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)

Book project: Making sense of research for sustainable land management (GLUES)

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

Sustainable land management in the Russian steppes (KULUNDA / GLUES)

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

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

Oui

1.4 Déclaration sur la durabilité de la Technologie décrite

Est-ce que la Technologie décrite ici pose problème par rapport à la dégradation des terres, de telle sorte qu'elle ne peut pas être déclarée comme étant une technologie de gestion durable des terres?

Non

1.5 Référence au(x) Questionnaires sur les Approches de GDT (documentées au moyen de WOCAT)

2.1 Courte description de la Technologie

Définition de la Technologie:

Minimum tillage is a one-pass operation combined with sowing, using a classic Russian seeder modified for seedbed preparation and soil mixing. It can include shallow stubble cultivation after harvesting.

2.2 Description détaillée de la Technologie

Description:

Minimum tillage is a key element of the "adapted Soviet cropping system", which aims at more sustainable land use but based on predominantly local technologies. For successful implementation of minimum tillage, adaption of the whole cropping system is required, including crop rotation. Rotation includes a succession of cereal crops (e.g. spring wheat), legumes (peas), and oil seed crops. Stubble cultivation in autumn is best performed with the "Catros" compact disc harrow for a quick, shallow operation. Seedbed preparation is carried out using a classic Russian seeder modified with wing shares for shallow seedbed preparation including soil mixing. In general, the performance of this drill is very close to that of a cultivator.

Minimizing tillage, saves time and fuel, and also helps to reduce evaporation, as well as protecting the soil against erosion. Shallow tillage with disc harrows after harvest ensures better stubble mixing and stimulates the germination of weed seeds. The adapted seeder, SZS 2.1, works with wing shares that open the soil and place the seed. Thus traditional deep tillage operations for the preparation of the seedbed can are omitted: that helps to reduce costs. With respect to crop protection, the first and most important element is to implement a full crop rotation. To control late germinating weeds and seeds of the previous crop, a disc harrow is used for shallow cultivation – this can be supplemented by the application of a non-selective herbicide if there is germination - to avoid the risk of flowering before the hard frost sets in. Fertilization becomes more important, because of the decreased mineralization rate under minimized soil tillage, especially at the beginning of the conversion of the cropping system.

The Technology including crop rotation was tested in the field in 4 test plots with 4 repetitions at the test site in Poluyamki. Results showed that the intensity of soil tillage and seeding methods used had a great influence on crop establishment and expected yields. It was demonstrated that minimizing tillage leads to higher water use efficiency and highest yields. Positive effects were also observed regarding soil structure and soil fertility already after 3 years. Minimized soil disturbance led to higher aggregate stability, which leads to a lower risk of wind erosion, increased soil organic carbon storage and soil fertility as well as available soil water content. The adapted Soviet system is more profitable, due to higher gross margins.

The test site in Poluyamki is located in the dry steppe of the border region next to Kazakhstan, where, due to the climatic conditions, no natural afforestation occurs, and the planted windbreaks don’t grow vigorously due to the prevailing aridity. The annual precipitation is under 300 mm a year. Probably the greatest climatic influence factor is the precipitation - in terms of quantity and space/ time distribution and, due to high summer temperatures, the high rates of evapotranspiration. The total yearly precipitation rate is the primary yield-limiting factor in all steppe regions. The ratio between precipitation and evaporation is negative. In the late weeks of spring, prolonged droughts must be expected in 5-year cycles, limiting germination and crop establishment. The soils are classed among those of cool-tempered grasslands. Due to their physical and chemical characteristics, these soils (Chernozems and Kastanozems) have high agronomic potential.

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.) :

Already during the Soviet land use periode temporal,especially after the Virgin land campagne (1954-'63)efforts were made to minimize soil tillage intensity to obtain from conventional ploughing system. An important scientific thinker for this innovative farming systems was T. C. Malcev. But at this time the new approaches for minimized tillage systems were not seriously implemented in Russia. Only in the last decade a significant trend towards minimum soil tillage can be recodnized in the Russian agriculture

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

• améliorer la production
• 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): The decrease of soil organic carbon content in the soils and loss of topsoil depth has led to a decrease in soil fertility. Additionally, the negative soil water balance due to the high summer temperatures and evaporation, and the high spatial and temporal variability of precipitation, is a serious problem relating to the lack of soil water.
Major land use problems (land users’ perception): The land users who were involved in the studies and implemented the new farming practices have a similar opinion. But there are still a lot of farmers that underestimate the ecological risks of soil degradation resulting from conventional/ traditional soil management.

