Soil and climate friendly crop production in organic farming

Experiences from previous projects focussing on reduced tillage will be tested on-farm (Module 1). Beyond, the climate impact of reduced tillage under organic conditions, especially the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), will be assessed (Module 2).

• Module 1 (on-farm assessment): In each of three selected regions (Western Switzerland, Canton of Berne and,Eastern Switzerland) 10 pioneer farms will fully or partly convert to reduced tillage. The main focus are on weed management, yield performance and their optimization. Based on their own experiences, pioneer farmers will share their knowledge with interested colleagues through field excursions, machine demonstrations, articles in magazines and blogs.
• Module 2 (GHG emissions and carbon sequestration linked with reduced tillage and organic fertilization): On the scientific field trial at FiBL Frick, nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will be assessed weekly and event based in 16 subplots over a period of 2.5 years. In combination with the determination of carbon sequestration (0 – 50 cm), the climate footprint will finally indicate whether reduced tillage is more climate friendly than ploughing. GHG data will be used for the calibration of biogeochemical models (DAYCENT).

• Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) – Research, training and innovation
• Coop Sustainability Fund

• University of Hohenheim: Prof. Thorsten Müller and Dr. Rainer Ruser (GHG), Prof. Ellen Kandeler (microbial populations)
• Helmholtz Centre: Prof. Dr. Jean Charles Munch (GHG), Prof. Michael Schloter (microbial populations)

• Dierauer Hansueli (Department of Soil Sciences)
• Krauss Maike (Department of Soil Sciences)
• Mäder Paul (Departement für Bodenwissenschaften)

• Clerc Maurice (Department Suisse Romande)
• Gattinger Andreas (FiBL Germany)
• Meier Matthias (Department of Food System Sciences)
• Munyangabe Adolphe (Department of Soil Sciences)
• Perrochet Frédéric (Department of Soil Sciences)

Co-ordination

Links:

• Previous project: www.fibl.org/fileadmin/documents/de/publikationen/fibl-bodenwissenschaften-2009-klimaneutraler-ackerbau.pdf (670 KB)
• TILMAN-ORG, WP3: www.tilman-org.net
• FiBL-NPP 68 project "Structure and function of N2O producing and reducing microbial communities as influenced by soil management"
• www.coop.ch/content/act/de/taten-statt-worte/tat-nr--249.html (in German)

Literature:
Krauss, M., Gattinger, A., Ruser, R., Mäder, P. (2014): The effect of reduced tillage and organic fertilisation on greenhouse gas emissions in the Frick trial. In: BGS Jahrestagung, Changins, 13. - 14. Februar 2014, 2014.

• Cultivation Technique Arable Crops (Department of Soil Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)
• Department Suisse Romande (FiBL Switzerland)
• Nutrient Management & Symbiosis (Department of Soil Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)
• Soil fertility & Climate (Department of Soil Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)
• Sustainability (Department of Food System Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)