Four years after the launch of the Diverfarming project, its Spanish team has been able to analyse the first results of their trials, encompassing the introduction of a number of innovative diversification measures and sustainable farming practices over the course of three years.
The project highlights some noteworthy environmental benefits of these changes. These include a reduction in soil erosion following the introduction of capers and thyme in the alleys of a dryland almond orchard.
Furthermore, nitrogen levels in soil were boosted with the introduction of legumes in the alleys of mandarin trees and among horticultural crops such as melon and broccoli. In the latter case, nitrogen fertilisation could be cut by nearly a third and a double harvest of broad beans was possible.
The project reports: “The double harvests obtained in some of the case studies have also presented interesting results for the research and agricultural community: the thyme sown among the almond trees gave a yield of seven litres of essential oil per hectare and the vetch sown among the olive grove alleys gave yields of almost 3,000 kg per hectare.
“Even if the economic benefit for the growers has yet to increase, it did not fall, and they would be playing an essential role in conserving ecosystems and resources such as the soil. For that reason, the team raised the issue of the need to create stamps and certifications endorsing those farmers who carry out these more sustainable practices.”
The next step for the team will be to continue the transfer and communication of the project’s findings, with the “objective of implementing these sustainable techniques in the European agricultural sector under the premise of ‘agriculture that looks after the planet’.”
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