Technologies

Buffer strips and hedges around cropland [Hungary]

Erdős és bozótos védősávok

technologies_6203 - Hungary

Completeness: 94%

1. General information

1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Key resource person(s)

SLM specialist:
Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)
OPtimal strategies to retAIN and re-use water and nutrients in small agricultural catchments across different soil-climatic regions in Europe (OPTAIN)
Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)
Institute for Soil Sciences, Centre for Agricultural Research (ATK TAKI) - Hungary

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2. Description of the SLM Technology

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Buffer strips and hedges comprise natural vegetation of grass, bushes or trees. They are sited at the edges of fields, roads and surface water bodies. Their main function is to provide a natural buffer to control nutrient and sediment transport from agricultural fields by promoting water infiltration and slowing runoff, as well as preserving undisturbed green corridors.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Buffer strips and hedges comprise natural vegetation of grass, bushes and trees. They are sited at the edges of fields, roads and surface water bodies. Their main function is to provide a permanent natural buffer to intercept and control nutrient and sediment transport from agricultural fields, by slowing surface runoff and thus promoting infiltration. Creating such green corridors is ecologically advantageous as well.
Leaving field margins, headlands or strips around and between fields results in the natural germination and establishment of vegetation. Alternatively, buffer strips and hedges can be established deliberately according to a planting plan - which includes the species to be planted, their location and dimensions.
However, land users usually prefer to cultivate the possible largest areas, so they do not like leaving wide strips of “abandoned” land. In addition buffer strips and hedges provide habitats for wildlife – and this often results in damage to field crops by wild animals.
According to Hungarian forestry legislation, a strip of trees wider than 20 metres and larger than 0.5 hectare in total area is considered to be a forest, so in this case strict regulations have to be complied with. Below these threshold values land users have more liberty to do what they wish. When arable fields are close to, or surrounded by, afforested areas, conflict often arises between hunters and farmers, due to the damage caused by wild animals and hunters who cross farmers' fields – creating tracks and compacting the soil.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos of the Technology

Comments, short description:

no video is available

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

Country:

Hungary

Region/ State/ Province:

Somogy

Further specification of location:

The case study area is situated within the Balaton Catchment Area in the western Hungary. The climate is moderately warm, moderately humid, the number of sunshine hours per year are high. Mean annual temperature of the region of the Lake Balaton is about 10 ˚C. The average amount of rainfall (600-700 mm / year) nationally means a medium rainfall zone. The Balaton Catchment area is 5765 km2. The main environmental purpose is to reduce pollutant (phosphorus and other plant nutrients) loads of Lake Balaton, where anthropogenic eutrophication is the main issue of environmental concern. Lake Balaton, with its nearly 600 sqkm area, is the largest shallow lake in Middle Europe. The lake as well as the surrounding area form very important natural (ecological, water and landscape) resources and are one of the major target areas of water related recreational tourism in Europe as a whole. 37% of the total catchment area is arable land which is much lower than the national average, 27% is forest, which exceeds the national average. 15% of the land suitable for grassland management, 5% is horticulture, 3% is pomiculture, 2% is viticulture, 1% is reed management and fish farming. The „Kis-Balaton” nature conservation area situated within the Balaton Catchment area. The „Kis-Balaton” wetland is under protection of the Ramsar Convention habitat.

Specify the spread of the Technology:
  • applied at specific points/ concentrated on a small area
Is/are the technology site(s) located in a permanently protected area?

No

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:
  • more than 50 years ago (traditional)

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:
  • as part of a traditional system (> 50 years)
  • during experiments/ research

3. Classification of the SLM Technology

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

  • reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
  • conserve ecosystem
  • protect a watershed/ downstream areas – in combination with other Technologies
  • preserve/ improve biodiversity
  • reduce risk of disasters

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No


Cropland

Cropland

  • Annual cropping
Annual cropping - Specify crops:
  • cereals - maize
  • cereals - wheat (winter)
  • oilseed crops - sunflower, rapeseed, other
Number of growing seasons per year:
  • 1
Is intercropping practiced?

Yes

If yes, specify which crops are intercropped:

cover crop are grown between cash crops

Is crop rotation practiced?