3.4 Approvisionnement en eau

Approvisionnement en eau des terres sur lesquelles est appliquée la Technologie:

• pluvial

3.5 Groupe de GDT auquel appartient la Technologie

• perturbation minimale du sol

3.6 Mesures de GDT constituant la Technologie

Commentaires:

Type of agronomic measures: better crop cover, mulching, green manure, mineral (inorganic) fertilizers, rotations / fallows, minimum tillage, non-inversion tillage

3.7 Principaux types de dégradation des terres traités par la Technologie

Commentaires:

Main causes of degradation: soil management (Conventional (intensive) soil tillage by phloughing), crop management (annual, perennial, tree/shrub) (Bare fallow (without any vegetation cover)), wind storms / dust storms (Strong wind and storm (local name: Sukhovey) from the south-western central-Asiatic semi-desert regions cause a higher risk of wind erosion especially on traditional cropland without plant cover), droughts (The frequently occurring early-summer drought periods are particularly problematic for agricultural production)
Secondary causes of degradation: education, access to knowledge and support services (The linkages between research, education, extension services and end users need to strengthened, for better knowledge creation and transfer. Need for more efficient and qualified advisory service), Capital for investments (Lack of capital for investment in modern adapted agricultural technologies)

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

4.1 Dessin technique de la Technologie

4.5 Activités d'entretien/ récurrentes

	Activité	Calendrier/ fréquence
1.	Stubble cultivation	september
2.	Seeding	late april/early may
3.	Seeding (extension)
4.	Pest management	period of vegetation
5.	Pest management (extension)
6.	Harvest	september

4.6 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	4,34	4,34	100,0
Equipements	machine use	ha	1,0	37,4	37,4	100,0
Equipements	fuel	ha	1,0	47,34	47,34	100,0
Matériel végétal	seeds	ha	1,0	25,3	25,3	100,0
Engrais et biocides	fertilizer	ha	1,0	30,83	30,83	100,0
Engrais et biocides	pesticides	ha	1,0	9,42	9,42	100,0
Coût total d'entretien de la Technologie					154,63
Coût total d'entretien de la Technologie en dollars américains (USD)					154,63

Commentaires:

The costs refers to 1ha land of the test field in Poluyamki.

4.7 Facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts

Décrivez les facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts :

The highest cost factors of minimum tillage are equipment, fuel, fertilizer and seeds. Compared to the conventional deep ploughing often without fertilizer application, fertilizer and pesticides are the main additional cost factors.

5.1 Climat

5.2 Topographie

5.3 Sols

5.4 Disponibilité et qualité de l'eau

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 Leaders / privileged
There are generally less woman than men in rural regions caused by rural-urban migration. Furthermore, jobs in the agricultural sector are not so attractive for woman.
Population density: 10-50 persons/km2
Annual population growth: negative

5.7 Superficie moyenne des terres utilisées par les exploitants des terres appliquant la Technologie

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

Propriété foncière:

• état
• individu, sans titre de propriété

Droits d’utilisation des terres:

• communautaire (organisé)
• loué

Droits d’utilisation de l’eau:

• accès libre (non organisé)

Commentaires:

state: 45%, the data refer to the Altai Krai

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

Réduction des risques de catastrophe et des risques climatiques

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	Augmentation ou diminution	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

Catastrophes climatiques

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

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:

The increase of air temperature and wind lead to an increase of the evapotransporation rate and consequently, as well as rainfall decrease and droughts, to a decrease of soil water content that is one of the most important limiting factor in crop production. The minimization of soil tillage intensity helps to reduce the evapotranspiration rate and thus leads to a higher soil water content. The stubble slow down the wind, that protect the soil against erosion and reduce the evapotranspiration rate.

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:

100% of land user families have adopted the Technology without any external material support

The 3 farms/ sites where minimum tillage was tested were already interested in conservation technologies and were able to invest in new machinery, which is not representative of the whole Kulunda region. There is a moderate trend towards spontaneous adoption, but this trend depends on different natural and socioeconomic factors, like precipitation or the economic situation and financial power of the farmers.
There is a trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology, but this trend depends on different natural and socioeconomic factors like the precipitation or conditions an economic situation of the financial power of the farms. For example the drier the conditions, the more sense is to minimize the tillage. But there is a need to invest in new machinery. An advantage of the tested Adapted Soviet System in contrast to the Modern Soviet System is the less need for new machinery through the use of old Soviet machinery.

6.7 Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités de la Technologie

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé
Increase of soil aggregate stability and improved soil structure thus better erosion control and protection of soil organic matter will improve soil fertility and water holding capacity
Minimization of evaporation losses through the mulch layer
Protection of soil organisms thus ensuring natural soil forming processes
Lower input costs (materials, fuel, labour, time) and quicker field operations.
A great advantage of the tested ‘minimum tillage’ in contrast to ‘no till‘ is that the former needs no new machinery because of the use and adaptation of old Soviet machinery.

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

Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé	Comment peuvent-ils être surmontés?
Need for comprehensive system knowledge and risk of significant crop losses in case of incorrect implementation	Knowledge transfer, Capacity building and extension services, State support (subsidies for new technologies)
Application of chemical herbicides leads to higher costs and possible ecological risks	Selective spraying using the “Amaspot” system that is based on infrared detection of weeds.
Higher requirements for fertilizers, especially at the beginning, due to lower mineralization rates and less nutrient availability compared to conventional cultivation	Higher fertilizer application in the first years after conversion.
Challenging straw management that leads to higher risk of fungal infestation and poorer field crop emergence	Good straw management: effective straw chopping and spreading as well as stubble cultivation for an optimal straw/ soil ratio.

7.1 Méthodes/ sources d'information