PROTOTYPING ECOLOGICAL ARABLE FARMING SYSTEMS:
DESIGNING, TESTING AND IMPROVING WITH PILOT FARMS

H. KLOEN AND P. VEREIJKEN

PROTOTYPE AFTER SEVEN YEARS

Current organic farming offers useful starting-points for development of farming systems with quantified objectives in environment, nature and landscape. However, some shortcomings prevent acceptance by and support of wider groups of producers and consumers. Therefore, a prototype consisting of three innovative farming methods was designed and tested in interaction with ten pilot farms.

MULTIFUNCTIONAL CROP ROTATION MODEL (MCR)

To maintain quality production without synthetic pesticides and avoiding use of heavy machinery.

Figure 1. MCR for sandy clay and clay soils balancing strong and weak contribution to soil fertility (maximal frequency crops 1:6, crop groups including green manure crops 1:3, lifted crops 1:2)

ECOLOGICAL NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT (ENM)

To provide crops with nutrients in an economically and ecologically acceptable way without single directly available Fertilizers.

Figure 2. ENM for sandy clay and clay soils, aimed at tuning inputs by legumes (biological N-fixation), green manure crops and manure at P and K reserves of the soil and N needs by crop

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR NATURE AND RECREATION (INR)

To provide a network of landscape elements for flora, fauna and recreation in the agricultural area.

Figure 3. The INR consists of 5 percent of the production area, with ditches and permanent grass strips as main elements and side elements like a reed strip, hedge or haystack

TESTING WITH PILOT FARMS

Prototyping research takes place in interaction with a group of ten pilot farms, to:

• ensure input of experience and knowledge of leading farmers;
• test the design at variable soil and management conditions.

Results for quantity and quality of products, environment and nature of the farms are evaluated annually using a set of parameters with quantified innovative norms. Shortcomings are analysed systematically with the pilot farmers in order to improve farming methods and management:

1. Is it ready for use?
2. Is it manageable for the farmers?
3. Is it acceptable to the farmers?
4. Is it effective?

After seven years, the prototype has solved major shortcomings to a wide extent. Remaining shortcomings are analysed to proceed with targeted specialized research.

Figure 4. Result of prototyping on ten pilot farms quantified in 18 parameters relative to desired results. The three farming methods are: Multifunctional Crop Rotation (MCR), Ecological Nutrient Management (ENM) and Infrastructure for Nature and Recreation (INR)

ACHIEVED OBJECTIVES

• Effective prevention of soil-borne and crop-specific diseases and pests.
• Maintained yield levels at strongly reduced nutrient inputs.
• P and K soil reserves are manageable with manure inputs close to equilibrium with product outputs.
• Nitrate leaching throughout the farm meets the maximum EU norm for drinking water (11.3 mg nitrate N/l).
• Flora diversity has strongly increased while reducing risks of erosion of ditch slopes and dispersion of arable weeds.

REMAINING SHORTFALLS

• High losses in quality production occur in economically, most important crops such as potato and carrot, mainly due to air-borne and seed-borne fungal diseases.
• Seasonal labour input in hand weeding remains far above the capacity of the farmer and permanent employees. Annual species like Stellaria media and Poa annua escape from crop rotation measures and mechanical control. Their propagation in cereals, potato and grass-clover enhances weed pressure in carrot and onion.

Legumes and green manure crops are able to supply sufficient N over the crop rotation at reduced manure inputs, but N management by crop needs to be improved. Wheat and potato have too low N supply in 30 percent of the fields.

FURTHER RESEARCH AND DISSEMINATION

• Prototyping is adopted by an experimental station and extension service, with consultancy by AB-DLO. They will develop prototypes for the same objectives for five other regions in interaction with 25 pilot farms and more widely disseminate them within farmers' groups.
• A research programme to solve remaining shortfalls was developed by DLO experts in breeding, crop protection, nutrient management and weed ecology; this programme will be closely linked with prototyping in different regions.
• Surveys for wider application of prototypes will be carried out by interdisciplinary multiple goal programming for arable farming linked with animal husbandry, flower bulb production and tree nursing.

PLANNED RESEARCH FOR IMPROVING NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

1. At crop/field level
• defining N needs;
• improving N available from green manure and manure;
• improved estimates for N available from "humus" in different farming systems.
2. At farm/rotation level
• simplification of scientific knowledge into nutrient budgeting;
• "new" sources of nutrients like different compost types.
3. At regional/farm-linking level
• mixing arable farming, vegetable farming, tree nursing, flower bulb growing, animal husbandry.

REFERENCES

Vereijken, P. and H. Kloen (1993): "Final report 1992". In: Ph. Viaux (Ed.), Research into and development of integrated arable farming systems. European network. Final Report (Part 2): 66-82 pp.

Vereijken, P. and H. Kloen (1994): "Innovative research with ecological pilot farmers". In: Plant production on the threshold of a new century. Proceedings 75th Anniversary of the Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen, held 28 June-1 July 1993. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, NL, 37-56 pp.

Vereijken, P., H. Kloen and R. Visser (1995): "Focus on testing an EAFS prototype in pilot project NL2". Vereijken, P (Ed.). Designing and testing prototypes. Progress Reports of Research Network on Integrated and Ecological Arable Farming Systems for EU and Associated Countries, Concerted Action AIR 3 - CT 920755, AB-DLO (Ed.), Wageningen, The Netherlands, Progress Report 2: 73-86 pp.

Kloen, H. and P. Vereijken (1997): "Testing and improving ecological nutrient management with pilot farmers". In: Isart, J. & J.J. Llerena (Eds.), Resource use in organic farming - Proceedings of the ENOF Workshop, Ancona, 5-6 June. LEAAM - Agro-ecologia (CID-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain: 233-242 pp.

Vereijken, P., R. Visser and H. Kloen (1998): "Focus on improving an EAFS prototype in Flevoland (NL 2)". in: Vereijken, P.(Ed.), Improving and disseminating prototypes. Progress Reports of Research Network on Integrated and Ecological Arable Farming Systems for EU and Associated Countries, Concerted Action AIR 3 - CT 920755, AB-DLO (Ed.), Wageningen, The Netherlands, Progress Report 4: 24-40 pp.