Yes

If yes, specify:

oilseed rape - winter weet - maize - spring barley

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?
  • No (Continue with question 3.4)
Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:
  • rainfed

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

  • agroforestry
  • windbreak/ shelterbelt
  • improved ground/ vegetation cover
  • reducing runoff

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

vegetative measures

vegetative measures

  • V1: Tree and shrub cover

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

soil erosion by water

soil erosion by water

  • Wt: loss of topsoil/ surface erosion
  • Wg: gully erosion/ gullying

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:
  • prevent land degradation
  • reduce land degradation

4. Technical specifications, implementation activities, inputs, and costs

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

Technical specifications (related to technical drawing):

Width of strips is max. 20 metres.

Author:

Piroska Kassai

Date:

13/03/2023

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:
  • per Technology area
Indicate size and area unit:

hectare = 20 m x 500 m

Specify currency used for cost calculations:
  • USD
Indicate average wage cost of hired labour per day:

50

4.3 Establishment activities

Activity Timing (season)
1. Soil preparation autumn
2. Planting of trees or shrubs autumn
Comments:

Buffers strips can be grass as well, but the calculation here is based on tree/shrub planting.
The calculation was done for one hectare but the contiguous buffer strips cannot exceed 0.5 hectare (and 20 m width).

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

Specify input Unit Quantity Costs per Unit Total costs per input % of costs borne by land users
Labour Soil preparation person day 2.0 50.0 100.0 100.0
Labour Planting person day 3.0 50.0 150.0 100.0
Equipment Soil preparation hiring cost/day 1.0 400.0 400.0 100.0
Equipment Planting hiring cost/day 1.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Plant material Seedlings (for planting one hectare) piece 4000.0 0.1 400.0 100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology 1150.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD 1150.0
If land user bore less than 100% of costs, indicate who covered the remaining costs:

The cost can be covered by agricultural subsidy (it will be available as targeted support under the new Common Agricultural Policy from 2023, but the exact amount has not yet been defined)

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

Activity Timing/ frequency
1. Pruning yearly
2. Mechanical weeding yearly

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

Specify input Unit Quantity Costs per Unit Total costs per input % of costs borne by land users
Labour Pruning person-day 1.0 50.0 50.0 100.0
Labour Mechanical weeding person-day 1.0 50.0 50.0 100.0
Equipment Tillage/mechanical weeding machine hiring cost/day 1.0 200.0 200.0 100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology 300.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD 300.0
Comments:

Conflicts often occur between farmers and hunters. There is a risk of damage of crops by wild animals.

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Steep of the slope, soil texture, kind of wood species adapted to the area

5. Natural and human environment

5.1 Climate

Annual rainfall
  • < 250 mm
  • 251-500 mm
  • 501-750 mm
  • 751-1,000 mm
  • 1,001-1,500 mm
  • 1,501-2,000 mm
  • 2,001-3,000 mm
  • 3,001-4,000 mm
  • > 4,000 mm
Specify average annual rainfall (if known), in mm:

653.00

Specifications/ comments on rainfall:

distribution is uneven

Indicate the name of the reference meteorological station considered:

Keszthely meteorological station

Agro-climatic zone
  • sub-humid

5.2 Topography

Slopes on average:
  • flat (0-2%)
  • gentle (3-5%)
  • moderate (6-10%)
  • rolling (11-15%)
  • hilly (16-30%)
  • steep (31-60%)
  • very steep (>60%)
Landforms:
  • plateau/plains
  • ridges
  • mountain slopes
  • hill slopes
  • footslopes
  • valley floors
Altitudinal zone:
  • 0-100 m a.s.l.
  • 101-500 m a.s.l.
  • 501-1,000 m a.s.l.
  • 1,001-1,500 m a.s.l.
  • 1,501-2,000 m a.s.l.
  • 2,001-2,500 m a.s.l.
  • 2,501-3,000 m a.s.l.
  • 3,001-4,000 m a.s.l.
  • > 4,000 m a.s.l.
Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:
  • not relevant

