Strokenteelt veelbelovend

Landbouw kan in potentie veel bijdragen aan oplossingen voor maatschappelijke uitdagingen zoals het sluiten van kringlopen, de opslag van koolstof en biodiversiteitsherstel. De vraag groeit naar praktische oplossingen, die naast betrouwbare oogsten ecosysteemdiensten leveren als plaagbestrijding en biodiversiteit. Een onderzoeksteam van Wageningen University and Research (WUR) probeert een robuust teeltsysteem te ontwikkelen dat hieraan voldoet

Does conversion to conservation tillage really increase soil organic carbon stocks in organic arable farming?

Aggravation of weather extremes increases awareness of climate change consequences. Mitigation options are in demand which aim to reduce the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. Amongst others, conversion from ploughing to conservation tillage is argued to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Yet, main findings of reviews and meta-analyses comparing SOC stocks between tillage systems show different results: from a significant increase of SOC stocks to the question if there is any effect at all. Reasons are a sampling bias as in many campaigns only topsoil layers are assessed and horizons thickness is not considered adequately, different methods for SOC and bulk density determination, and the comparison of SOC stocks based on equivalent soil masses instead of equal sampling depths. In order to address these limitations, we initiated the SOCORT consortium (Soil Organic Carbon in Organic Reduced Tillage) – an international network of nine agronomical long-term trials. All trials represent common mixed organic farming systems of the respective region with organic fertilisation and crop rotations including leys. Climatic conditions are similar, but age and soil texture vary (7 to 21 years and sandy to clayey soils). A common sampling campaign was consequently elaborated to answer the question if the combination of conservation tillage and organic farming can really increase SOC stocks. Undisturbed soil cores were taken with driving hammer probes (8 cm in diameter) to a maximum depth of 100 cm. Each core was divided in the increments 0-30, 30-50, 50-70, 70-100 cm. The topsoil layer (0-30 cm) was further divided into the different tillage depths of the respective trial. All samples were analysed in the same laboratory for bulk density, organic carbon content, pH and texture. We compiled the yields for each trial to assess carbon inputs. The SOCORT consortium in combination with the common sampling campaign will entangle the driving factors of carbon sequestration through reduced tillage and add important knowledge on carbon dynamics in agro-ecosystems

Strokenteelt vraagt denkwerk

Het telen van verschillende landbouwgewassen in naast elkaar gelegen stroken, van bijvoorbeeld 3 of 6 meter breed, kan zich verheugen in een toenemende belangstelling. Afgelopen jaar is verder geëxperimenteerd en is op praktijkschaal nagegaan wat de praktische inpasbaarheid met mechanisatie is

Combination of Spatial and Temporal Diversification in European Cropping Systems

There is a lack of results on the advantages and limitations of combining different crop diversification strategies both in time and space, which makes it difficult for famers and advisers to find relevant information for the transition towards more diversified cropping systems. A network of ten field experiments (diverIMPACTS project) was built across seven European countries, covering a range of pedo-climatic conditions and different farming systems: arable and vegetable systems under both conventional and organic management. Each field experiment tests one or several diversified cropping systems, which combine three diversification strategies with low input practices. These diversified cropping systems are compared to reference systems, which are less diversified and more dependent on external inputs. The three strategies of crop diversification are rotation, multiple cropping (growing different crop species on the same land within one growing season) and intercropping (growing different species in proximity on the same field). A diversified system includes, for example, the addition of cover crops or cash crops, such as legumes, for their expected ecosystem services, or crops for new markets (e.g hemp, lentil), the use of multiple cropping to increase productivity per year (e.g. winter barley with soybean) and intercropping (e.g. barley/pea,wheat/faba bean, oat/lupin) to increase productivity per unit of area and reduce external inputs. Expected impacts include: higher arable land productivity, diversification and increased farmer revenues through access to new markets and reduced economic risk, lower environmental impact through reduced use of pesticides, chemical fertilisers, energy and water, and improved delivery of ecosystem services, including biodiversity. The diversified cropping systems will be assessed using standardized measurements across the network and multi-criteria assessment tools. Decisions regarding the design and management of the diversified cropping systems will be recorded to support other diversification initiatives. The year 2018 is the first year of the network. This paper presents the original approach, the strategies designed in the network, and the assumptions concerning the interests to combine temporal and spatial diversification in order to improve the delivery of multiple services. This network will be a source of inspiration for other initiatives of crop diversification in Europe. The ultimate goal is to guide farmers in their transition towards more diversified cropping systems and to promote innovations by various actors at different scales (e.g. innovations regarding machinery for sowing or harvesting new sole or mixed crops, value-chains through the consolidation of new markets, new process of transformation, or adaptation of value-chains to intercropping)

Carbon Sequestration By Organic Conservation Tillage – A Comprehensive Sampling Campaign In Nine European Long-Term Trials

Conservation tillage is suggested to sequester carbon although a stratification of soil organic carbon rather than a total increase is mostly observed. It is not clear whether conservation tillage in combination with organic farming practices has a higher potential. Beyond, many datasets are biased in terms of sampling depth. A joint sampling campaign in nine European long-term trials considered soil organic carbon stocks until 100 cm soil depth comparing reduced tillage with ploughing under organic farming conditions. First results show a significant increase of carbon stocks in 0-30 cm and also in 0-100 cm depth with the conversion to reduced tillage

explorative case study on soil micronutrient availability in the province Groningen, The Netherlands

In arable cropping systems, there is a wide range of tillage and fertilization practices, such as conventional tillage, non-inversion tillage or no-till. Similarly, fertilization can consist out of inorganic fertilization on soil and/or leaf , solid or liquid animal manure, compost and/or the use of green manures. Each of these management practices has its own direct and/or indirect effect on the soils biological, chemical and physical properties. The chosen management practices create a unique soil environment, which has its effects on crop quantity and quality. This study evaluated the effects of tillage (non-inversion tillage) and fertilization practices (green manures) on soil micronutrient availability and specifically focussed on the effects of soil biological properties on micronutrient density in crops

Agroforestry werkt op vele manieren : Hoe bomen boeren helpen land te verbeteren en duurzaam te ondernemen

Agroforestry, ofwel de mengteelt van bomen en éénjarige gewassen of grasland, kent veel voordelen en zorgt mogelijk voor weerbare landbouwsystemen. Gezien de uitdagingen waar de agrarische sector voor staat, zoals de afname van biodiversiteit en bodemkwaliteit en de gevolgen van klimaatverandering, is dit hard nodig. Wageningen University & Research doet de komende jaren onderzoek naar de mogelijkheden voor agroforestry in Nederland

Biodiversiteit op de akker door gewasdiversiteit

De biodiversiteit in de akkerbouw is laag. De huidige monoculturen lijken meer en meer ecologische woestijnen te worden. De introductie van meer gewasdiversiteit binnen percelen kan een belangrijke bijdrage leveren aan de biodiversiteit en de duurzaamheid van de plantaardige productie. Dit hoeft niet ten koste te gaan van productiviteit, gewaskwaliteit of het inkomen van de boer