Conservation Agriculture Principles Making Sustainable Agriculture Real Prof. Paula Triviño-Tarradas (1,2) Prof. Dr. Emilio J. González-Sánchez (1,2) (1) European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF) (2) University of Cordoba (Spain) [email protected] www.ecaf.org
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Conservation Agriculture PrinciplesMaking Sustainable Agriculture Real
Prof. Paula Triviño-Tarradas (1,2)
Prof. Dr. Emilio J. González-Sánchez (1,2)
(1) European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF)(2) University of Cordoba (Spain)
Soil degradation processes are veryexpensive -unaffordable- for EU Society
SOIL DEGRADATION ANNUAL COSTSErosion €0.7 – 14.0 billion
Organic matter decline €3.4 – 5.6 billionCompaction Cannot be estimatedSalinisation €158 – 321 millionLandslides Up to €1.2 billion per event
Contamination €2.4 – 17.3 billionBiodiversity decline Cannot be estimated
(European Commission, Soil Thematic Strategy, 2006)
The total costs of degradation would be up to €38 billion annually for the EU
River Thames, LondonHouse of Parliament
Guadalquivir river, Spain
The main cause of soil degradationis soil tillage
(Brisson et al. 2010)
Rising-plateau regression analysis of wheat yields throughout variousEuropean countries
Stagnating Yields in Europe
No or minimum mechanical soildisturbance by – seeding or plantingdirectly into untilled soil
Enhance and maintain organicmatter cover on the soil surface –using crop residues and cover cropsto protect & feed soil life
Diversification of species – bothannuals and perennials
The principles of Conservation Agriculture
Conservation Agriculture is a combination of several resource conservingpractices simultaneously creating synergies between them for optimization &sustainability.
Conservation Agriculture enhances the resilience of natural resources andpromotes agricultural practices that favour a circular economy.
Conservation Agriculture
Soil Organic Carbon / Organic MatterSoil Organic Carbon / Organic Matter
Minimum / no soildisturbance
Permanent coverresidues/cover crop
Species diversity/ crop rotations
Soil/Water Protection & FertilitySoil/Water Protection & FertilityImproved Productivity & Ecosystem Serv.Improved Productivity & Ecosystem Serv.
All Production Systems & AgroecologiesAll Production Systems & Agroecologies
Conservation Agriculture is a holistic approach to sustainability
No/Minimum soildisturbance Soil Cover Crop Diversity
IntegratedPest
Management
IntegratedPlantNutrientManagement
IntegratedWeed
Management
IntegratedWatermanagement
Sustainablemechanization
Compactionmanagement,CTF
PermanentBed and
FurrowSystems
Systemof RiceIntensification
Good seedGenetic potentialGenetic resources mgmt
Pollinator/Biodiversity
management
Real Sustainableagriculture
CA does not solveALL problems (NOpanacea) butcomplemented withother good practicesCA base allows forhigh productionintensity andsustainableagriculture in all land-basedproduction systems(rainfed & irrigated,annual, perennial,plantation, orchards,agroforestry, crop-livestock, ricesystems)
Ecological Foundation of CA Systems
CONVENTIONALFARMING
CONSERVATIONAGRICULTURE
Modification of theenvironment to seed
(soil)
Adaptation of the plantand the technology to
seed in differentenvironments
(system)
No-tillage in Switzerland
No-tillage in Italy
No-tillage in France with Cover Crops
No-Tillage in Germany
No-tillage in the UK
No-tillage in Spain
Groundcovers in permanent crops
A healthy soil in agriculture is a livingbiological system
The same field, the same slope, the same crop!
