Research Innovation on Soil Quality nº10: ORTOBIOATTIVO, agroecology for the sustainable production of nutraceutical vegetables
Development and adoption of a new agronomic approach for vegetable cultivation called “Ortobioattivo. This model focuses on the quality of the substrate/soil and the microbiological biodiversity contained therein as a fundamental element for the cultivation of healthy...
Good Practice on Soil Quality nº9: IOCONCIV introduction and optimization of techniques and systems for control of vineyard weed flora
The general objective is to reduce the use of herbicides in Tuscan vineyards (glyphosate in particular) and improve the fertility of vineyard soils. The proposed innovation involves the use of cover crops under the vine rows in order to reduce the use of herbicides or...
Good Practice on Soil Quality nº8: Catch crops
A plant grown between two main crops for green fodder, hay, silage, ploughing as green manure or leaving in the form of mulch after they have been cut, dumped or destroyed by frost. DOWNLOAD THE PRACTICE FACTSHEET
Good Practice on Soil Quality nº7: Soil liming
Due to sandy soils (70%) and climate, Poland has problems with soil acidification. Over 4 million hectares have a pH in KCl below 5.0 – such soils can be considered degraded – they have a damaged structure, plants are not able to absorb nutrients, which...
Good Practice on Soil Quality nº6: Split n application – for grain crops, dividng the dose into 2 or 3 split applications
This practice is quite common in our region, and it is indeed one of the easiest ways to ensure fertilizer efficiency. Our recommendation is to split N application when the dose is higher than 120 NFU. When using this practice, farmers usually split N fertilizer in...
Good Practice on Soil Quality nº5: Optimal organic matter balance
Calculating an organic matter balance provides insights into the inputs and outputs of organic matter within an agricultural system. Organic matter plays an important role in maintaining soil health, contributing to improved water retention, soil aeration,...
Good Practice on Soil Quality nº4: Manure mediation including digested sewage sludge
Manure mediation represents a strategy whereby farms with an abundance of organic manure can sell this resource to other farms that has a deficit of organic carbon in their system. This approach facilitates the transfer of nutrients from an area with a higher...
Good Practice on Soil Quality nº3: Strip-till in sunflower crop
Strip-till is a minimum tillage practice. This practice combines the advantages of conventional tillage and the soil-protecting benefits of no-till, as the soil is only disturbed on the seed row. In our region, direct seeding is a common practice for grain crops,...