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)

OPtimal strategies to retAIN and re-use water and nutrients in small agricultural catchments across different soil-climatic regions in Europe (OPTAIN)

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

Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia – Institute of Agriculture and Forestry Maribor (KGZS) - Eslovenia

1.3 Condiciones referidas al uso de datos documentados mediante WOCAT

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

Sí

1.4 Declaración de la sostenibilidad de la Tecnología descrita

¿La Tecnología aquí descrita resulta problemática en relación a la degradación de la tierra, de tal forma que no puede considerársela una tecnología sostenible para el manejo de la tierra?

No

2.1 Breve descripción de la Tecnología

Definición de la Tecnología:

Mulch-till is a method of farming that does not utilise a plough, and thus the soil is not turned over. Furthermore, at least 30% of the cultivated area remains covered with organic residues left over from the previous crop. There are multiple benefits to the soil and carbon dioxide emissions are reduced.

2.2 Descripción detallada de la Tecnología

Descripción:

Mulch-till (also called “conservation agriculture” or “minimum tillage”) is a method of land management with modified, less intensive tillage, where land is covered with plant residues year-round (at least 30% cover) or grass, energy consumption is reduced, and there is less trampling/ compaction of the soil because of fewer machine passes and the protected surface. Under mulch-till, special agricultural machinery and attachments are required. Disc harrows and chisel ploughs are used to loosen the soil, and direct drills are employed for seeding. Ploughs are not used and the soil is not inverted. This method of tillage is intended to maintain soil structure, build up humus, improve nutrient supply and soil moisture, increase soil microbiological activity and also to prevent soil erosion. Mulch-till reduces the number of work operations on the cultivated area. Because the soil is disturbed less, this minimises the exposure of soil organic matter to the air, and therefore decreases the formation and release of CO2 to the atmosphere.
The debate over whether ploughing is still necessary has been going on for quite some time. Both mulch-till and ploughing have their advantages as well as disadvantages. Research shows that mulch-till reduces soil erosion and compaction, and this has a significant impact on soil fertility. On the other hand, ploughing better inhibits the spread of weeds and certain types of diseases and pests.
Mulch-till requires complete replacement of machines/tools, and this is a considerable initial investment. Regular annual maintenance of the equipment is needed also. Mulch-till provides full benefits after a number of years, through making sure that minimal soil inversion and organic soil coverage is guaranteed. It also requires good planning of crop rotation, the use of a special seed drill and employment of herbicides after emergence (or surface hoeing). Users mention one advantage being the low costs for tillage, which is less expensive than ploughing, and the reduction of soil erosion on sloping terrain. However, they do not like the high investment for equipment, possible lost of yields and increase in weeds: all tend to arise at the beginning of implementation. Knowledge and experience are required, as the technology is quite demanding, so there are chances of failure.

2.3 Fotografías de la Tecnología

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

2.6 Fecha de la implementación

Indique año de implementación:

2020

2.7 Introducción de la Tecnología

Especifique cómo se introdujo la Tecnología:

• mediante la innovación de usuarios de tierras
• durante experimentos/ investigación

Comentarios (tipo de proyecto, etc.):

A few years ago, the farmer transitioned from traditional plowing to a mulch-tillage technique and has been using this method since 2020. In 2021, the farmer sought assistance from a consulting service to connect with the Biotechnical faculty in Ljubljana. Tests were conducted to assess the impact of conservation tillage. Following the positive results, the farmer has continued collaborating with the Biotechnical faculty and the public advisory service, further experimenting with the technology and maintaining the new cultivation approach. Today, he is one of the prominent advocates of conservation tillage.

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

• reducir, prevenir, restaurar la degradación del suelo
• proteger una cuenca hidrográfica/ áreas corriente abajo – en combinación con otras Tecnologías
• reducir el riesgo de desastres naturales
• adaptarse al cambio climático/ extremos climáticos y sus impactos
• mitigar cambio climático y sus impactos

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

Mezcla de tipos de uso de tierras dentro de la misma unidad de tierras: :

No

3.3 ¿Cambió el uso de tierras debido a la implementación de la Tecnología?

¿Cambió el uso de tierras debido a la implementación de la Tecnología?

