Short description of the best practice

The adoption of good agricultural practices was promoted in order to improve agricultural production while reducing soil loss and nutrient discharge into water bodies. Technical assistance and financial support was provided for sustainable agricultural practices, including:
(i) nutrient management – the application of animal waste materials on agricultural land areas at rates determined by the nutrient needs of crops and nutrient content of the waste;
(ii) conservation tillage – crop production in which the crop residues from the previous crop remain on the soil surface to provide erosion protection;
(iii) integrated cropping management – the use of crop rotations and strip cropping to prevent erosion and provide adequate supplies of animal feed and forages in integrated farming systems; (iv) vegetated buffer areas – permanent vegetated strips would be established at field and stream riparian boundaries and in water courses that will reduce and help prevent soil loss and its associated nutrient loss loads; and
At village level, the project supported the construction of waste storage platforms of 3400 tones capacity and a storage period of 5 months. The platform has 48 m length and 36 m width. It is surrounded by a concrete 3 m high wall, and bedded by a concrete floor with an impermeable insolating membrane. The platform is equipped with a bunker for inert material and a basin for collection of liquid fraction. The platform is built on the commune land (administrated by the Mayoralty) in full compliance with the environmental protection requirements.
At the household-level 150 platforms were built. The platforms have 2.55 m3 and a storage period of one month. The platform capacity have been calculated based on estimated quantity of manure for an overage household with at least two cattle, two-three pigs and a certain number of poultry. The designed platform consists of a simple open fronted store with a concrete floor and 1.5 m height walls. In front of the platform, a concrete below ground tank (125 dcm3 volume) covered by a wood lid with a plastic basket inside of 50 liters capacity for collection of liquid fraction would be equipped. A separate small capacity container (about 90 liters) for the collection of recyclable and non-recyclable household wastes was also provided.|

Location

Negrea village, Hincesti district, Republic of Moldova|

If the location has well defined boundaries, specify its extension in hectares:

2596.0

Estimated population living in the location:

2301.0

Brief description of the natural environment within the specified location.

Climate is moderately continental: the summers are warm and long, with temperatures averaging about 20°C, and the winters are relatively mild and dry, with January temperatures averaging -4°C. Annual rainfall, which ranges from around 500 millimeters; long dry spells are not unusual. The heaviest rainfall occurs in summer; heavy showers and thunderstorms are common.|
Chernozems (black soils) prevail in the soil composition (65% of the area) divided into argilo-illuvial and carbonate subtypes. These soils are perfectly suited for agriculture. They are friable, permeable, have good water and air saturation and are easy to till. Chernozems are rich in organic matter (3-4% of humus), however they are degraded. Alluvial soils are spread in the floodplain of the Lapusna river and its tributaries. alluvial soils are often subject to salinization and water logging. |
The territory belongs to the Central Moldova Height and the Plain of Upper Prut. The landscape is hilly, very fragmented with a dense network of valleys, hollows and plains. Almost 75% of the land is situated on slope. Water erosion processes are widespread and quite intense. The predominant length of the hillsides in Negrea pilot area is 800-900 m.|

Prevailing socio-economic conditions of those living in the location and/or nearby

The principal activity in the commune is agriculture. The farmers cultivate arable crops, grapes and fruits. From vegetables, pea and bean plantations, cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, beats and carrots are most usual. Potatoes are predominantly cultivated on the households’ plots.  There are two small economic units dealing with wood processing and meat production activating under the umbrella of the local farmer’s association, “SRL Negrea-Pomvit”. |
The total number of land shares in the commune is 772. Each land share has on average 1.20 ha, including 0.70 ha of arable land, 0.15 ha of orchards and 0.35 ha of vineyards. The number of individual farms is 190. The principal landowner in the region is the association of shareholders “SRL Negrea-Pomvit”. The association manages collectively 664 ha. |
The income of the people depends much on the harvest and climatic conditions, but also on imbalances of the market, import policies, governmental purchases, etc.  The estimated average income per capita in the community over the last 3 years was 45 US dollars per month. |

On the basis of which criteria and/or indicator(s) (not related to The Strategy) the proposed practice and corresponding technology has been considered as 'best'?

- Reduction of the soil and water losses,
- Improvement of the soil humidity regime,
- Optimizing the nutrition regime through application of organic and mineral fertilizers and improvement of soil chemical properties,
- Obtaining  of agronomic effect through improvement of farm productivity of eroded soils,
- Obtaining  of ecological effect through  reduced water and soil pollution.
- Increased agricultural production, improved food and forage sources.

Main problems addressed by the best practice

- Soil erosion,
- soil fertility,
- water and soil pollution.|

Outline specific land degradation problems addressed by the best practice

- Control of dispersed and concentrated runoff,
- increase in soil fertility,
- increase/maintain water stored in soil,
- increase of infiltration.|

Specify the objectives of the best practice

- Diminish pollution through ill management of cattle manure.  Use manure for soil fertilization and use less mineral nutrients.
- Reducing soil erosion through best management practices.  

Brief description of main activities, by objective

1. Packages developed for manure management at village and household level and evaluated for replication.
3. Public awareness & education.
2. Use of good agricultural practices by farmer associations, family farms and individual farmers on cropland.|
4. Monitoring & evaluation.

Name and address of the institution developing the technology

This technology was implemented by Agricultural Pollution Control Project, which was implemented in close association with the US$40 million IDA-funded Rural Investment and Services Project (RISP).
|9 Cosmonautilor str. MD-2005, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
E-mail: risp@capmu.md

Was the technology developed in partnership?

