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

Nom du projet qui a facilité la documentation/ l'évaluation de la Technologie (si pertinent)

Preventing and Remediating degradation of soils in Europe through Land Care (EU-RECARE )

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

CDE Centre for Development and Environment (CDE Centre for Development and Environment) - Suisse

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

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

07/04/2015

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:

A field at risk for erosion by water is divided so that a grass strip prevents soil loss and further damage to the field and the streets during a heavy rainfall.

2.2 Description détaillée de la Technologie

Description:

The technology applied is an individual idea of a land user whose one field provides many problems whenever there is a heavy rainfall event. Because of the slope and the cultivation it is mostly at risk during summer when there are tempests. To minimize the risk of soil and crop loss the land user decided to leave a part of the filed unemployed and planted a seam of grass and flowers to stabilize the soil. Whenever there is a rainfall event, the grass strip stops the flow of water and eroded top-soil and speed is reduced. Consequently, erosion is highly minimized and the damage to the field, crops and the street underneath stays small.

Purpose of the Technology: The aim of the technology is to prevent erosion and soil loss, especially from heavy rainfall events during summer. Crop loss is also a consequence, so the land user loses not only top-soil and organic material but also crops and in the end money. The reduction of this high risk is the reason for the implementation of a grass strip on this problematic field.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: In the beginning seeds and a seeding machine were required. There is a specially designed mixture for field seams in Switzerland which the land user has to apply. After the first growing period the land user has to cut the grass with a special mowing machine. During the next two years the grass has to be cut every month. This is called the cleanup-cut. After the first two years the grass only needs to be cut twice a year. The grass must be led away.

Natural / human environment: The most important conditions for this technology are a moderate slope on a field which is endangered by erosion through rainfall. The technology can stop and slow down the flow of water over the field to a neighbor field or onto the street and therefore minimize the risk and costs of soil loss and its consequences.

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: :

• grâce à l'innovation d'exploitants des terres

Commentaires (type de projet, etc.) :

The seam was first seeded in spring 2014 by the land user. He had no help with the development and was the first of his family to change something on the endangered field after a heavy rainfall which took away his top-soil and accumulated on the street underneath the field.

3.1 Principal(aux) objectif(s) de la Technologie

• réduire, prévenir, restaurer les terres dégradées

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

Commentaires:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Run-off during rainfall causes often much soil erosion because of the many slopes in this area. As a consequence of erosion there is soil loss and within this also loss of fertility of the soil.

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): The intensification of agricultural fields is the main problem for the land user. Through a intensely use of the soils the risk for erosion increases. However, one must always also do as much as possible for protecting endangered fields of part of it. This is the solution.

3.3 Informations complémentaires sur l'utilisation des terres

Commentaires:

Water supply: rainfed, mixed rainfed - irrigated, full irrigation

Nombre de période de croissance par an: :

• 1

Précisez:

Longest growing period in days: 200Longest growing period from month to month: April to September or October

3.4 Groupe de GDT auquel appartient la Technologie

• mesures en travers de la pente

3.5 Diffusion de la Technologie

Commentaires:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 0.0022 m2.

The total SLM Technology area is 22 are

3.6 Mesures de GDT constituant la Technologie

Commentaires:

Main measures: vegetative measures

Type of vegetative measures: aligned: -linear

3.7 Principaux types de dégradation des terres traités par la Technologie

Commentaires:

Main type of degradation addressed: Wt: loss of topsoil / surface erosion, Wo: offsite degradation effects

Secondary types of degradation addressed: Wm: mass movements / landslides

Main causes of degradation: soil management (machines and moment of tillage are highly important regarding compaction of soil), crop management (annual, perennial, tree/shrub) (Crop rotation must be adapted to the situation and problems, sometimes also short to the weather), Heavy / extreme rainfall (intensity/amounts) (Heavy rainfalls were the trigger for the first soil loss and erosion)

Secondary causes of degradation: other human induced causes (specify) (Heavy machines lead to compaction of soils), change in temperature (It was observed that there are longer hot weather conditions), change of seasonal rainfall (It was observed that there are longer wet weather conditions), governance / institutional (Politics and agrarian policy lead to an intensification of land use)

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: prevention of land degradation

Secondary goals: mitigation / reduction of land degradation

4.2 Spécification/ explications techniques du dessin technique

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: moderate (They need to know when to cut the grass and how low the grass needs to be cut. There is a certain size the grass needs to have during the first 2 years.)

Technical knowledge required for land users: moderate (He needs to know everything about the implementation from how to seed and cut the grass until how often the grass needs to be cut. This knowledge has to be given to his field staff.)

Technical knowledge required for apprentice: moderate (The land user needs to show his apprentice how everything works: the machines, the seeding, the cutting and the transporting of the cut grass.)

Main technical functions: control of dispersed runoff: impede / retard, control of concentrated runoff: impede / retard

Secondary technical functions: reduction of slope length, improvement of surface structure (crusting, sealing), improvement of topsoil structure (compaction), stabilisation of soil (eg by tree roots against land slides), increase in organic matter, increase of infiltration

Aligned: -graded strips
Vegetative material: C : perennial crops

Aligned: -linear
Vegetative material: G : grass
Number of plants per (ha): 44 kg

Grass species: Mixture "seam on agricultural crop land" with grass and different flower species, seeded

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= :

1,0

4.4 Activités de mise en place/ d'établissement

	Activité	Type de mesures	Calendrier
1.	Seeding mixture conventionally with seeding machine	Végétale	May
2.	First cutting after 2 months because grass grows faster than flowers which need light	Végétale	July/August
3.	Cutting once a month for growing of flowers	Végétale	during growing period