• No (Continúe con la pregunta 3.4)

3.4 Provisión de agua

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

• de secano

3.5 Grupo MST al que pertenece la Tecnología

• cobertura de suelo/ vegetal mejorada
• perturbación mínima del suelo
• manejo integrado de la fertilidad del suelo

3.6 Medidas MST que componen la Tecnología

3.7 Principales tipos de degradación del suelo encarados con la Tecnología

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:

• prevenir la degradación del suelo
• reducir la degradación del suelo

4.1 Dibujo técnico de la Tecnología

4.2 Información general sobre el cálculo de insumos y costos

Especifique cómo se calcularon los costos e insumos:

• por área de Tecnología

otra / moneda nacional (especifique):

EUR

Si fuera relevante, indique la tasa de cambio de dólares americanos a la moneda local (ej. 1 U$ = 79.9 Reales Brasileros): 1 U$ =:

0,97

4.3 Actividades de establecimiento

	Actividad	Momento (estación)
1.	Purchase of 2-row disc harrow	1st year
2.	Purchase deep chisel plow	1st year
3.	Purchase pneumatic seed drill combined with rotary harrow	1st year
4.	Purchase pneumatic precision planter with rotating elements	1st year
5.	Purchase cover crop seed drill	1st year

Comentarios:

Tractor should also be considered as part of the investment in implementing the mulch-till technology. The required tractor for operating Mulch-till is at least 110 HP. Let's assume a tractor with four-wheel drive, 95–125 kW (129–170 HP), with an investment cost of 66,400 €. Its usage should be economically justified for the entire farm (used for all farm tasks).

4.4 Costos e insumos necesarios para el establecimiento

	Especifique insumo	Unidad	Cantidad	Costos por unidad	Costos totales por insumo	% de los costos cubiertos por los usuarios de las tierras
Equipo	Purchase of 2-row disc harrow	piece	29,7	404,0404	12000,0	100,0
Equipo	Purchase deep chisel plow	piece	29,7	101,0101	3000,0	100,0
Equipo	Pneumatic seed drill combined with rotary harrow	piece	29,7	909,0909	27000,0	100,0
Equipo	Pneumatic precision planter with rotating elements	piece	29,7	572,3905	17000,0	100,0
Equipo	Cover crop seed drill	piece	29,7	151,5151	4500,0	100,0
Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología					63500,0
Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología en USD					65463,92

Comentarios:

The estimated lifespan of the equipment represents only an illustrative measure in terms of total hours, hectares, or machine work until its obsolescence. This data is not considered in the cost calculation. It is generally not economically viable to use a machine until its complete obsolescence, as it may become technologically outdated or require excessive investment for restoration compared to its economic usage. It is more sensible to use the machine's depreciation period. The average depreciation value is determined based on the average annual usage of the machine. The depreciation period for attachments is 12 years.

4.5 Actividades de establecimiento/ recurrentes

	Actividad	Momento/ frequencia
1.	Tractor operation and maintanance	It is used for all operations related to the technology (without cover crop seed drill operation)..
2.	Deep chisel plow operation and maintanance	1 time per 5 years, on all cultivated field surfaces (29,7 ha), 1.0 h/ha.
3.	2-row disc harrow operation and maintanance	2 time per year, on all cultivated field surfaces (29,7 ha), 0.8 h/ha.
4.	Pneumatic precision planter with rotating elements operation and maintanance	1 times per year, on 50 % of all cultivated field surfaces (14.85 ha), 1.3 h/ha.
5.	Cover crop seed drill operation and maintanance	1 time per year, on all cultivated field surfaces (29,7 ha), 0.8 h/ha (combined with harrow).
6.	Pneumatic seed drill combined with rotary harrow operation and maintanance	1 times per year, on 50 % of all cultivated field surfaces (14,85 ha), 1.4 h/ha.
7.	Purchase cover crop seed mixture Fruh	1 time per year, on all cultivated field surfaces (29,7 ha).

4.6 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
Mano de obra	Tractor operation	EUR/ha	29,7	18,144	538,88	100,0
Mano de obra	Machine maintenance	EUR/ha	29,7	2,88	85,54	100,0
Equipo	Machine avarage total costs of tractor operation and maintanance	EUR/ha	29,7	122,598	3641,16	100,0
Equipo	Machine avarage total costs of deep chisel plow operation and maintanance	EUR/ha	29,7	4,36	129,49	100,0
Equipo	Machine avarage total costs of 2-row disc harrow operation and maintanance	EUR/ha	29,7	30,432	903,83	100,0
Equipo	Machine avarage total costs of pneumatic precision planter with rotating elements operation and maintanance	EUR/ha	14,85	29,744	441,7	100,0
Equipo	Machine avarage total costs of cover crop seed drill operation and maintanance	EUR/ha	29,7	2,872	85,3	100,0
Equipo	Machine avarage total costs of Pneumatic seed drill combined with rotary harrow operation and maintanance	EUR/ha	14,85	52,416	778,38	100,0
Material para plantas	Cover crop mixture Fruh	EUR/ha	29,7	66,768	1983,01	100,0
Indique los costos totales para mantenecer la Tecnología					8587,29
Costos totales para mantener la Tecnología en USD					8852,88

4.7 Factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Describa los factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

It very much depends on the type of soil, what is the structure of the soil. In addition, the planning of the crop rotation and cover crops also affect the costs. As a result, weed development and subsequent herbicide use may be different.

