs of cherry tree, var. Lapins.
• Kotsaggeli Eleni. 2025. Evaluation of exchangeable and non-exchangeable potassium as indicator of soil potassium availability.
• Politis Eleftherios. 2025. The effects of zeolite addition (clinoptilolite) on the structural and hydraulic properties of a saline-sodic soil.
• Tatsi Eftihia. 2025. Effects of flooding in physiochemical and microbial properties of soils around Karla Lake.
• Alexiadis Dimitrios. 2024. Impact of plastics (geotextile) on heavy metals accumulation by industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa ).
• Androudi Maria. 2024. Investigation of the use of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) for the remediation of heavy metals contaminated soils in the framework of a circular economy model.
• Barbieri Edoardo. 2024. Combined effect of soil heavy metal levels on cannabidiol (CBD) production and cadmium accumulation by industrial hemp (Cannabis Sativa). Στα πλαίσια προγράμματος Erasmus+, σε συνεργασία με το University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain.
• Kantzou Urania-Despina. 2024. Survey study of soil pollution in urban green areas of Thessaloniki.
• Paraschou Anastasia. 2024. Preliminary evaluation of solid residues from aromatic plants distillation as amendments for an acid soil.
• Parissis Nikoloas-Anastasios. 2024. Onion (Allium cepa) inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi form sand dunes and desert under salinity.
• Rizos Christos. 2024. Investigation of the differentiation of mycorrhizal fungi in a vineyard by inoculation and water stress.
• Spiriadou-Theodoridou Sofia. 2024. Assessment of the diversity of Greek tulip arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with next generation sequencing.
• Tsinipizoglou Nikolaos. 2024. Interaction of fertilization and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on Cu uptake and growth of Tulipa australis.
• Vranna Antigoni. 2022. Improvement of soil structure formation and stability by means of bio-cementation.
• Kekelis Panagiotis. 2022. Evaluation of nutrients in flood water in rice cultivated soils after application of spent coffee grounds.
• Bakosis Georgios. 2022. Interaction between different maize hybrids, arbuscular mycorrhizae and low phosphorus levels in an acid and an alkaline soil.
• Vellios Basilios. 2021. Mycorrhizal response of nine Zea mays
• Karagianni Anastasia-Garyfallia. 2021. Effect of sewage sludge treated with clay minerals or biochar on soil properties and the growth of a grass.
• Tsiliggiri Asimenia. 2021. Study of the effect of the quantity and type of anion on boron adsorption by soils.
• Balidakis Athanasios. 2019. Use of steelmaking slag for boron removal from irrigation waters.
• Papaioannou Eugenia. 2019. Assessment of various soil mixtures on chestnut seedlings (Castanea sativa) growth.
• Apostolidou Christina. 2017. Comparison of four methods for the determination of cation exchange capacity of calcareous soils.
• Margariti Stella. 2017. Study of the effect of salinity and cation species on boron adsorption by soils.
• Samara Eftihia. 2016. Evaluation of using sewage sludge stabilized with steelmaking slag as a fertilizer.

 

Diploma theses

• Antoniou Panagiota. 2025. Effect of soil properties and microplastics on Cu absorption by lettuce plants.
• Vogia Rafaela. 2025. Microplastics in agricultural soils: Effect of geotextile on Cd and Cu absorption by industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa).
• Karatsioli Dimitra-Konstantina. 2025. Effects of solid residues from aromatic and pharmaceutical plants distillation on the characterization properties of an alkaline soil.
• Papadopoulos Ioannis. 2025. Study of heavy metals levels in urban soils of Thessaloniki.
• Sandrou Nikoleta. 2025. Effects of solid residues from aromatic and pharmaceutical plants distillation on the characterization properties of an acid soil.
• Tzouganakis Antonios. 2025 Assessment of soil health in cotton: Changes in soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity.
• Vokas Aristotelis. 2024. Copper uptake by industrial hemp as means for sustainable management of polluted soils.
• Galatas Marios. 2024. The ability of the species Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. to absorb lead (Pb) and the investigation of using it for the remediation of polluted Mediterranean soils.
• Gouliou Eleni. 2024. Levels of trivalent and hexavalent chromium in urban and agricultural Mediterranean soils.
• Zirnas Stefanos. 2024. Use of the species Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. for remediation of soils polluted with lead (Pb). Effect of simultaneous presence of zinc (Zn) in soils.
• Koropouli Aikaterini. 2024. Study of the levels of potentially toxic elements in urban soils of Thessaloniki.
• Koundouraki Maria. 2024. In vivo reproduction and growth of Helichrysum amorginum in pots.
• Triantafillidi Eleni. 2024. Sustainable management of polluted soils: Lead uptake by plants of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa).
• Valsamis-Triantafillou Vasilios. 2023. Phytoremediation of copper-contaminated soils using industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa).
• Kandilas Antonios. 2023. Effect of cadmium on plants of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) and the investigation of the possibility of using hemp for the remediation of polluted soils.
• Leontaridis Pavlos. 2023. Isolation and selection of potassium dissolving bacteria and their evaluation as inocula.
• Mihailovits Maria. 2023. Effects of different mycorrhizal species and fertilization on Petromarula pinnata.
• Paraschou Anastasia. 2022. Effect of inorganic and organic fertilization on the composition of tulip plants ( orphanidea), cultivated in field at Epanomi area.
• Hatzisavvas Iraklis. 2022. Study of Cu and Zn levels in urban soils of Thessaloniki.
• Psiroukis Kallias. 2022. Effect of inorganic and organic fertilization on the composition of tulip plants ( orphanidea), cultivated in field at Thermi area.
• Anastasiadis Iraklis. 2021. Effect of biochar on the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in an alkaline soil, combined with mycorrhizal fungi and inoculum filtrate.
• Kerasoviti Andriani. 2021. Environmental impacts of excavation process and restoration of the disturbed soils.
• Perdikis Ioannis. 2021. Study of the spatial variability of certain properties of a sandy-loamy soil (of an experimental field to which dewatered sewage sludge was going to be applied).
• Goudentzidis Georgios. 2020. Effects of conventional fertilization or olive mail wastewater on asparagus and it’s mycorrhizal symbiosis.
• Kehagias Antonios. 2020. Evaluation of the fertility of ten soils from Serres’ area, for the cultivation of annual crops.
• Papatzika Panagiota-Efremia. 2020. Preliminary investigation of the potential use of solid residues of processed hemp (Cannabis sativa) as soil amendment.
• Harou Aikaterini. 2020. Study of the effects of sewage sludge application on the properties of a loamy-sandy soil.