Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER Agroscope An agronomic, environmental and ecological comparison of major arable farming systems Marcel van der Heijden, Raphael Wittwer, Werner Jossi, Ulrich Prechsl, Thomas Nemecek, Klaus Schläppi, Kyle Hartman, Hanruedi Oberholzer, Viviana Loaiza, Engil Pujol Pereira, Jo Six, Franscesca Dennert, Monika Maurhofer, Brion Duffy, Theo Smits, Elena Gomez, Steffen Seitz, Philipp Goebes, Thomas Scholten, Anne Schöler, Maria de Vries, Michael Schloter, Pal Axel Olsson, Sofia Hydbom
DevelopingSustainableand Productive Farming Systems: Which System isbest? 2
FAST: Swiss arable farming systems and tillage experiment Test effects of different farming systems on Agronomical, ecological and environmental Parameters (e.g. plant yield, soil quality, biodiversity, nutrient cycling, income, life cycle assessment, plant root microbiome) Comparative system approach *organic, conventional, with and without tillage and with different cover crops *Experiment fully repeated one year later (staggered start design) (start in 2009) CONV ORG Plough No-till Plough Reduced tillage Brassica Brassica Brassica Brassica Legume Legume Legume Legume Mixture Mixture Mixture Mixture 3 Control Control Control Control
Higher plant yield under conventional farming (app. 30%) Note: unpublished data are removed from this slide PleasecontactMarcel van der Heijden (marcel.vanderheijden@agroscope.admin.ch) for further information 4 Data: Raphael Wittwer, Werner Jossi, Marcel van der Heijden, Agroscope
Lowest plant yield in organic reduced tillage Note: unpublished data are removed from this slide 5
FAST I FAST II
FAST I FAST II
More weeds in organically managed Plots, especially in reduced tillage FAST I FAST II
Cover crop effects increase with reduced land use intensity Note: unpublished data are removed from this slide 9 Data: Raphael Wittwer, Werner Jossi, Marcel van der Heijden, Agroscope
Life Cycle Assessment: Global Warming Potential Note: unpublished data are removed from this slide 10 Data: Ulrich Prechsl and Thomas Nemecek, Agroscope
Life Cycle Assessment: Global Warming Potential 11 Data: Ulrich Prechsl and Thomas Nemecek, Agroscope
Reduced soil erosion without tillage Note: unpublished data are removed from this slide Conv. Con. Org. Org. Till. NT Till. RT Data: Steffen Seitz, Philipp Goebes, Thomas Scholten, Tübingen University 12
Higher Soil Biodiversity in Organically Managed Plots: more earthworms, higher microbial biomass, more microbial taxa
Do we really need this soil biodiversity? rich soil life poor soil life rich soil life 14
Soil biota enhance agricultural sustainabilitybyreducingrain induced nutrient leaching losses 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 NO 3 - Loss rich soil life poor soil life 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Maize Yield rich soil life poor soil life Bender & van der Heijden 2015, Journal of Applied Ecology Cavagnaroet al., 2015, Trends in Plant Science Wagget al. 2014, PNAS 15
Soil biota as drivers of ecosystem sustainability Note: unpublished data are removed from this slide Franz Bender, Marcel van der Heijden, Agroscope 16
Conclusions #Different farming systems provide different benefits: Conventional tillage: highest yields Organic farming: highest biodiversity, better for the environment (lower global warming potential, lower ecotoxicity) No/Reduced tillage: less erosion, especially in organic no tillage Organic reduce tillage: lowest yields #Soil biodiversity promotes ecosystem sustainability in agroecosystems 17
Acknowledgements Agroscope: Raphael Wittwer, Werner Jossi, Ulrich Prechsl, Thomas Nemecek, Klaus Schläppi, Kyle Hartman, Hansruedi Oberholzer, Brigitte Dorn, Florian Walder, Franz Bender, Caroline Scherrer ETH Zürich: Jo Six, Viviana Loaiza, Engil Pujol Pereira, Franscesca Dennert, Monika Maurhofer, Roman Grütter, Rainer Schulin ZHAW Zürich: Brion Duffy, Theo Smits, Elena Gomez, University of Tübingen: Steffen Seitz, Philipp Goebes, Thomas Scholten, Helmholtz München: Anne Schöler, Maria de Vries, Michael Schloter, University of Lund: Pal Axel Olsson, Sofia Hydbom Fibl: Paul Mäder Newcastle University: Julia Cooper
Thank you for your attention 19