The latest newsletter from the Horizon 2020 Diverfarming project is now available. The project is seeking a major shift in European agriculture through crop diversification and a rational use of resources and, accordingly, the newsletter brings readers up to date with the concrete steps taken in some of its work across six countries.
For example, a research team from Hungary’s University of Pècs has published a methodology to measure the effects of diversification in the vineyards of Gere, one of Hungary’s leading wineries. This has involved introducing a mix of herbs and legumes between vine rows to provide plant cover.
Using the methodology, researchers have established the beneficial effects of this approach, including reduced erosion and thereby improved soil conservation, and a boost in soil organic matter content.
Furthermore, researchers have been able to confirm the potential of vineyards to mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions through incorporating pruned material into soil. They report: “The incorporation of the pruned matter and cut plant cover increased the levels of carbon and nitrogen in the soil, without increasing the nitrogen reserves to levels that cause negative effects on wine quality. Thus, the perfect balance has been found between the contribution of the vineyards to climate change mitigation and the production of quality wine.”
Experimentation on diversification in vineyards has also been taking place in Germany’s Mosel region, where the emphasis has been on preparations for climate change with the introduction of aromatic herbs (thyme and oregano) between vine rows.
The work has been conducted by a team from Germany’s Trier University and winemaking entrepreneur Cord Treseler over the past three years and the newsletter shares the first results of this diversification on grapevine productivity and wine quality.
Elsewhere in the newsletter, Diverfarming reports on a survey of Finnish consumers seeking to establish how much they would pay for agroecosystem services and the socio-cultural effects of diversification. It reports that 79% of households were willing to pay extra for cropping diversification, representing a “significant monetary value of ecosystem services”.
Diverfarming reports: “This study showed that positive societal implications of cropping diversification were valued slightly higher than direct field level effects of diversification. In particular, improved maintenance of domestic food production and processing, reduced nutrient runoffs from agriculture, maintained food culture and tradition, as well as improved carbon balance of agriculture and the number of jobs in rural areas were valued high.”
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Last update: 24/05/2023 - ENDURE © 2009 - Contact ENDURE - Disclaimer