4.5 Coûts et intrants nécessaires à la mise en place

	Spécifiez les intrants	Unité	Quantité	Coûts par unité	Coût total par intrant	% du coût supporté par les exploitants des terres
Main d'œuvre	Labour	ha	1,0	1500,0	1500,0	100,0
Equipements	machine use	ha	1,0	750,0	750,0	100,0
Equipements	tools	ha	1,0	500,0	500,0	100,0
Matériel végétal	Seeds	ha	1,0	250,0	250,0	100,0
Coût total de mise en place de la Technologie					3000,0

4.6 Activités d'entretien/ récurrentes

	Activité	Type de mesures	Calendrier/ fréquence
1.	Cutting half of grass in August	Végétale	August after first 2 years of establishment
2.	Cutting other half of grass in September	Végétale	September
3.	Sell the cut grass as fodder or hay to another land user	Végétale

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

	Spécifiez les intrants	Unité	Quantité	Coûts par unité	Coût total par intrant	% du coût supporté par les exploitants des terres
Main d'œuvre	Labour	ha	1,0	750,0	750,0	100,0
Equipements	Machine use	ha	1,0	400,0	400,0	100,0
Equipements	Tools	ha	1,0	300,0	300,0	100,0
Coût total d'entretien de la Technologie					1450,0

Commentaires:

The costs were calculated for the field of 0.22 ha where the land user has now a grass strip in order to prevent run-off and erosion.

4.8 Facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts

Décrivez les facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts :

The most determinate factor affecting the costs are the labour and the seeds at the beginning. After the implementation of the seam on this agricultural field the costs are remarkably smaller. Furthermore, the land user gets a small amount of subsidies after the implementation of a seam on agricultural fields. But this amount is not that high that it would be profitable to change from rotation farming to agricultural seams.

5.1 Climat

5.2 Topographie

Indiquez si la Technologie est spécifiquement appliquée dans des:

• situations concaves

Commentaires et précisions supplémentaires sur la topographie:

Slopes on average: The average slope in the area treated is moderate (6-10%) however the problematic field is situated in a rolling slope (8-16%) there run-off can gain more and more speed during a heavy rainfall event.

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 texture is medium (loamy/silty) (Soil texture in this area is mostly sandy loam)
Soil fertility is high
Soil drainage/infiltration is medium
Soil water storage capacity is medium

5.4 Disponibilité et qualité de l'eau

5.5 Biodiversité

5.6 Caractéristiques des exploitants des terres appliquant la Technologie

Indiquez toute autre caractéristique pertinente des exploitants des terres:

Land users applying the Technology are mainly common / average land users
Difference in the involvement of women and men: In swiss agriculture land users are mainly men. Women or their wives play also an important role especially in case of decision-making, investment and family.
Population density: 100-200 persons/km2
Annual population growth: 1% - 2%
Level of mechanization is mechanised and manual labour (weeding in biological agriculture must be made manual)

5.7 Superficie moyenne des terres détenues ou louées par les exploitants appliquant la Technologie

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

Propriété foncière:

• individu, avec titre de propriété

Droits d’utilisation des terres:

• communautaire (organisé)
• individuel

• government

Droits d’utilisation de l’eau:

• communautaire (organisé)

• government

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

Impacts socioculturels

Impacts écologiques

Cycle de l'eau/ ruissellement

Sols

Biodiversité: végétale, animale

Autres impacts écologiques

6.2 Impacts hors site que la Technologie a montrés

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	bien

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

Si disponible, quantifiez (nombre de ménages et/ou superficie couverte):

1

Commentaires:

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

There is a moderate trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: The agrarian policy of Switzerland with its subsidies for different conservation technologies is beneficial for the adoption of this technology.

6.7 Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités de la Technologie

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue de l'exploitant des terres
With the technology the land user reduces the flow of water and soil during a heavy rainfall event. Therefore, he keeps fertile soil and top-soil, reduces siltation and costs for cleaning the contaminated street underneath the field. How can they be sustained / enhanced? The grass strip must be maintained.
The land user is pleased to get subsidies for his grass strip to compensate for the loss of production area. However, he also likes the fact that he is doing something against erosion of soil and the application of this technology changed his view towards conservation agriculture. He even thinks about some more technologies to try on his fields. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Subsidies must be provided to balance the loss of production area which results from the application of this technology.

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé
The technology helps reducing the speed of run-off during a heavy rainfall. It is visible that with this technology run-off and damages like erosion, soil loss and contamination of roads and neighbor fields are reduced or prevented. How can they be sustained / enhanced? The grass strip needs maintenance every year several times which requires labour and money. This must be secured in order to protect the technology and its benefits for the conservation of soil.
The technology shows how important individual solutions to land use problems are and that there is no limit in how such a technology must look like. The success of the technology proofs that innovative ideas of land users to prevent erosion and soil loss must be pursued and encouraged by politics and agricultural institutions. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Politics, agricultural institutions and even the general public must be sensitized to conservation technologies like this. There must be understood that intensification of agricultural production can lead to degradation rather than more production. Not every field is suitable for crop rotation.
With implementing the technology the land user not only protects his field and the street underneath from erosion and damage but also gets subsidies for enhancing local flower production on his field. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Subsidies for conservation technologies and their outputs must be guaranteed in order to promote the adoption of such a technology. Otherwise the technology is good for sustainable land management but not economically profitable.

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?
The major weakness of the technology is the loss of crop rotation area which could be used agronomically. This is associated with a financial deficit in the income.	Subsidies help to compensate for the financial deficit. However, this is not a sustainable solution to the problem. The land user must not only see the financial deficit but also the immense advantage the grass strip provides because it saves him costs of cleaning the street, crop loss and soil loss during a heavy rainfall event.