A stubble field within Kråkstad catchment, April 2022 (Anne-Grete B.Blankenberg)
Purpose/aim: Reduced tillage (i.e., no tillage in autumn) is an efficient measure of preventing soil erosion, and particle and nutrient loss from cropland to watercourses. In addition to the protection of soil from water erosion, stubble fields contribute to increasing organic matter content, which may also increase the aggregate stability of the soil (in the upper soil layers). It is also possible that, as a result of this measure, higher biological activity may improve the soil structure.
Establishment/Maintenance: No tillage in autumn means that cropland areas are left as stubble fields after the harvesting is carried out and they remain like this throughout the winter.
It is of importance to keep in mind the potential for increased amounts of weeds and diseases (incl. fungi) when practicing this measure. The soil may also develop a rather dense structure over time if the climate is humid.
Natural / human environment: The information about Technology is based on the investigations and/or reports from different part of Norway.
For the purpose of the OPTAIN project (https://www.optain.eu/), the technology is further presented in the natural and human environment context of the Kråkstad River catchment - a Norwegian Case Study catchment within OPTAIN project.
The Kråkstad River is mainly situated in Ski municipality in South-Eastern parts of Norway. The river catchment is a western tributary of the Vansjø-Hobøl watercourse, also known as the Morsa watercourse. The Kråkstad River catchment area is c.a 51 km², 43% of which is agricultural land, where mostly cereals are produced on heavy clays soils. The main environmental challenge in the area is water quality (incl. high phosphorus pollution) and soil erosion (incl. riverbank erosion and quick-clay landslides). The Morsa watercourse is a drinking water resource and there are specific environmental regulations for land management followed by subsidies through the Regional Environmental Programme (RMP).
Special regulations in the Morsa catchment (https://morsa.org/) recommend that tillage, and fertilizer additions, are postponed to the start of March at the earliest.
Байршил: The Vansjø - Hobøl catchment, Viken county, Норвег
Дүн шинжилгээнд хамрагдсан технологи нэвтрүүлсэн газрын тоо: 10-100 байршилд
Технологийн тархалт: газар дээр жигд тархсан (approx. 10-100 км2)
Тусгай хамгаалалттай газар нутагт?: Үгүй
Хэрэгжилтийн огноо: 10-50 жилийн өмнө
Нутагшууллын төрөл
There is a potential for increased amounts of weeds and diseases (incl. fungi) when practicing this measure.
Subsidies should compensate some costs
The soil may also develop a rather dense structure over time if the climate is humid.