Yes

List the partners:

RISP

Specify the framework within which the technology was promoted

• Programme/project-based initiative

Was the participation of local stakeholders, including CSOs, fostered in the development of the technology?

Yes

List local stakeholders involved:

RISSA, ICAS, ACSA, SFS, MEM |

For the stakeholders listed above, specify their role in the design, introduction, use and maintenance of the technology, if any.

1. RISSA (Research Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry “N. Dimo”) - developed and tested the environmental-friendly agricultural practices.
2. ICAS (Forest Management and Research Institute) - developed the Shrub and Tree Planting Program
3. SFS (State Forestry Service “Moldsilva”) - implemented the Shrub and Tree Planting Program
4. ACSA (Agency for Consultancy and Schooling in Agriculture) - implemented environmental-friendly agricultural practices demo sites in other localities and organized training program.
5. MEM (Ecological Movement of Moldova) - organized and implemented Awareness Building Campaign.

Was the population living in the location and/or nearby involved in the development of the technology?

Yes

Specify:

Implementation

Describe on-site impacts (the major two impacts by category)

The Social Survey indicated an improved environmental situation in LPA in comparison to other rural localities. Some problems in LPA are not so acute as there were in 2002, especially soil erosion, aquatic reservoirs pollution and quality of potable water, which demonstrates the efficiency of APCP P|
The fact that over 50 % of the respondents from Lapusnita Pilot Area consider APCP implementation has a positive impact on life, health and environment, shows that APCP contributed substantially to the improving the economic, social and ecological conditions, especially in LPA. The acknowledged impa|
It is expected that the project will be scaled up at the national level and facilities for waste management will be improved in all communities; the value of manure will be appreciated and used as fertiliser, wetlands will be restored; environment-friendly practices, including reintroducing trees wi|
The level of applied good agricultural practices in LPA is higher than in other communities of the country and has increased as compared to 2003. Farmers apply more organic fertilizers (by 13%), forest belts (10%), strip cropping (9%) and less mineral fertilizers (17%). The Social Survey indicated a|

Describe the major two off-site (i.e. not occurring in the location but in the surrounding areas) impacts

2. ACSA organized 90 seminars. People from all districts attended the training seminars. Survey data show that 90 % of the participants in seminars intended to apply GAP.
1. Over 3,000 farmers adopted at least 1 of GAP in Lapusnita Pilot Area and over 12,000 outside LPA. The total area, where environmentally-friendly practices were applied was 28,275 ha.

Impact on biodiversity and climate change

Explain the reasons:

Healthy organisms are adapted easily to various conditions. In this way agro-ecosystems having soils and water with improved properties (due to application of good agricultural practices) with adequate management practices will have also positively impact on climate change adaptation.
Due to the fact that Good Agricultural practices improve soil and water qualities, they create very good conditions for the development of soil biodiversity and wild biodiversity in farming landscapes. Due to the reduction of pollution landscapes become more healthy and also is very beneficial for the agricultural biodiversity.
Permanent vegetated strips established at field and stream riparian boundaries and in water courses will create conditions for the development of biodiversity.|
Conventional agriculture is the major contributor to increasing of methane and nitrous oxide concentrations in earth's atmosphere. Aforestation and soil conservation technologies are one of the main sink of carbon dioxide. In this way good agricultural practices have a positively impact on climate change mitigation.

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Yes

Specify:

Impact assessment, including cost-benefit analysis, was carried out by NGO BIOS.
Good agricultural practices showed a high efficiency. Benefit/Cost Ratio varied from 1,57 to 4,08, while internal rate of return was in the range 52 – 230%. Benefit/Cost Ratio of manure management practices implemented by communities and RISP/APCP beneficiaries was 1,1-5,3, while internal rate of return 16 - 335%. Benefit/Cost Ratio of the Shrub and Tree Planting Program was 2,27, while internal rate of return was 43%.  The Net Present Values are positive at 12 percent real discount rate.  
The SROI ratio for the period of 2004-2009 is 3,34, or that for every $US1 invested by the Project $US 3,34 worth of value (economic, social and/or environmental) is delivered to society. When forest trees will achieve maturity the SROI ratio will be 4,86 annually for the component, so APCP has reached the expected results. The economic, social and ecological indicators were improved, however MERN, MAFI, local public administrations, farmers and other stakeholders should continue the implementation of initiated actions in order to disseminate them all over the country.|

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Yes

Where?

Number of farmers adopting at least one of the demonstrated practices is 12356 in various localities of the Republic of Moldova.

Were incentives to facilitate the take up of the technology provided?

Were incentives to facilitate the take up of the technology provided?

Yes

Specify which type of incentives:

• Financial incentives (for example, preferential rates, State aid, subsidies, cash grants, loan guarantees, etc)

Can you identify the three main conditions that led to the success of the presented best practice/technology?

1. Highly motivated local public authority and population,|
3. Prior implementation of agroenvironmental programme in different localities with high impact.
2. Good cooperation among main stakeholders,|

Replicability

In your opinion, the best practice/technology you have proposed can be replicated, although with some level of adaptation, elsewhere?

Yes

Related to human resources

People should be trained in a practical manner and provided the skills and knowledge they need most in respect to technology, use of inputs, use of water etc.  When no practical high quality knowledge is forthcoming, they will use the knowledge provided by producers of seeds, chemicals, etc., which is not always good for SLM. |

Related to financial aspects

People do not calculate well the rural space.  They should be provided simple instruments to calculate their inputs and to plan for future activity.

Related to technical aspects

Knowledge should be provided in an accessible manner.  Agricultural literature is too difficult for rural people to understand.  Small guides should exist for separate crops with drawings and schemes.