Thomas Appel

Prof. Thomas Appel is a faculty member in Department 1, specializing in soil science and agricultural chemistry with a focus on soil fertility, nitrogen/phosphorus dynamics, and biochar applications. His work integrates environmental protection and sustainable resource management, particularly through projects like P-Recycling and Carbon Fertilizers funded by BMEL.

Research interests include optimizing phosphorus fertilizer use from sewage sludge-derived materials, assessing heavy metal availability in soils, and nitrogen mineralization processes. He has contributed to studies on electro-ultrafiltration (EUF) for soil nutrient analysis and long-term effects of reduced tillage on soil carbon sequestration.

Key projects include the 'Soil fingerprints' initiative under FHProfUnt and collaborations on sewage sludge recycling. His publications span over three decades, addressing topics from microbial nitrogen dynamics to boron fertilization in crops.