Extension methods include practical and theoretical elements: farmers attending a field day organised by SMI.

Soil management initiative (المملكة المتحدة)

الوصف

An independent organisation that promotes the adoption of appropriate soil management practices, especially conservation agriculture, within England.

Aims / objectives: The zero tillage systems promoted in the UK during the 1970s were radical. Pioneering farmers moved from ploughing to zero tillage using special direct drilling machines and non-selective contact herbicides. However, they encountered serious problems with slugs, persistent grass weeds and straw, and zero tillage was largely abandoned. Pressures to reduce crop establishment costs then led to the intermediate method of ???conservation agriculture??? (CA). The Soil Management Initiative (SMI) has been central to the development and promotion of CA. SMI is an independent non-profit organisation that was established by a small, committed group in 1999. Its aim is to promote the adoption of cultivation systems which improve soil quality, minimise soil erosion and water pollution, and simultaneously maintain or enhance farm economic returns. SMI brings together organisations with varied expertise and technical abilities, and provides both research results and advice to the large numbers of farmers who are progressively adopting CA. Furthermore, SMI was a founder member of the European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF), under which there are 14 national organisations. Competence within SMI is drawn from research institutes, educational establishments, farmers and landowners, machinery manufacturers, crop protection companies, charitable trusts, and from independent agronomists and advisers.

Methods: The EU Life fund provided an initial three-year allocation to support SMI. This ended in 2002. SMI now raises finance from the UK and EU governments, commercial sponsorship (international agrochemical and machinery companies) and fees paid by farmers. In the current climate of privatisation of advisory services, there is no targeted governmental advisory body to carry out such a function. DEFRA (The UK Government???s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) does however provide some support to SMI with both funds and expertise, and is an associate member. Amongst SMI???s methods for spreading the message of improved soil management are field days - where farmers pay to attend- an interactive web-based help-line on ???lo-till??? and farmers??? magazines. SMI also undertakes extension roadshows???, visiting specific farms for question and answer sessions. A formal session with presentations from experts precedes a practical outdoor demonstration. SMI gains knowledge and practical experience from the ???joint venture??? at Loddington (see associated technology).

الموقع

الموقع: Loddington, Leicestershire, المملكة المتحدة

المرجع الجغرافي للمواقع المختارة
  • -0.839, 52.614

تاريخ البدء: 1999

سنة الإنهاء: غير متاح

نوع النهج
Extension methods include practical and theoretical elements: farmers attending a field day organised by SMI.
Classroom training sessions on conservation agriculture with presentations from experts.

غايات النهج والبيئة المواتية

الغايات/الأهداف الرئيسية للنهج
- improve technology transfer through extension to farmers
- promote agricultural and environmental policies to support sustainable soil management
- improve information exchange in and amongst the research, policy and practitioner communities and private companies (machinery and agrochemical etc)
- research, develop, evaluate and promote soil management systems to improve crop production and protection of the environment

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems:
-Attempts to apply conservation agriculture by arable farmers in the 1980s and 90s were not matched by an understanding of the whole system. There was a thirst for more knowledge.
-Privatisation of government advisory services has left a gap to be filled in this case an advisory body in sustainable soil management.
الشروط التي تمكن من تنفيذ التقنية/التقنيات المطبقة في إطار النهج
الظروف التي تعيق تنفيذ التقنية/التقنيات المطبقة في إطار النهج
  • توفر/الوصول إلى الموارد والخدمات المالية: SMI has needed to operate within a tight budget, and this was reduced further in 2002 when the 3-year allocation from the EU Life fund ended. Treatment through the SLM Approach: The remedy has been to depend more on support from private companies (agrochemical and machinery) and payment by farmers for advice/attendance at field days.
  • الإطار القانوني (حيازة الأراضي، وحقوق استخدام الأراضي والمياه): The existing land ownership, land use rights / water rights moderately hindered the approach implementation Ownership and the attitude of the owner towards CA can affect uptake significantly. For example, some landlords do not like tenants to practice conservation agriculture because ???it looks messy??? with trash lying on the surface rather than neatly ploughed fields.
  • المعرفة حول الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي، والوصول إلى الدعم الفني: Farmers lacked adequate knowledge regarding use of new CA implements, and emerging weed and pest control methods. Treatment through the SLM Approach: SMI provides demand-driven technical support services.

