The overall objective of ConServeTerra is to facilitate wider adoption of CA principles in the Mediterranean region by tackling the mental, cultural and contextual realities surrounding farmers’ soil management decisions. ConServeTerra will approach the issue from two angles: First it will analyse and map the mental and cultural attitudes towards soil and its management, while simultaneously using educational tools (i.e., rainwater simulator) to improve farmers’ appreciation and understanding of soils. Secondly, selected pragmatic application of CA principles (e.g., strategic and reduced tillage, appropriate stubble grazing, and legumes) will be investigated. Accordingly, ConServeTerra will adopt a more pragmatic and ecological approach to CA based on site-specific biophysical, socio-economic cultural and mental factor considerations. These ecologically based systems restrict the use of expensive fertilizers and pesticides and are more flexible with the tillage intensity, which is a vital strategy in controlling weeds for low-input smallholder farmers.
Work Package Lead (WP 1 and WP 7)
