The AGES-Lysimeter station was built in autumn 1995 to study the long-term effects of agricultural practices on soil, water budget and water quality. Besides the monitoring of soil water quality, its design enables the continuous monitoring of water-budget parameters to evaluate the reliability of simulation models based on data derived from different soil types. The lysimeter station consists of 18 lysimeters with three different soil types in six replicates each, representing the main soil types of the Marchfeld production area. According to WRB, the soils can be classified as: • Calcic Chernozem (loamy silt, 1.57% Corg) • Calcaric Phaeozem (loamy sand, 0.75% Corg) • Gleyic Phaeozem (loam, 1.68% Corg) The area of the Lysimeter Station is located in a transition zone between the western European temperate oceanic climate (mild winters; wet and cool summers) and the eastern European temperate continental climate (cold winters; hot and dry summers). From the phyto-sociological point of view the whole area shows typical continental character.