Study Site Trials
The SICS selected for trialling in this Study Site are described below:
Country | General Treatment Category | Study Site Trials |
Sweden | Sub soil loosening, tillage |
1. Sub soil loosening - Sub soiling loosening; Sub soiling loosening with straw pellets; Normal mouldboard ploughing - control |
Study Site poster 2018 (download)
SICS 1: Sub-soil loosening with straw pellets |
Key findings
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Geographical description
The Orup site is located in the county Skåne in Southern Sweden. Precipitation varies between 500 and 1000 mm per year. Mean temperature is around 0 °C in January and 16 °C in July. On the site, the subsoil is compacted (density between 1.7 and 1.9 kg L-1). The soil is a silty sand and the compaction is most likely from the time the ground was formed, i.e.it has a natural origin. The harvests for this site have remained much lower than at the other soil fertility experiments, approx. 30-40% lower. In spring 2011, an inventory was made in Orup with regard to root growth in the subsoil. The results show the same results as in previous studies in the 1990s: the roots of the crop are restricted to the topsoil and no roots grow below 30 cm depth. A structural improvement through liming is limited at Orup due to a low clay content (about 10%). In lighter soils such as this, a structural improvement can be achieved primarily through the supply of organic matter. Therefore, the experiment investigates the possibility of improving soil structure through the supply of organic material in combination with mechanical subsoil loosening. The supply of organic material is made in the form of straw pellets that are blown into the ground.
Cropping systems
Different cropping intensities from no fertilization to high fertilization rates are applied at the Orup site. Both treatments with and without animal manure are run. Rates of manure are in relation to yields provided by the cropping system. The site is treated according to conventional agricultural practices of the region.
The map of Skåne showing the Orup study site |
Types of crops
Two 4-year rotations are applied:
- crop rotation with livestock: barley, ley, winter wheat and sugar beets
- crop rotation without livestock: barley, oil seed rape, winter wheat and sugar beet.
Management of soil, water, nutrients and pests
Soil tillage includes yearly mouldboard ploughing, cultivation, fertilization, manuring, chemical weed and pest treatment. Crops are rain-fed and no catch crops to combat N leaching are grown.
Soil improving cropping system and techniques currently used
Measures include crop rotation, use of animal manure, no removal of crop residues in non-manured plots, and
regular lime application.
Study Site Trials
The SICS selected for trialling in the Study Site are described below:
Country | General Treatment Category | Study Site Trials |
Greece | Cover crops, tillage, crop change |
1. Soil erosion rate assessment - No till in organic olive orchards; Conventional till (15-20 cm) in organic olive orchards; Conversion from orange orchard to avocado; Conventional orange orchard; Cover crop (vetch) in organic vineyards; Bare soil in organic vineyards |
Study Site poster 2018 (download)
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Read this fact sheet in Greek here | ||
Conversion from orange orchards to avocado |
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Key findings
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Read this fact sheet in Greek here | |||
No-till and conventional till in organic olive orchards |
Key findings
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Read this fact sheet in Greek here |
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Bare soil and cover crop in an organic vineyard |
Key findings
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Geographical description
Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, and the 5th largest in the Mediterranean, with a total area of 8,265 km2. While retaining its own local cultural traits, the island shapes a significant part of the cultural heritage of Greece, but also contributes 5% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with agriculture and tourism as its main industries.
Spatial distribution of soil erosion on the Island of Crete. |
Pedo-climatic zone
Crete’s climate is classified as dry sub-humid (Csa according to Köppen and Geiger, Mediterranean South). About 53% of the annual precipitation occurs in the winter, 23% during autumn, 20% during spring while there is negligible rainfall during summer (Koutroulis and Tsanis, 2010). Annual rainfall ranges from 300 to 700 mm from east to west in the low areas along the coast, and from 700 to 1000 mm in the plains of the mainland, while in the mountainous areas it reaches up to 2000 mm. The annual water balance breaks down to 68-76% evapotranspiration, 14-17% infiltration and 10-15% runoff. Soils are mainly Calcisol.
Cropping systems
Cropping intensity
Almost 40% of the island is cultivated at various intensities depending on desired end product quality and intended market: e.g. olive trees can be non-irrigated (traditional/household use) or irrigated (modern/intense), vineyards may be conventional or organic, etc.
Types of crop
Agriculture is an important source of income, contributing to Crete’s GDP by 13%. Olive is the most important crop, cultivated on all soils and terrain slopes up to altitudes of about 900 m. Specifically for Chania, agricultural land is divided in 5 main crop categories: grapes 3%, trees 90% (olive trees 70%, other trees 20%), vegetables 2%, and other crops 5%.
Management of soil, water, nutrients and pests
Irrigation types on the island vary depending on crops and local water availability (e.g. olive trees are either regularly irrigated or not irrigated at all, orange groves are often waterlogged and vineyards are often drip-irrigated). Fertilisation also varies (chemicals vs animal manure). Due to high ownership fragmentation and rough topography, management is seldom large scale, and crop picking is almost always traditional and labour intensive using minimal mechanical equipment.
