The LIFE Innocereal EU project, co-funded by the LIFE programme of the European Union (EU), whose main objective is the sustainable production of cereals, will be present at the Direct Sowing Field Days organised by the Spanish Association of Conservation Agriculture Suelos Vivos (AEACSV).
‘This conference will be an opportunity for farmers and field technicians who still have doubts about the benefits of the principles of Conservation Agriculture in cereal-leguminous-oleaginous crop rotations. It will encourage many more farmers to implement direct sowing on their farms in order to be more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable,’ says Antonio Conde, technical director and member of the coordinating team at the University of Cordoba (UCO).
Under the generic title ‘Conservation Agriculture in Extensive Crops’, the first of these will take place on 19 September at the ‘Castillo de Orus’ farm in Cuarte (Huesca). During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to see in situ a successful case of management in this farm with more than 21 years in no-tillage.
It is a farm that is a reference in the area for the implementation of Conservation Agriculture, carrying out a leguminous-cereal-cereal crop rotation. During the conference, aspects related to soil management, crop rotation, soil cover, nitrogen fertilisation, as well as the environmental benefits that this type of practice brings to the agricultural ecosystem, will be discussed.
The day will also include 4 thematic stations and a dynamic demonstration of machinery:
Station 1: No tillage. Effects on the soil. Delivered by Jesús Ángel Betrán Aso, Director of the Agro-environmental Laboratory. Government of Aragon.
Station 2: Conservation Agriculture, a paradigm shift. Delivered by Carlos Molina Pitarch, Technician of the Aragonese Association of Conservation Agriculture (AGRACON).
Station 3: Farmers’ experiences. Challenges and solutions. Delivered by Pablo Villamayor Tomás. Agronomist and owner of the Castillo de Orus Farm.
Station 4: Solutions from the private sector to favour the development of no-tillage eco-regimes.
The AEACSV will also be holding a second field day on 25 September at the ‘Casa Roig’ farm, on the border between the municipalities of Alpera (Albacete) and Ayora (Valencia). This field day will provide an insight into the management of this farm with more than 27 years of direct sowing. This farm has approximately 436 hectares, of which 300 hectares are under extensive cultivation and the rest are under lavender and vineyards with vegetation cover.
Renowned experts will discuss aspects related to soil management, crop rotation, soil cover, nitrogen fertilisation, as well as the environmental benefits of this type of practice for the agricultural ecosystem.
As with the previous day, there will be various themed stations such as:
Station 1: 30 years of direct sowing in dry and irrigated farming in Albacete. Delivered by Miguel Barnuevo Rocko.
Station 2: From direct sowing to vegetation covers. Delivered by Vicente Bodas, Agrisat Agronomic Director.
Station 3: Experiences of the farmer, from theory to practice. Delivered by Juan José Puertas Toboso, farmer and owner of the Casa de Roig estate.
Station 4: Solutions from the private sector to promote the development of no-tillage eco-regimes.
To attend these sessions, which are completely free of charge, prior registration is required and is open on the website http://www.portalformativoac.es.