Farmer standing at manure storage (Matjaž Glavan)
1. The technology is applied in the flatlands of Ljubljana with an average altitude of 350 m.a.s.l. Average annual precipitation is 1400 mm. The area is characterized with often stormy precipitation events and occasional droughts. Silty loam soils in the area are moderately deep to deep with medium soil organic matter. Area has good availability of surface water and groundwater of good drinking quality. The biodiversity of the area is medium without any salinity and flooding problems. Sedentary agriculture with mixed or commercial agriculture is practiced with less than 10% of income coming from off-farm activities. The examined farm household has an average wealth and is fully mechanized/motorized. All farm households have a good access to services and infrastructure. The examinded farm is medium in scale with land patly owned by the land user and partly leased from other private owners.
2. Main characteristic is the use of livestock manure on arable fields and especially for vegetable production. Manure is composed from solid dairy cows excreta and cereals straw (wheat, barley) which is used as bedding for cows. Manure is composted for few months (4-6, depends on storage capacity). It is spread before ploughing and then ploughed into the soil. Spreading of manure is done in autumn or in spring. Knowledge on time of spreading and on handling with machines is needed.
3. Main function is increasing organic matter in the soil and also all major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium etc.). This leads to better (1) productivity due to nutrients slow release, (2) better water holding capacity and (3) decreased soil compaction threat.
4. Major inputs needed to establish are: livestock (animals), stable adapted to the manure collection, use of straw bedding, storage facility (if possible covered with roof), manure spreader, and loading equipment. Major inputs to maintain are: keeping of the livestock herd and maintenance of the machines.
5. The benefits are: (1) increase in soil organic matter, (2) increase soil water holding capacity, (3) to maintain soil productivity, (4) increase in yields quantity and quality.
6. Land users like: (1) lower cost for mineral fertilisers, (2) impact on soil fertility, (3) it's a traditional method.
Land users dislike: (1) time-consuming - labour hours invested, (2) storage capacity takes space, (3) costs of transport.
Lieu: Municipality of Dol pri Ljubljani, Slovénie
Nbr de sites de la Technologie analysés: 2-10 sites
Diffusion de la Technologie: répartie uniformément sur une zone (approx. 0,1-1 km2)
Dans des zones protégées en permanence ?:
Date de mise en oeuvre: il y a plus de 50 ans (technologie traditionnelle)
Type d'introduction
| Spécifiez les intrants | Unité | Quantité | Coûts par unité (EUR (€)) | Coût total par intrant (EUR (€)) | % des coût supporté par les exploitants des terres |
| Equipements | |||||
| Storage facililty for 6 month capacity | pcs | 1,0 | 10000,0 | 10000,0 | 100,0 |
| Machine for loading manure | pcs | 1,0 | 10000,0 | 10000,0 | 100,0 |
| Machine for transport of manure | pcs | 1,0 | 15000,0 | 15000,0 | 100,0 |
| Coût total de mise en place de la Technologie | 35'000.0 | ||||
| Coût total de mise en place de la Technologie en dollars américains (USD) | 39'325.84 | ||||
| Spécifiez les intrants | Unité | Quantité | Coûts par unité (EUR (€)) | Coût total par intrant (EUR (€)) | % des coût supporté par les exploitants des terres |
| Main d'œuvre | |||||
| Manure handling every day | EUR/hour | 182,5 | 6,25 | 1140,63 | 100,0 |
| Transport to the fields | EUR/hour | 30,0 | 6,25 | 187,5 | 100,0 |
| Equipements | |||||
| Maintanance of machines | EUR/hour | 8,0 | 6,25 | 50,0 | 100,0 |
| Coût total d'entretien de la Technologie | 1'378.13 | ||||
| Coût total d'entretien de la Technologie en dollars américains (USD) | 1'548.46 | ||||
Organic manure is crucial in vegetable production. The examinded farm would already have stopped the livestock production but then he would lack manure as crucial component for the vegetable production. Few years ago the land user only produced raw milk but as market demand for vegetable increased he started with this type of production.
Organic manure is crucial in vegetable production. Few years ago the examined land user only produced raw milk but as the market demand for vegetable increased he started with this type of production too..
Farmer observed that soils with regular application of manure have better ability to retain soil moisture, reducing impacts of drought.
