1.2 Coordonnées des personnes-ressources et des institutions impliquées dans l'évaluation et la documentation de la Technologie

Nom du ou des institutions qui ont facilité la documentation/ l'évaluation de la Technologie (si pertinent)

Jürg Friederich Lohnunternehmung - Suisse

Nom du ou des institutions qui ont facilité la documentation/ l'évaluation de la Technologie (si pertinent)

University of Bern, Institute of Geography (GIUB) - Suisse

1.3 Conditions relatives à l'utilisation par WOCAT des données documentées

Quand les données ont-elles été compilées (sur le terrain)?

30/10/2008

Le compilateur et la(les) personne(s) ressource(s) acceptent les conditions relatives à l'utilisation par WOCAT des données documentées:

Oui

2.1 Courte description de la Technologie

Définition de la Technologie:

Maize strip tillage is used for corn cultivation and the technology ensures that only those stripes are cultivated where seed is applied.

2.2 Description détaillée de la Technologie

Description:

Maize strip tillageis a soil conservation method used in crop production. First of all the grass in the area needs to be prepared by splattering round-up some 3-10 days in advance. Then the actual maize strip tillage machine carves a stripe and the seed are inserted within this 30 cm strip. At the same time fertilizer is added on these cultivated stripes. Between those cultivated stripes the mulch-grass stripes (45cm) are unmechanised and protect the soil by increasing its stability. Due to these mulch-stripes the matrix of the soil is more complex and therefore the stability is better especially during the harvest in September. The interviewed farmer said it was cause of the improved soil structure that his tractors are not subside and compaction is also less likely to occur. Another advantage is the decreased risk of soil erosion when having more and heavy precipitation, as it is expected for next decades due to climate changes in Switzerland. Thanks to the SLM technology, water infiltration increases and organic matter as well which adds up to a promising growth period.
There are also clear economic advantages, by adopting the technology. In springtime only one working step is needed for seeding compared to the five steps needed with the traditional technique using a plough. Therefore the costs are finally lower with this technology and farmers can use the opportunity when having free labour to work part-time outside the farm. At first sight, the costs might seem higher when adopting this technology cause the farmer needs to hire a subtractor, in the end the costs are lower due to the lower labour input and the lower equipment costs. After having seen the advantages, the interviewed farmer said that the technology is usually maintained.
A high level of knowledge about the natural condition is needed when adopting this technology. On the one hand, the farmer must time the date for seeding adequately to the natural conditions, it needs some 4 days with no precipitation. Then on the other hand, the farmer has to apply Glyphosphat after the seeding in order to guarantee an optimal growth period for the corn. The timing to start seeding with this technology may be later cause corn is sensitive towards rival plants, low temperatures and humidity. These are some of the limits that the technology implies. If springtime is humid, the farmer should be allowed to use the traditional technique, regardless of the subsidies as indicated by the interviewed farmer. The canton of Bern is providing subsidies if the farmer commits to use a five year cycle which inherits not to use the plough during this period but using a mulch system. The interviewed farmer suggests that the canton of Bern could commit itself not only in giving subsidies to the areas but also to support if contractors like him would get subsidies for the investment for machines that are needed. For a single farmer the establishment costs for the equipment are too high so that the average is hiring a contractor who could work for a lower salary when having support to buy machines, so subsidies from the Cantons would be an asset.

2.3 Photos de la Technologie

2.5 Pays/ région/ lieux où la Technologie a été appliquée et qui sont couverts par cette évaluation

2.6 Date de mise en œuvre de la Technologie

Si l'année précise est inconnue, indiquez la date approximative: :

• il y a moins de 10 ans (récemment)

2.7 Introduction de la Technologie

Spécifiez comment la Technologie a été introduite: :

• au cours d'expérimentations / de recherches

Commentaires (type de projet, etc.) :

Peter Hofer made different experiments wiht SLM Technologies and after successful implementation of maize strip tillage, idea was adopted

3.2 Type(s) actuel(s) d'utilisation des terres, là où la Technologie est appliquée

Commentaires:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Soil erosion in hilly areas

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Due to changed weather conditions, basically an increase of percipitation, soil erosion increased

Future (final) land use (after implementation of SLM Technology): Cropland: Ca: Annual cropping

Si l'utilisation des terres a changé en raison de la mise en œuvre de la Technologie, indiquez l'utilisation des terres avant la mise en œuvre de la Technologie:

Cropland: Ca: Annual cropping

3.3 Informations complémentaires sur l'utilisation des terres

Nombre de période de croissance par an: :

• 1

Précisez:

Longest growing period in days: 150Longest growing period from month to month: Apr - Sep

3.4 Groupe de GDT auquel appartient la Technologie

• perturbation minimale du sol
• mesures en travers de la pente

3.5 Diffusion de la Technologie

Spécifiez la diffusion de la Technologie:

• répartie uniformément sur une zone

Si la Technologie est uniformément répartie sur une zone, indiquez la superficie couverte approximative:

• 0,1-1 km2

Commentaires:

3 farms joint together

3.6 Mesures de GDT constituant la Technologie

Commentaires:

Main measures: agronomic measures

Type of agronomic measures: cover cropping, retaining more vegetation cover, mulching, manure / compost / residues, rotations / fallows, minimum tillage

3.7 Principaux types de dégradation des terres traités par la Technologie

Commentaires:

Main type of degradation addressed: Wt: loss of topsoil / surface erosion

Secondary types of degradation addressed: Wg: gully erosion / gullying, Pc: compaction, Bc: reduction of vegetation cover

Main causes of degradation: crop management (annual, perennial, tree/shrub) (using a plough in hilly area increases soil erosion)

3.8 Prévention, réduction de la dégradation ou réhabilitation des terres dégradées

Spécifiez l'objectif de la Technologie au regard de la dégradation des terres:

• prévenir la dégradation des terres
• réduire la dégradation des terres

Commentaires:

Main goals: mitigation / reduction of land degradation

Secondary goals: prevention of land degradation

4.1 Dessin technique de la Technologie

4.2 Spécification/ explications techniques du dessin technique

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: high

Technical knowledge required for land users: moderate

Main technical functions: improvement of ground cover

Secondary technical functions: improvement of topsoil structure (compaction), increase in organic matter, increase of infiltration

4.3 Informations générales sur le calcul des intrants et des coûts

autre/ monnaie nationale (précisez):

Swiss Franc

Indiquer le taux de change du dollars en monnaie locale (si pertinent): 1 USD= :

1,08

4.4 Activités de mise en place/ d'établissement

	Activité	Type de mesures	Calendrier
1.	Buy a machine for technology	Agronomique

Commentaires:

Number of parties sharing: 2

4.5 Coûts et intrants nécessaires à la mise en place

	Spécifiez les intrants	Unité	Quantité	Coûts par unité	Coût total par intrant	% des coût supporté par les exploitants des terres
Main d'œuvre	applying round-up	ha	1,0	97,0	97,0	100,0
Main d'œuvre	maize strip tillage	ha	1,0	388,0	388,0	100,0
Equipements	Tools	ha	1,0	56300,0	56300,0	100,0
Coût total de mise en place de la Technologie					56785,0

Commentaires:

Duration of establishment phase: 2 month(s)

4.6 Activités d'entretien/ récurrentes

	Activité	Type de mesures	Calendrier/ fréquence
1.	Applying round up on the field	Agronomique	1
2.	Applying maize strip tillage	Agronomique	1
3.	Add herbicide on field	Agronomique	1
4.	Harvest of the corn	Agronomique	1

4.7 Coûts et intrants nécessaires aux activités d'entretien/ récurrentes (par an)

Commentaires:

Establishment costs are estimated for the contractor on the one hand and labour costs indicated above are the ones that the contractor is demanding for if he is hired. Additionally, those farmers who adapt this technology can get subsidies from the Canton if he/she commits to apply soil conservating measurements during 5 years, in Bern it is 450 CHF per ha.

4.8 Facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts

Décrivez les facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts :

Labour costs and costs for diesel are much higher for the traditional technology (plough). The investment for the technology are high in the first term and the labour costs indicated above are given by the contractor if he is hired. So for a regular farmer only these 388 USD are relevant.

5.1 Climat

5.2 Topographie

Commentaires et précisions supplémentaires sur la topographie:

Altitudinal zone: 101-1000 m a.s.l. (depending on the area)

5.3 Sols

Si disponible, joignez une description complète du sol ou précisez les informations disponibles, par ex., type de sol, pH/ acidité du sol, capacité d'échange cationique, azote, salinité, etc.

