Pesticide-free agroforestry cropping system: re-conception and first evaluation of the global performances of the SCAOPEST

Abstract

PresentationFrom mid 2000, in order to address global challenges, European member states’ strategies for agriculture have progressively identified and given priority to the set up of a multi-functional farm models. In France, to achieve both food security and socio-environmental sustainability, the design, test and deployment of new Productive and Efficient Cropping Systems (PECS) was then engaged. Therefore, those of the particular PECS targeting the re-conquest of water quality often work at reducing drastically, or even renouncing to chemical pesticides. For that, within the 2012 EXPE Dephy Ecophyto program, a 6-years SCA0PEST project (pesticide-free agroforestry cropping system) has been funded. Considering the experimental farm objectives and local sectors' potentials, SCA0PEST objectives are (i) the review of the current conventional agroforestry cropping system and its experts' opinions-based re-design by respecting principles of integrated pest & weed management, (ii) the set up of 6 over 8 of the crops of the crop rotation each year, (iii) the ex-ante and continuous economic, environmental and social assessments of its performances. Depending on raw products sale prices, energy and fertilizers costs, preliminary SCA0PEST ex-ante assessment provided limited economic prevision, as direct margin would decrease from 140 up to 250€/ha mainly due to yield losses and additional costs for seeds. Conversely, environmental performance would be improved as annual GHG emissions from the cultivated compartment fall down to 1140 kg eq.CO2/ha (48% of the reference cropping system with pesticides); additionally, when simulated, annualized carbon sequestration by trees should reach 650 kg eq.CO2/ha. Finally, inclusion of a 2-years alfalfa production within the rotation would provide a supplementary 230€/ha indirect gain when incorporated at 40% within the dairy cows ration. If this first SCA0PEST assessment points an acceptable economic balance and an improved environmental footprint, continuous assessments would have to confirm the potential of this innovative free-pesticide cropping system