مشاركة وأدوار الأطراف المعنية

الأطراف المعنية بالنهج وأدوارها
ما هي الجهات المعنية / الكيانات المنفذة التي شاركت في النهج؟ حدد الأطراف المعنيين وصف أدوار الأطراف المعنية
مستخدمو الأراضي المحليون/المجتمعات المحلية Differences between the participation of men and women: None in principle, though de facto most farmers are male, and they constitute the majority at field days.
متخصصون في الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي / مستشارون زراعيون
الحكومة الوطنية (المخططون، صانعو القرار) Govt. agencies
contractors, environmentalists/researchers
انخراط مستخدمي الأراضي المحليين/المجتمعات المحلية في المراحل المختلفة للنهج
غير موجود
سلبي
الدعم الخارجي
تفاعلي
التعبئة الذاتية
المبادرة/التحفيز
x
setting up SMI
التخطيط
x
setting up SMI
التنفيذ
x
advisory services/demand-driven field events
الرصد/التقييم
x
M&E of SMI's activities
Research
x
on-farm research on conservation agriculture
مخطط التدفق

Institutional framework: Linkages between the Soil Management Institute, the European Conservation Agriculture Foundation, funding agencies, research institutions, land users and producers of machiner

اتخاذ القرار بشأن اختيار تقنية الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي

وقد تم اتخاذ القرارات من قبل

  • مستخدمو الأراضي وحدهم (المبادرة الذاتية)
  • مستخدمو الأراضي بشكل أساسي، بدعم من متخصصي الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي
  • جميع الجهات الفاعلة ذات الصلة، كجزء من نهج تشاركي
  • متخصصون في الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي بشكل أساسي، بعد التشاور مع مستخدمي الأراضي
  • متخصصون في الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي بمفردهم
  • السياسيون / القادة

تم اتخاذ القرارات بناء على

  • تقييم المعرفة الموثقة جيدًا بشأن الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي(اتخاذ القرارات القائمة على الأدلة)
  • نتائج البحوث
  • خبرة وآراء شخصية(غير موثقة)

الدعم الفني وبناء القدرات وإدارة المعرفة

شكلت الأنشطة أو الخدمات التالية جزءًا من النهج
بناء القدرات/التدريب
تم تقديم التدريب للأطراف المعنية التالية
  • مستخدمو الأراضي
  • موظفون ميدانيون/ مستشارون
شكل التدريب
  • في العمل
  • من مزارع إلى مزارع
  • مناطق العرض
  • اجتماعات عامة
  • دورات
المواضيع المغطاة

Technical demonstrations in the field are the primary means of knowledge transfer. A formal session with presentations from experts precedes a practical outdoor demonstration. Although conservation agriculture is the umbrella topic, specific issues - such as herbicide application are treated on demand.

خدمة استشارية
تم تقديم الخدمة الاستشارية
  • في حقول مستخدمي الأراضي
  • في مراكز دائمة
  • Weekly magazine and helpopline
Name of method used for advisory service: Roadshows; Key elements: visiting specific farms for question and answer sessions, an e-mail/website based lo-till helpline through the Farmers. Weekly magazine (www.fwi.co.uk). SMI furthermore contributes to frequent press articles as well as producing publications
الرصد والتقييم
bio-physical aspects were regular monitored by project staff through measurements technical aspects were regular monitored by project staff through measurements socio-cultural aspects were ad hoc monitored by project staff through observations economic / production aspects were regular monitored by project staff through measurements area treated aspects were ad hoc monitored by project staff through measurements management of Approach aspects were ad hoc monitored by project staff through observations There were None changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: SMI is constantly refining its advice on the basis of results monitored from the field.
البحوث
تناول البحث المواضيع التالية
  • علم الاجتماع
  • الاقتصاد / التسويق
  • علم الايكولوجيا
  • تكنولوجيا

Conservation agriculture was initially supported by public funded research. Current research - through SMI but also some research institutes and farmers themselves - is focused on specific issues, including slug control, grass weeds, trash management and soil compaction. Recently, environmental, economic and social concerns arising from the practice of conventional agriculture have been taken up