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografía

Indique si la Tecnología se aplica específicamente en:

• situaciones cóncavas

Comentarios y especificaciones adicionales sobre topografía :

There are depressions, settlements are in the valley, concave type.

5.3 Suelos

5.4 Disponibilidad y calidad de agua

¿La salinidad del agua es un problema?

No

¿Se está llevando a cabo la inundación del área? :

Sí

Frecuencia:

frecuentemente

Comentarios y especificaciones adicionales sobre calidad y cantidad de agua:

Hydromelioration was carried out in the area, a drainage system and water retention systems (e.g. ponds and basins) were arranged.

5.5 Biodiversidad

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

5.7 Área promedio de la tierra usada 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:

• individual, con título

Derechos de uso de tierra:

• arrendamiento
• individual

Derechos de uso de agua:

• comunitarios (organizado)

¿Los derechos del uso de la tierra se basan en un sistema legal tradicional?

No

Especifique:

based on national legal system

5.9 Acceso a servicios e infraestructura

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

Biodiversidad: vegetación, animales

Reducción de riesgos de desastres y riesgos climáticos

6.2 Impactos fuera del sitio demostrados por la Tecnología

6.3 Exposición y sensibilidad de la Tecnología al cambio climático gradual y a extremos relacionados al clima/ desastres (desde la percepción de los usuarios de tierras)

Cambio climático gradual

Cambio climático gradual

	Estación	Incremento o reducción	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
lluvia anual		disminuyó	bien

Extremos (desastres) relacionados al clima

Desastres climatológicos:

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
tormenta de lluvia local	muy bien

Desastres climatológicos

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
ola de calor	bien
sequía	bien

Desastres hidrológicos

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
deslizamiento	muy bien

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)?

Comentarios:

The initial establishment and investment costs for implementing the technology are high, and in the short term, the benefits may not be very noticeable or even negative compared to conservative technology. However, the long-term benefits are more significant and positive. While there are recurring costs involved, such as maintenance expenses, they are considerably lower compared to the initial investment costs. The technology requires substantial upfront investment in equipment, which can initially outweigh the immediate returns. It takes time for the technology to mature and for the full benefits to be realized. As the system becomes established and optimized, the positive outcomes become more apparent over the long run. Additionally, the lower costs mentioned refer to the ongoing maintenance and operational expenses required to sustain the technology (machines), which are generally lower than the initial investment costs. These costs are often outweighed by the benefits gained from improved efficiency, reduced resource consumption, and other long-term advantages. Therefore, while the short-term returns may not be overwhelmingly positive, the investment in the technology pays off over time, with greater benefits and lower operational costs.

6.5 Adopción de la Tecnología

• 1-10%

De todos quienes adoptaron la Tecnología, ¿cuántos lo hicieron espontáneamente, por ej. sin recibir nada de incentivos/ materiales:

• 91-100%

6.6 Adaptación

¿La tecnología fue modificada recientemente para adaptarse a las condiciones cambiantes?

Sí

otros (especifique):

added equipment/mechanization attachments to facilitate technology implementation, improved technology implementation with knowledge and experience

Especifique la adaptación de la Tecnología (diseño, material/ especies, etc.):

Added cover crop seed drill. more emphasis on cover crop.

6.7 Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades de la Tecnología

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del usuario de la tierra
Less depression, erosion and soil leaching.
Cost and time (fewer passes, machine hours, less machine power required).
Care for nature, sustain natural resources.

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
In the long term it enables the achievement of better soil conditions, in terms of appropriate ratios of water, air, nutrients, organic matter, microbial activity, pH, microbial activity, pH and other factors of soil fertility.
Compaction and drying of the top layer of the soil is significantly less frequent and as a result losses of young plants are therefore smaller.
It reduces the potential for soil erosion. A major threat to soil fertility is erosion processes (wind, water and other erosion), where the most fertile surface layers of the soil are carried away to other parts of the ecosystem that are not intended for food production.
It brings advantages in terms of energy consumption and the possibility of carrying out production tasks in a shorter time and in difficult weather conditions. Conservation tillage tools typically operate in a shallower soil layer and mix less soil mass, it enables the use of tools with larger working widths and thus less unproductive driving in the field.
Benefits in terms of reduced transfer of phytopharmaceuticals and nutrients excess from the cultivation area to water and other ecosystems.
Reduced tillage improves soil quality, reduces nutrient leaching and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
Benefits in terms of bioavailability and nutrient uptake efficiency.
Benefits in terms of greater adaptability of crops to extreme weather events.
Benefits in terms of maintaining the overall biological diversity of the agricultural landscape and soil.