Study Site Trials
The SICS selected for trialling in this Study Site are described below:
General Treatment Category | Study Site Trials |
Soil-imrpving crops, Crop rotations, |
1. Bico da Barca - Organic rice in rotation with perennial lucerne - Conventional rice monoculture (Control); Organic rice in rotation with perennial Lucerne (2 years of rice + 2 years of Lucerne) |
Cover crops |
2. Loreto – Conventional grain corn in succession with legumes winter cover - Conventional grain corn with Forage Pea as a cover crop in winter; Conventional grain corn with Red Clover as a cover crop in winter; Conventional grain corn with Yellow Lupine as a cover crop in winter; Conventional grain corn with Balansa Clover as a cover crop in winter; Conventional grain corn with Arrowleaf Clover as a cover crop in winter; Conventional grain corn with no cover crop in winter (fallow- control) |
Fertilisation/amendments |
3. São Silvestre - Conventional grain corn fertilized by urban sludge - Grain corn receiving urban sludge fertilization; Grain corn receiving conventional mineral fertilization (control) |
Study Site poster 2018; EGU 2019 Study Site poster (download)
SICS 1 :- Rotation system - Bico da Barca – Organic Rice in rotation with perennial lucerne (two years of rice + 2 years of Lucerne) |
Read this fact sheet in Portuguese here |
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Key findings
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SICS 2 :- Succession system - Loreto - Principal crop (grain corn ) integrated in a succession of legumes (clover, pea, trefoil….) used as green manure. |
Read this fact sheet in Portuguese here |
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Key findings
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SICS 3 :- Organic fertilization system - São Silvestre - Organic fertilization system from urban origin (sewage sludge) |
Read this fact sheet in Portuguese here |
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Key findings
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Geographical description
The study areas are located in the Lower Mondego river valley, an alluvium plane situated in Central Portugal. The valley is roughly east-west oriented and 40 km long (from the Coimbra city to the estuary near Figueira da Foz) and bordered by gently sloping hills. The floodplain covers about 15.000 ha of fertile land and has traditionally been used for irrigated agriculture.
The entire valley is between 0 and 25 meters above sea level. Soils are modern alluvial soils, with a texture from silt-loam to sandy-clay-loam. The climate is Mediterranean, characterized by rainy winters and dry summers, more precisely a Csa climate under the Köppen climate classification, " Hot-summer Mediterranean climate ". The annual average temperature is 16.1ºC, with smooth variations. The annual average precipitation is 922 mm, essentially concentrated between October and March.
The Baixo Mondego valley is mainly dedicated to a monoculture of irrigated corn grain and flooding rice. The eastern part is mainly used for corn, while the western area, closer to the river mouth, is used mainly for rice.
Cropping systems
Conventional tillage is practised with various passes of heavy machinery. Disc harrow passes for straw stubble incorporation, furrow plough passes for soil inversion, chisel and rotary tiller passes to prepare seedbed.
In 1970, the hydro-agricultural exploitation project of the Mondego Valley started that affects about 12.300 ha (total irrigation perimeter). It considers the development and restructuration of the agricultural system which involves: property reparcelling, soil levelling and the creation of new irrigation and drainage systems. To date, about 6.700 ha are equipped. Irrigation is principally performed with surface furrow irrigation systems, by gravity fed. Soils are levelled and water flows passively on furrows opened between each line of maize. Compared to pressurized systems (sprinkler and drip), surface irrigation systems require lower capital investment. However, some farmers also use pivot irrigation systems.
Production is based on expensive production factors: mineral fertilizers to compensate for the important soil nutrient exportation after harvesting, pesticides for pest control problems driven by intensive monoculture.
Soil improving cropping system and techniques currently used
Concerning rice cropping systems, the DRAP-Centro is currently monitoring a long term experiment (for about 10 years) that involves a cropping system composed of organic rice in rotation with perennial lucerne (two years of rice followed by two years of lucerne). The introduction of a legume in the rotation provides an increase of the nitrogen available for rice production and is beneficial for pests and weeds control.
Concerning maize cropping systems, some farmers use organic amendments such as urban sludge, but it is a very controversial issue. A small number of farmers have introduced legumes or a mix of legumes and gramineous as cover crops during the winter, but it’s not a very common technique.
External drivers or factors
Institutional and political drivers
As previously stated, part of the SoilCare effort made by the Portuguese (ESAC) team will be a consequence of the implementation of the forthcoming new priorities set by the Common Agriculture Policy. In addition, the new reading made of the Water Framework Directive will imply an increase of the water price for agriculture.
Societal drivers
There is an ongoing tendency to shift from the traditional to the organic systems which is pushed by a younger and urban population fringe. This implies that the organic farming systems are gaining territory.
Bio-physical drivers
Being under a wet Mediterranean type of climate, the Portuguese study areas are affected by water shortages that occur during the vegetative growth season. The absence of proper irrigation systems and the proper water amounts for irrigation have an overwhelming effect on crop productivity.