1.2 Detalles de contacto de las personas de referencia e instituciones involucradas en la evaluación y la documentación de la Tecnología

Nombre del proyecto que financió la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Soil and water protection (EU-SOWAP)

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust - Reino Unido

1.3 Condiciones referidas al uso de datos documentados mediante WOCAT

¿Cuándo se compilaron los datos (en el campo)?

01/10/2004

El compilador y la/s persona(s) de referencia claves aceptan las condiciones acerca del uso de los datos documentados mediante WOCAT:

Sí

2.1 Breve descripción de la Tecnología

Definición de la Tecnología:

Improved soil management based on non-inversion tillage for cost-effective and timely crop establishment.

2.2 Descripción detallada de la Tecnología

Descripción:

Conservation agriculture (CA), involving superficial non-inversion tillage, began to be widely taken up in England following advances in seed drill technology, non-selective herbicides and straw-chopping combine harvesters in the late 1980s.
This case focuses on the Game Conservancy Trust’s Allerton Project at Loddington, which in 2000 pooled resources with its neighbour to purchase a single set of cultivation equipment, and replaced conventional mouldboard ploughing (with its multiple cultivations) by state-of-the-art CA. Contract services offered by the joint venture means that 1,000 ha are now covered each year. The main winter crops are wheat, oats, and oilseed rape. Beans are sown in the spring. The heavy clay loam is vulnerable to excessive surface moisture, restricting crop establishment
‘windows’.
Immediately after harvest the soil is loosened and straw incorporated, and then soil is consolidated (using a ‘cultivation train’ combining two machines: the ‘Simba Solo’ and the ‘Cultipress’). This encourages up to 60% of the weeds to emerge in a ‘stale seedbed’. Spraying then removes all the weeds and volunteer plants of previous crops. This is followed by a light surface tillage, using the ‘Väderstad Rapid Cultivator Drill’, before sowing into the seedbed created. Equipment comprises implements with tines and/or discs which create a tilth to around 10 cm
without inverting the soil. Cambridge rollers are then used to consolidate the sown land. After crop maturity, combine harvesting takes place - with simultaneous chopping of straw/crop residues. A trash rake is used to disperse the chopped straw. This way excessive trash is incorporated rapidly into the soil. Compaction may arise in the transition phase, because of the lack of soil loosening through ploughing: minimising traffic, keeping to tramlines and headlands can all help. In time, increases in soil organic matter content and earthworm biomass make compaction less of a problem. The problem of slugs can be reduced by improving seed-to-soil contact, and by drilling deeper.

Purpose of the Technology: The main purpose of conservation agriculture is cost effective, timely and rapid crop establishment, under good soil conditions. High-speed operations are the key. Compared with conventional ploughing, labour is saved and fuel costs lowered. However, an additional application of herbicides represents an extra expenditure. Yields per hectare haven’t risen but the key difference is that about four times as many hectares can be prepared in time for autumn planting under conservation tillage, thus improving overall production. Incorporation of crop residues improves soil structure and leads to a more friable, less erodible topsoil.

2.3 Fotografías de la Tecnología

2.5 País/ región/ lugares donde la Tecnología fue aplicada y que se hallan comprendidos por esta evaluación

2.7 Introducción de la Tecnología

Especifique cómo se introdujo la Tecnología:

• mediante proyectos/ intervenciones externas

3.1 Propósito(s) principal(es) de la Tecnología MST

• reducir, prevenir, restaurar la degradación del suelo

3.2 Tipo(s) actuales de uso de la tierra donde se aplica la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Traditional inversion tillage is slow and costly. By moving to high speed non-inversion conservation tillage farmers can
spread costs over a larger area and maximise the area under winter crops. The speed at which ground can be worked in the autumn is critical: one month earlier planting can mean an extra ton in cereal yield.

