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)

ptrivino@ecaf.orgwww.ecaf.org

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

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10

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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.

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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

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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

ptrivino@ecaf.orgwww.ecaf.org

Thank you for your attention