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

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del usuario de la tierra	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
A big investment in machinery.	It is possible to start gradually with cheaper and simpler machines (also home-made).
Adaptation of crop protection.	Implementing integrated pest management (IPM).

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
An increase in the occurrence of certain types of weeds and a high dependence on certain types of herbicides. Some studies show that the introduction of conservation tillage slightly increases losses from certain diseases and pests.	For successful weed control, it is important to have a varied crop rotation, frequent sowing of cover crops and intercrops, and that the weeds never leave uncontrolled development on the stubble. The variegated crop rotation is meant as an obstacle that interrupts the development cycle of diseases and pests. How we handle harvest residues is also important. The more finely they are chopped by combines, mulchers or tools for vertical tillage before sowing, the faster they decompose and the worse the chances of harmful organisms developing on them. An evenly distributed mulch of harvest residues should remain, which prevents the emergence of new waves of weeds. These additional measures, together with mechanical weed control with new types of tools, allow limiting the weed population to a level that can be controlled with a limited range of herbicides.
Investment costs in machines designed for the method of soil cultivation can be very high. An important obstacle in the introduction of conservation tillage is the large investments in new machinery... The value of purchasing these tools can well exceed the amount of 100,000 euros for an individual farm, which is a practically unfeasible investment for small farms.	Small farms can take the transition to conservation farming only with the help of hired machinery services from neighbouring large farms that have been able to invest in new equipment. The subsidization of the purchase of machinery and also the economic legal status of the farm in terms of VAT calculation play an important role.
It is necessary to replace all the tools used by farmers according to the old methods of tillage. It is necessary to purchase adapted cultivators, harrows, looseners and especially seeder drills.	Increase in the supply of relatively inexpensive machines from manufacturers from Eastern Europe and Turkey, which can increase the availability of this equipment to smaller farms.
In the first years of the transition period, there may be a significant reduction in yields and poor financial results. There is a yield reduction and financial stress during the transition period to the new system. The transition from conventional cultivation to conservation tillage is usually difficult and risky.	Growers must be financially strong in order to make the transition, and the areas under alternative cultivation systems must increase gradually when they really master the new cultivation technique. Good financial support during the transition period is very important for small farms with weak investment assets. Targeted education and training is necessary, as technological errors due to lack of knowledge regarding the implementation of conservation cultivation in different soil types can be economically very fatal.
A small increase in the seeding rate (10 to 15 %) is often recommended to compensate for losses caused by diseases and pests at the time of plant emergence.	A necessary cost that must be accepted (higher sowing rate for the main crops and additional crops – cover crops) for the successful implementation of the measure.

7.1 Métodos/ fuentes de información

7.2 Vínculos a las publicaciones disponibles

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

TJ Townsend, SJ Ramsden, P Wilson. Analysing reduced tillage practices within a bio-economic modelling framework. Agricultural Systems 146 (2016) 91–102.

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

ScienceDirect

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

E Houshyar, MJ SheikhDavoodi, M Almassi, H Bahrami, H Azadi, M Omidi, G Sayyad, F Witlox. Silage corn production in conventional and conservation tillage systems. Part I: Sustainability analysis using combination of GIS/AHP and multi-fuzzy modeling. Ecological Indicators 39 (2014) 102–114.

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

ScienceDirect

7.3 Vínculos a la información relevante disponible en línea

Título/ descripción:

C Rozman, K Pažek, M Lešnik. Analiza ekonomske ucinkovitosti alternativne agronomske prakse (AAP) na VVO. Univerza v Mariboru, Fakulteta za kmetijstvo in biosistemske vede, 2018.

URL:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjNtpH7peD8AhWFzaQKHdPXBM4QFnoECAYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kgzs-ms.si%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F07%2FD.T3.3.1-Study-final-May-2018.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3qni6nXmwUM25mhI0FwPln

Título/ descripción:

Mimalna obdelava tal – praktični primeri na naših kmetijah (žipo, ropic, horvat)

URL:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiZ6smRpuD8AhWrsaQKHcRSBoMQFnoECAkQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kmetijski-zavod.si%2FPortals%2F0%2Flombergarjevi%2FMinimalna%2520obdelava%2520tal%2520%25E2%2580%2593%2520prakti%25C4%258Dni%2520primeri%2520na%2520na%25C5%25A1ih%2520kmetijah%2520%5BSamodejno%2520shranjeno%5D.pdf%3Fver%3D2021-12-13-094249-623&usg=AOvVaw1jtWGuL4ovgrvC0rvqm1iS