5.3 Soils

Soil depth on average:
  • very shallow (0-20 cm)
  • shallow (21-50 cm)
  • moderately deep (51-80 cm)
  • deep (81-120 cm)
  • very deep (> 120 cm)
Soil texture (topsoil):
  • medium (loamy, silty)
Soil texture (> 20 cm below surface):
  • medium (loamy, silty)
Topsoil organic matter:
  • medium (1-3%)

5.4 Water availability and quality

Ground water table:

5-50 m

Availability of surface water:

medium

Water quality (untreated):

poor drinking water (treatment required)

Water quality refers to:

surface water

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

Yes

5.5 Biodiversity

Species diversity:
  • high
Habitat diversity:
  • high

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Sedentary or nomadic:
  • Sedentary
Market orientation of production system:
  • commercial/ market
Off-farm income:
  • less than 10% of all income
Relative level of wealth:
  • average
Individuals or groups:
  • individual/ household
Level of mechanization:
  • mechanized/ motorized
Gender:
  • men
Age of land users:
  • middle-aged

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

  • < 0.5 ha
  • 0.5-1 ha
  • 1-2 ha
  • 2-5 ha
  • 5-15 ha
  • 15-50 ha
  • 50-100 ha
  • 100-500 ha
  • 500-1,000 ha
  • 1,000-10,000 ha
  • > 10,000 ha
Is this considered small-, medium- or large-scale (referring to local context)?
  • small-scale

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:
  • individual, not titled
  • individual, titled
Land use rights:
  • leased
  • individual
Water use rights:
  • communal (organized)
Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Yes

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

health:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
education:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
technical assistance:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
employment (e.g. off-farm):
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
markets:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
energy:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
roads and transport:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
drinking water and sanitation:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
financial services:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good

6. Impacts and concluding statements

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Other socio-economic impacts

maintaining soil fertility

Socio-cultural impacts

food security/ self-sufficiency

reduced
improved

Ecological impacts

Water cycle/ runoff

surface runoff

increased
decreased
Comments/ specify:

Vegetation within buffer strips slows the speed of runoff, allowing sediments to be deposited into the buffer strip area

evaporation

increased
decreased
Soil

soil loss

increased
decreased
Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Vegetation cover

decreased
increased

animal diversity

decreased
increased
Comments/ specify:

Vegetated margins around agricultural fields provide important refuge and food for invertebrates, mammals and birds

Climate and disaster risk reduction

emission of carbon and greenhouse gases

increased
decreased
Comments/ specify:

Since the soil under vegetated strips is undisturbed carbon storage increases there.

fire risk

increased
decreased
Comments/ specify:

In drought conditions, the risk of fire increases significantly in dry scrub areas

wind velocity

increased
decreased
Comments/ specify:

Buffer strips have a wind-blocking effect if they are high enough

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

downstream flooding

increased
reduced

groundwater/ river pollution

increased
reduced
Comments/ specify:

Buffer strips are effective filters of the transported sediments, less soluble pesticides and fertilizers.

buffering/ filtering capacity

reduced
improved

damage on neighbours' fields

increased
reduced

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change
Season increase or decrease How does the Technology cope with it?
annual rainfall decrease moderately

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters
How does the Technology cope with it?
local windstorm moderately
Climatological disasters
How does the Technology cope with it?
drought not well
forest fire not well at all
Biological disasters
How does the Technology cope with it?
insect/ worm infestation moderately

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?
Short-term returns:

negative

Long-term returns:

slightly positive

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?
Short-term returns:

negative

Long-term returns:

slightly positive

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

  • 1-10%
Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?
  • 91-100%

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

No

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Reducing runoff, soil erosion
Improve water retention in large scale
Wind shade
Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Increase biodiversity, landscape and habitats

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view How can they be overcome?
Support pest infestation
Shading crop from sun radiation
Evaporation of water around the strip
Potential increase of yield damage caused by wild animals

7. References and links

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

  • field visits, field surveys

2

  • interviews with land users

3

  • interviews with SLM specialists/ experts

1

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

15/10/2022

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Haddaway et al. 2018: The multifunctional roles of vegetated strips around and within agricultural fields

Available from where? Costs?

https://environmentalevidencejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13750-018-0126-2

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

EUROPEAN NWRM PLATFORM

URL:

nwrm.eu

7.4 General comments

Usability of this documentation is limited for local farmers because of the language barrier.

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