التمويل والدعم المادي الخارجي

الميزانية السنوية بالدولار الأمريكي لمكون الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي
  • < 2000
  • ‏ 10,0000-2,000
  • 100,000-10,000
  • 1,000000-100،000
  • > 1,000,000
Precise annual budget: غير متاح
Approach costs were met by the following donors: international non-government (-): 10.0%; government (national government - DEFRA): 10.0%; international (European Union: EU Life Fund): 40.0%; local community / land user(s) (regional council): 10.0%; other (Companies: Monsanto,Syngenta): 30.0%
تم تقديم الخدمات أو الحوافز التالية لمستخدمي الأراضي
  • الدعم المالي/المادي المقدم لمستخدمي الأراضي
  • إعانات لمدخلات محددة
  • الائتمان
  • حوافز أو وسائل أخرى
الدعم المالي/المادي المقدم لمستخدمي الأراضي
There are no subsidies specifically connected to CA or sustainable soil management. However, the CA principles fall within UK new cross-compliance conditions for the Single Farm Payment scheme which effectively constitutes a subsidy to farmers for following sound land management practices. There is also a recently introduced Environmental Stewardship Scheme, which embraces environmental concerns. Under this scheme, it is likely that much of the area under conservation agriculture will qualify for, at least, the entry-level category of subsidy, currently set at approx. US$ 60/ha/year: note: this is on top of the single farm payment, which will be considerably greater (for more details see www.defra.gov.uk). Manufacturers of non-inversion tillage equipment provide machines for demonstration. Manufacturers of biocides provided finance and support to specific farmers in the early stages of progressive development.
ممول جزئيا
ممول بالكامل
Biocides

x

العمل من قبل مستخدمي الأراضي كان

تحليل الأثر والتصريحات الختامية

آثار النهج
لا
نعم، قليلا
نعم، باعتدال
نعم، إلى حد كبير
هل ساعد النهج مستخدمي الأراضي على تنفيذ وصيانة تقنيات الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي؟

erosion reduced, organic matter built up, nitrate losses reduced etc

x
Did other land users / projects adopt the Approach?

There are other similar service providers in different aspects of farming, though not in soil management.

x
المحفز الرئيسي لقيام مستخدمي الأراضي بتنفيذ الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي
استدامة أنشطة النهج
هل يمكن لمستخدمي الأراضي الحفاظ على استدامة ما تم تنفيذه من خلال النهج (بدون دعم خارجي)؟

SMI can continue to support land users with advice as long as they are prepared to continue paying for the services, and sponsorship continues from agencies and commercial companies. Land users can continue to practice CA without external support - but services such as those provided by SMI are extremely valuable.

الاستنتاجات والدروس المستفادة

نقاط القوة: وجهة نظر مستخدم الأرض
نقاط القوة: وجهة نظر جامع المعلومات أو غيره من الأشخاص الرئيسيين لمصدر المعلومات
  • Has successfully stimulated conservation agriculture, which should in turn ultimately lead to environmentally sound and sustainable land management in England (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue operations for as long as possible)
  • SMI has acted effectively as a channel for making results from research, and a wide body of experience, readily available to farmers (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue to focus on farmers as the main target group and link them with research and private companies.)
  • SMI has managed to combine the efforts and expertise of a wide range of actors towards a common goal: to provide a unique advisory service in conservation agriculture (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue to serve as a centre of excellence.)
  • Improvements in soil management techniques have been documented in an accessible way (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue to publish simply and clearly as new messages develop.)
  • Ad hoc advice available via a web-based helpline (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue.)
نقاط الضعف / المساوىء / المخاطر: وجهة نظر مستخدم الأرضكيفية التغلب عليها
نقاط الضعف / المساوىء / المخاطر: وجهة نظر جامع المعلومات أو غيره من الأشخاص الرئيسيين لمصدر المعلوماتكيفية التغلب عليها
  • SMI has an on-going problem with adequacy of funding Through top-class services, continue to attract funds and voluntary contributions from a wide range of actors.

المراجع

جامع المعلومات
  • Alastaire Leake
المحررون
المُراجع
  • Alexandra Gavilano
  • Fabian Ottiger
  • Deborah Niggli
تاريخ التوثيق: 12 يناير، 2009
اخر تحديث: 4 إبريل، 2018
الأشخاص الرئيسيين لمصدر المعلومات
الوصف الكامل في قاعدة بيانات WOCAT
بيانات الإدارة المستدامة للأراضي المرتبطة
تم تسهيل التوثيق من قِبَل
المؤسسة المشروع
المراجع الرئيسية
  • Soil Management Initiative/Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (undated) A guide to managing cropManagement Initiative (undated) Improved soil management for agronomic and environmentalSoil Management Initiative/V??derstad (undated) Target on establishment: innovation for the future of farming.: (www.smi.org.uk)SMI, UKSMI, UK
  • Management Initiative (undated) Improved soil management for agronomic and environmental: SMI, UK
  • Soil Management Initiative/V??derstad (undated) Target on establishment: innovation for the future of farming.: SMI, UK
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