3.3 Información adicional sobre el uso de tierras

Provisión de agua para la tierra donde se aplica la Tecnología:

• mixta de secano – irrigada

Número de temporadas de cultivo por año:

• 1

Especifique:

Longest growing period in days: 330Longest growing period from month to month: Mar - Dec

3.4 Grupo MST al que pertenece la Tecnología

• perturbación mínima del suelo

3.5 Difusión de la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 10 m2.

3.6 Medidas MST que componen la Tecnología

3.7 Principales tipos de degradación del suelo encarados con la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Main type of degradation addressed: Wt: loss of topsoil / surface erosion, Wg: gully erosion / gullying, Cn: fertility decline and reduced organic matter content

3.8 Prevención, reducción o restauración de la degradación del suelo

Especifique la meta de la Tecnología con relación a la degradación de la tierra:

• reducir la degradación del suelo

4.2 Especificaciones técnicas/ explicaciones del dibujo técnico

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: high

Technical knowledge required for land users: moderate

Main technical functions: improvement of ground cover, increase in organic matter, increase of infiltration, improvement of soil structure, increase in soil fertility

4.6 Actividades de establecimiento/ recurrentes

	Actividad	Tipo de medida	Momento/ frequencia
1.	Loosen the soil and incorporate the straw using the ‘Simba Solo’; soil consolidation, using the 'Cultipress'	Agronómicas	immediately post-harvest /
2.	Spray the stale seedbed to remove all the weeds/volunteer plants of previous crops	Agronómicas	mid September
3.	Light surface tillage and sowing into the seedbed; using the 'Väderstad Rapid Cultivator Drill'	Agronómicas	usually end September, just after spraying
4.	Consolidation of the sown land	Agronómicas	using Cambridge rollers
5.	After crop maturity, combine harvesting - with simultaneous chopping of straw	Agronómicas
6.	Disperse the chopped straw, using a trash rake.	Agronómicas

4.7 Costos e insumos necesarios para actividades de mantenimiento/ recurrentes (por año)

	Especifique insumo	Unidad	Cantidad	Costos por unidad	Costos totales por insumo	% de los costos cubiertos por los usuarios de las tierras
Equipo	Machine use	ha	1,0	180,0	180,0	100,0
Indique los costos totales para mantenecer la Tecnología					180,0

4.8 Factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Describa los factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

No establishment costs for purchase of special conservation tillage equipment are included here – though this
investment is considerable. Tractors of sufficient horsepower and a couple of special machines (see above) are needed. The investment in this case was shared by two neighbouring farms, who implemented conservation agriculture on a joint venture basis. The only costs presented in the table above are total recurrent annual costs for tillage operations. This total, US$ 180, compares with US$ 260 for conventional tillage operations. While drilling is not included in the above conventional tillage calculation, subsequent application of additional herbicides represents an extra cost of conservation tillage of about US$ 80/ha. In balance the costs per hectare are broadly similar. Labour inputs however are reduced considerably as a proportion: the Allerton farm with its 260 ha of arable land is operated by a farm manager and just one farm worker.

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografía

5.3 Suelos

Si se halla disponible, adjunte una descripción completa de los suelos o especifique la información disponible, por ej., tipo de suelo, pH/ acidez de suelo, capacidad de intercambio catiónico, nitrógeno, salinidad, etc. :

Soil fertility is medium
Soil drainage/infiltration is medium
Soil water storage capacity is medium

5.6 Las características de los usuarios de la tierra que aplican la Tecnología

Indique otras características relevantes de los usuarios de las tierras:

Off-farm income specification: contract work on other farms is an important source of additional revenue for the ‘joint venture’ of the two neighbouring farms

5.7 Área promedio de la tierra que pertenece a o es arrendada por usuarios de tierra que aplican la Tecnología

5.8 Tenencia de tierra, uso de tierra y derechos de uso de agua

Tenencia de tierra:

• compañía
• individual, con título

Derechos de uso de tierra:

• arrendamiento
• individual

6.1 Impactos in situ demostrados por la Tecnología

Impactos socioeconómicos

Producción

Ingreso y costos

Impactos socioculturales

Impactos ecológicos

Ciclo de agua/ escurrimiento de sedimento

Suelo

Otros impactos ecológicos

6.2 Impactos fuera del sitio demostrados por la Tecnología

6.4 Análisis costo-beneficio

¿Cómo se comparan los beneficios con los costos de establecimiento (desde la perspectiva de los usuarios de tierra)?