Conventional tillage Conservation AgricultureNo-tillage + residues
BenefitsRunoff and Erosion control
6,4 6,2
10,8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
CARMONA LAS CABEZAS DE SAN JUAN RABANALES
Carbon sequestered in the soil (t/ha) after4 seasons in Conservation Agriculture
Increased to 56% of carbon sequestrationover conventional agriculture
Benefits of Conservation AgricultureClimate change mitigation
Results of the LIFE+ Agricarbon project. www.agricarbon.eu
12%
26%
18%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Trigo Girasol Leguminosa
Average reduction of 19% of energyconsumption compared to conventional agriculture.
Benefits of Conservation AgricultureEnergy reduction
Results of the LIFE+ Agricarbon project. www.agricarbon.eu
Wheat Sunflower Legumes
Conservation agriculture has provided cost savings of 9.5% inwheat, sunflower in 21.6% and 14.4% in legumes.
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Prod
uctio
n co
sts
(€/h
a)
LC
AC+AP
WHEAT
SUNFLOWERLEGUMES
Conservation Agriculture + Precision Agriculture
Conventional Tillage Agriculture
Results of the LIFE+ Agricarbon project. www.agricarbon.eu
Cost savings thanks to ConservationAgriculture
Worldwide adoption ofConservation Agriculture
100100
Dustbowl
19301930 2000200019501950
US
Soil
Con
serv
atio
n Se
rvic
eco
nser
vatio
n til
lage
US
Soil
Con
serv
atio
n Se
rvic
eco
nser
vatio
n til
lage
dust
bow
lSi
beria
/USS
Rdu
stbo
wl
Sibe
ria/U
SSR
Faul
kner
(US)
–Fu
kuok
a (J
apan
)Fa
ulkn
er (U
S)–
Fuku
oka
(Jap
an)
com
mer
cial
no-
till/U
Sco
mm
erci
al n
o-til
l/US
first
no-
till d
emon
stra
tion
in B
razi
lfir
st n
o-til
l dem
onst
ratio
n in
Bra
zil
Old
rieve
/Zim
babw
eO
ldrie
ve/Z
imba
bwe
adop
tion
Bra
zil
plan
tio d
ireto
na
palh
aad
optio
n B
razi
lpl
antio
dire
to n
a pa
lha
expe
rimen
ts in
Chi
na,I
ndog
ange
ticPl
ains
expe
rimen
ts in
Chi
na,I
ndog
ange
ticPl
ains
New
boo
st: C
anad
a,Au
stra
lia, K
azak
hsta
n,R
ussi
a, C
hina
, Spa
in...
;Af
rica
New
boo
st: C
anad
a,Au
stra
lia, K
azak
hsta
n,R
ussi
a, C
hina
, Spa
in...
;Af
rica
Arge
ntin
a, P
arag
uay;
Arge
ntin
a, P
arag
uay;
19801980 19901990
Firs
t no-
till i
n th
e U
SFi
rst n
o-til
l in
the
US
IITA
no-ti
ll re
sear
chIIT
A no
-till
rese
arch
5050
Mill
. ha
Mill
. ha
19701970 20102010
157 mill ha157 mill ha
first
no-
till f
arm
ers
in U
SAfir
st n
o-til
l far
mer
s in
USA
Firs
t WC
CA
in M
adrid
Firs
t WC
CA
in M
adrid
History and global adoption of CASource: FAO, Kassam et al. (2015)
Conservation agriculture givesanswer to Global Challenges
(Europe 2020 Strategy)
Recognized as “Climate Smart Agriculture” by UN-FAO
Key for some of the Sustainable Development Goals
Crucial agent for the COP21 “4x1000 initiative”
…and for CAP
CAP2020CAP2020
Diversity of RuralAreas
Natural Constraints
CompetitivenessFarm income
Climatechange
ProductionProductivity
EnvironmentBiodiversity
What we need now to makeSustainability real in CAP?
Increased soil carbon sink effectLess CO2 emissionsIncreased farmer profitabilityLess production costsMaintaining crop yieldImproved biodiversityDrastic reductions in fuel consumptionReduction of the time needed for farm workIncreased in water use efficiency
Benefits of Conservation Agriculture
Related Documents