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

5.4 Disponibilité et qualité de l'eau

Commentaires et précisions supplémentaires sur la qualité et la quantité d'eau:

Availability of surface water: good, medium ( depending on the area )
Water quality (untreated): Good drinking water ( generally good quality of water )

5.5 Biodiversité

Commentaires et précisions supplémentaires sur la biodiversité:

depending on the area

5.6 Caractéristiques des exploitants des terres appliquant la Technologie

Indiquez toute autre caractéristique pertinente des exploitants des terres:

Difference in the involvement of women and men: Generally speaking, men tend to work on the fields therefore are mainly responsible for technologies, women tend to work in the houshold and are responsible for administrative tasks. In Switzerland there is a traditional labour division between men and women, there might be exceptions but if addressing new technology one has to deal with male farmers. Assuming that decisions to adapt new technologies or for investments are made by both.

Population density: 10-50 persons/km2

Annual population growth: < 0.5%

Off-farm income specification: For those farmers working off-farm it is likely to delegate work to contractor. On the other hand when hiring a contractor there is less labour needed for the farmer and the possibility to work off-farm slightly higher.

5.8 Propriété foncière, droits d’utilisation des terres et de l'eau

Propriété foncière:

• individu, sans titre de propriété

Droits d’utilisation des terres:

• communautaire (organisé)

Droits d’utilisation de l’eau:

• communautaire (organisé)

Commentaires:

Half of the land is leased and the other was bought by the farmer. He said there is a tendency towards land selling.

5.9 Accès aux services et aux infrastructures

6.1 Impacts sur site que la Technologie a montrés

Impacts socio-économiques

Production

Revenus et coûts

Autres impacts socio-économiques

Impacts socioculturels

Impacts écologiques

Cycle de l'eau/ ruissellement

Sols

Biodiversité: végétale, animale

Autres impacts écologiques

6.3 Exposition et sensibilité de la Technologie aux changements progressifs et aux évènements extrêmes/catastrophes liés au climat (telles que perçues par les exploitants des terres)

Changements climatiques progressifs

Changements climatiques progressifs

	Saison	Type de changements/ extrêmes climatiques	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
températures annuelles		augmente	bien

Extrêmes climatiques (catastrophes)

Catastrophes météorologiques

	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
pluie torrentielle locale	bien
tempête de vent locale	pas connu

Catastrophes climatiques

	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
sécheresse	bien

Catastrophes hydrologiques

	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
inondation générale (rivière)	pas connu

Autres conséquences liées au climat

Autres conséquences liées au climat

	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
réduction de la période de croissance	pas bien

Commentaires:

With the grass stripes between the corn rows, the water can infiltrate faster and the soil is more stable and protected. The technology can be more tolerant towards intensive rainfalls but only to a certain extent. The technology is more sensitive when having humid conditions in spring and problems can occure then when trying to apply the stripe mill cropping..

6.4 Analyse coûts-bénéfices

Quels sont les bénéfices comparativement aux coûts de mise en place (du point de vue des exploitants des terres)?

Quels sont les bénéfices comparativement aux coûts d'entretien récurrents (du point de vue des exploitants des terres)?

6.5 Adoption de la Technologie

Commentaires:

35% of land user families have adopted the Technology with external material support

Comments on acceptance with external material support: When having good experiences with technology, some 80-90% of the farmers are maintaining this technology

6.7 Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités de la Technologie

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue de l'exploitant des terres
less workload How can they be sustained / enhanced? Farmers should estimate their own labour time as well and then compare the costs of traditional technology and the SLM technology
less costs How can they be sustained / enhanced? In the long-term costs for a farmer decrease by a third. Less diesel costs are needed.
less erosion How can they be sustained / enhanced? Subsidies of the cantons could ensure that farmers adapt technology, therefore enhance their knowledge about soil erosion and the costs.

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé
reduction of soil erosion How can they be sustained / enhanced? Enhancing knowledge about soil erosion
improvement of soil structure How can they be sustained / enhanced? Enhancing knowledge by experiments shown to farmers

6.8 Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques de la Technologie et moyens de les surmonter

Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques du point de vue de l’exploitant des terres	Comment peuvent-ils être surmontés?
Timing is needed	Enhance knowledge about technology when conditions are too wet, farmers should be allowed to use plough instead of SLM technology
Subsidies only for areas	Canton could subsidies/support if contractor or farmer invests in a machine used for strip mill cropping. 5 years of subsidies might be too short

Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé	Comment peuvent-ils être surmontés?
use of pesticide	It is not estimated yet whether the use of pesticide has traces in the drinking water