¿Cómo se comparan los beneficios con los costos de mantenimiento/ recurrentes (desde la perspectiva de los usuarios de tierra)?

6.5 Adopción de la Tecnología

Comentarios:

There is a strong trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: Extent of adoption depends on farm size, enterprise & soil type. From 10% in 95, approx 40% of arable land in Eng is currently (04) under conservation agriculture/cultivation tillage.

Additional info: Farmers involved adopted the system without incentives other than those of timeliness, lower cost, speedier crop establishment, reduced soil erosion & benefits to wildlife. There is significant growing spontaneous adoption: the extent of adoption depends on farm size, enterprise & soil type. Editors’ comments: Conservation agriculture is rapidly catching on throughout the world. While most attention has been focussed on the Americas, a revolution is taking place in Europe also. In England, for example, around 40% of the large scale arable area is now under CA – a rise from just 10% a decade ago. CA helps to minimise costs and reduce local, and global, environmental impacts. This is a case from a leading proponent of CA in England. Comparative case studies are documented from Morocco, Australia and Kenya.

6.7 Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades de la Tecnología

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del usuario de la tierra
Increases soil biota (more than doubling earthworm mass) and biodiversity generally (nearly doubling the number of different organisms) How can they be sustained / enhanced? Maintain system over time to maximise these benefits.

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
Lowers recurrent soil tillage costs – mainly due to reduction in fuel use (down by about one third) and labour (saving around one person day per hectare) How can they be sustained / enhanced? Spread over greater area to maximise cost reduction.
ncreases overall farm yield (and income) by speeding up land preparation in autumn, allowing a larger area to be planted as winter crops How can they be sustained / enhanced? Ditto.
Improves soil structure and physical properties in various ways How can they be sustained / enhanced? Maintain system over time to maximise these benefits.
Reduces runoff (by a half), soil erosion (by two thirds), and leaching of nutrients (by three quarters) thus decreasing movement of phosphates and nitrates to streams and rivers How can they be sustained / enhanced? To improve further, combine with other measures such as adding organic matter or growing green manures and cover crops.
Increases soil buffering capacity against climatic extremes (especially rainfall) through maintaining surface cover and building up soil organic matter How can they be sustained / enhanced? Maintain system over time to maximise these benefits.

6.8 Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos de la Tecnología y formas de sobreponerse a ellos

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
Increased growth of grass weeds and thus greater cost of herbicides	Use ‘stale seedbeds’ – surface tillage immediately post-harvest to induce weed germination – followed by spraying. Crop rotation, spring cropping, occasional ploughing (every few years as necessary).
Not suitable for all soil types (not appropriate on some sandy soils)	Don’t introduce/promote CA indiscriminately.
Excessive surface trash/crop residues	Good chopping, then spreading and incorporation.
Problems with slugs	Drill seed deeper, ensure good seed-to-soil
Surface compaction in the early stages of conversion to conservation agriculture	Appropriate loosening of soil, using tined implement.

7.2 Vínculos a las publicaciones disponibles

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Soil Management Initiative/Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) A guide to managing crop
establishment.. (undated).

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

SMI, UK (www.smi.org.uk)

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Soil Management Initiative Improved soil management for agronomic and environmental
gain.. (undated).

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

SMI, UK(www.smi.org.uk)

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Soil Management Initiative/Väderstad Target on establishment: innovation for the future of farming.. (undated).

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

SMI, UK(www.smi.org.uk)