Study Site Trials 

 The SICS selected for trialling in this Study Site are described below:

General Treatment Category Study Site Trials
Soil-improving crops,  Sowing management

1. Early sowing of wheat (August vs September vs end of October) (2019)

 

Cover crops, 2. Cover crops interseeded between maize (2020)

 

Study Site poster 2018, Study Site poster 2019

 SICS1 :-  Early sowing in winter wheat

 

 

 

 

Wheatearlysowing

Early sowing of wheat

 

 

France experiment factsheet early wheat Final front coverRead this fact sheet in French

 

 SICS2:- Interseeding covers crops in maize

 

 

 

 

CoverCrops

 

 

France experiment factsheet cover crop maize Final front cover

Read this fact sheet in French here

 

 

Geographical Description

The Study Site is located in the Linon catchment area, in the north of the Ille-et-Vilaine county, in the eastern part of Brittany. It is around 304 km² in size with about 20,000 hectares of total cultivated area. The Linon river is 33 km long. The geology of the area is quite heterogeneous comprising of alternating brioverian schists, silt and granite subsoil.

The Linon catchment descends east to its confluence with the Rance river, where its altitude is about 10 meters. Its maximum altitude is about 175 meters, in the south and east part. The Linon catchment is subject to an oceanic climate, with an average of 750 mm rainfall per year.

Pedo-climatic zone
Lusitanian/ Atlantic Central, Cambisol

Cropping systems

Cropping intensity

The Linon catchment area has 413 farms and it is mainly a dairy area. There are 18 farms turned to organic production in the area (2017). FRAB and their local partner Agrobio35 are working on soils with more or less 15 farms in this area (organic and conventional).

Types of crop

Wheat, maize and grassland: the territory has mainly traditional dairy systems, grassland systems and maize-based systems. Grasslands are particularly important in the north-east and south-west parts of the area, whereas a central part is dominated by crops (maize and wheat).

Management of soil, water, nutrients and pests
There is no irrigation in this area. Management of soils and nutrients depends on the farms, whether they are in conventional or organic farming. GAB-FRAB network is trying to promote organic methods, as organic fertilisation, mechanical weeding, rotations.

Soil improving cropping system and techniques currently used
Biological pest management, green manure, organic fertilisers.

Problems that cause yield loss or increased costs
Compaction, weeds, loss of soil fertility.