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

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Soil and water protection (EU-SOWAP)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) - Belgium

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

08/11/2010

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

Yes

1.5 Reference to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Approaches

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

The technology consists of the use of cover crops and of a non-inversion seedbed preparation.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

The technology consists of agronomic measures. The most important thing is that the farmers are not allowed to invert the soil by ploughing. Farmers may only cultivate their fields at plough depths. Farmers also have to use a cover crop, if possible. In this way the soil is always covered with residues of a previous crop or with residues of the cover crop. The improvement of the ground cover protects the soil against different kinds of water erosion. In the long term period, the soil structure will improve (more organic matter in top soil) and more earthworm activity will be determined. The infiltration will increase.

Purpose of the Technology: Protecting the soil against erosion and increasing infiltration.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: The farmer may never plough.

Natural / human environment: The technology is applied on cropland with annual crops.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

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

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• less than 10 years ago (recently)

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• during experiments/ research

Comments (type of project, etc.):

In the Walloon part of Belgium and in the surrounding countries (France, Germany), farmers are already applying this technology for a long time. In Flanders, the technology was introduced in the 1970' by professor De Ploey of our Faculty. Farmers didn't see the benefits of the technology and decided not to implement the technology. Now, time has changed: farmers know that they have to do something against the erosion problem.

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation

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

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Soil loss by water erosion. Soil erosion related environmental problems 'muddy floods, retention pond sedimentation, declining water quality due to sediment and sediment - fixed contaminants)

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Strong nitrogen regulations and EU rules are hindering the farmer.

Type of cropping system and major crops comments: normal sequence of crops at the farm: sugar beet - wheat - potatoes - maize. Crop rotation at the experimental field: maize - wheat -sugar beet

3.3 Further information about land use

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

• rainfed

Number of growing seasons per year:

• 1

Specify:

Longest growing period from month to month: Mar - Oct; Second longest growing period from month to month: Apr - Nov

3.4 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• improved ground/ vegetation cover
• minimal soil disturbance

3.5 Spread of the Technology

Specify the spread of the Technology:

• evenly spread over an area

Comments:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 0.0046 km2.

It's a field trial with 3 treatments. Every treatment is 4620 m² (see map). The 3 treatments are: non-inversion shallow cultivation, non inversion deep cultivation and conventional ploughing. In the region of this field, other farmers are also experimenting with the technology on their own fields.

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

Comments:

Type of agronomic measures: cover cropping, manure / compost / residues, mineral (inorganic) fertilizers, breaking compacted topsoil, minimum tillage

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Main causes of degradation: other natural causes (avalanches, volcanic eruptions, mud flows, highly susceptible natural resources, extreme topography, etc.) specify (soil erosion), lack of knowledge

Secondary causes of degradation: other human induced causes (specify) (agricultural causes, hevay machinery)

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• prevent land degradation

4.2 Technical specifications/ explanations of technical drawing

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: high

Technical knowledge required for land users: high

Main technical functions: improvement of ground cover, increase of infiltration, improvement of soil structure

Secondary technical functions: control of raindrop splash, control of dispersed runoff: impede / retard, increase in organic matter

Cover cropping
Material/ species: maize 2004

Agronomic measure: cover cropping
Material/ species: winter wheat 2004-2005

Agronomic measure: cover cropping
Material/ species: oats 2005-2006

Agronomic measure: removing less vegetation cover
Remarks: by not ploughing, every year.

Manure / compost / residues
Material/ species: injection of slurry 2004
Quantity/ density: 40000l/ha

Mineral (inorganic) fertilizers
Material/ species: spraying N with seed 2004
Quantity/ density: 200 kg/ha
Remarks: 26%

Agronomic measure: mineral (inorganic) fertilizers
Material/ species: spraying N 2005
Quantity/ density: 120 kg/ha
Remarks: 38%

Agronomic measure: mineral (inorganic) fertilizers
Material/ species: spraying N 2005
Quantity/ density: 175 kg/ha
Remarks: 39%

Agronomic measure: manure / compost / residues
Material/ species: broadcast N 2005
Quantity/ density: 45 kg/ha
Remarks: 27%

Agronomic measure: mineral (inorganic) fertilizers
Material/ species: 30 % K
Quantity/ density: 800 kg/ha

Breaking compacted topsoil
Remarks: every year

Minimum tillage
Remarks: every year

4.6 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing/ frequency
1.	injection of slurry, spraying paraquat (to kill previous crop)	Agronomic	mar 04
2.	sowing maize, nitrogen fertiliser	Agronomic	apr 04
3.	herbicides	Agronomic	may 05
4.	harvesting maize, sowing winter wheat	Agronomic	nov 04
5.	nitrogen fertiliser	Agronomic	mar 05 / apr 05

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

Comments:

Comparing to ordinary field operations, there are normally no additional costs if applying the new technique. The farmer will not plough anymore, this is an economic benefit. In some cases and for some crops the farmer will use another machine, for example: the farmer will need a direct drilling machine for sowing sugar beets in stead of a normal sowing machine. In Flanders, always agricultural contractors are sowing beets (not the farmers). The agricultural contractor will ask the same price for the normal sowing machine as for the direct drilling machine. Although farmers have no additional costs, they get subsidies (80€/ha.year for shallow cultivation, 200€/ha.year for no tillage) from the Flemish Government for practicing the new technique - subsidies are mainly given to encourage the farmers.

Additional info: herbicides - apr 05 / 2 herbicides - may 05 / 2 nitrogen fertiliser - jun 05 herbicides - jun 05 harvesting winter wheat - aug 05 fertiliser (manure) - sep 05 fertiliser K - sep 05 sowing oats - sep 05

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Comments and further specifications on topography:

Slopes on average: 10 %

Landforms: The main topographgy is a plateau (100 above sea level) in which rivers are incised. The technology is applied at fields situated on the slopes between the plateau and the valley.

5.3 Soils

If available, attach full soil description or specify the available information, e.g. soil type, soil PH/ acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, nitrogen, salinity etc.

Soil depth on average: The loess deposits, which vary in thickness between a few dm to several m cover Terti

Soil texture (topsoil): 60 % loam, 30% sand and 10% clay.

Topsoil organic matter: 1,2% (experimental field)

Soil fertility is high

Soil drainage / infiltration

Soil water storage capacity is medium and sometimes very high

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Population density: 200-500 persons/km2

Annual population growth: 0.5% - 1%

70% of the land users are rich and own 80% of the land.

Off-farm income specification: The farmer is only working at his own farm.

5.7 Average area of land owned or leased by land users applying the Technology

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

Land ownership:

• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• individual

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Income and costs

Other socio-economic impacts

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Water cycle/ runoff

Soil

Other ecological impacts

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• single cases/ experimental

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many have did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 90-100%

Comments:

Comments on acceptance with external material support: survey results

100% of land user families have adopted the Technology without any external material support

1 land user families have adopted the Technology without any external material support

Comments on spontaneous adoption: survey results

There is a strong trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: Nowadays about 49% of the farmers in the region are practicing conservation tillage, whereas only 33% was doing it in 2001. At the beginning of the project 63% of the farmers intend to cultivate their fields in a conservative way into 3 years. (based on e

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
less soil erosion

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
The technology clearly reduces the erosion risk while maintaining profitability.
The new technology also ha other benefits on soil structure and biodiversity.

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?
high investment costs for buying new agricultural machinery
more attention to crop damages caused by slugs and mice should be given.
practising the new technology requires a relative dry soil

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Practising the new technology requires a greater skill of the farmers	education, training

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

SOWAP Project. 2003-2006www. Sowap.org.