ALMOND PRO-SOIL Layman's Report

20 Pages·2009·2.99 MB·English

LIFE05 ENV/E/000288
ALMOND PRO-SOIL
Layman's Report
Soil Protection
in Mediterranean Areas
through Cultivation
of New Varieties
of Almond Tree
May 2009

ALMOND PRO-SOIL
Layman's Report
CONTENT
CONTENT...................................................................................................................................................3
SUMMARY OF PROJECT SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES......................................................................4
The environmental problem................................................................................................................4
The Project..............................................................................................................................................5
Objectives............................................................................................................................................5
Activities...............................................................................................................................................5
TASK 1 - Selection of orchards..........................................................................................................6
TASK 2 - Cultivation of the orchards with the new almond varieties......................................6
TASK 3 - Comparison of the agricultural performance of the new varieties..........................6
TASK 4 - Assessment of the effects of the new varieties on soil protection..........................7
TASK 5 - Analyses of the applicability of the project results: socio-economic and
policy aspects..........................................................................................................................................7
TASK 6 - Suggested policy and regulatory elements for improving the legal
framework on soil protection.............................................................................................................8
The partners............................................................................................................................................9
THE TECHNOLOGY - INNOVATION............................................................................................11
THE RESULTS ACHIEVED....................................................................................................................14
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT...............................................................................................................15
COST-BENEFIT DISCUSSION ON THE RESULTS........................................................................16
Economic and environmental benefits............................................................................................16
On-farm costs:.................................................................................................................................16
Off-farm costs:.................................................................................................................................16
TRANSFERABILITY (OF PROJECT RESULTS).................................................................................18
SUMMARY OF PROJECT SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
The environmental problem
The majority of the urban population in Europe has
only little understanding for the features and
functions of soils. The most common perception is
usually that soils are a good dumping site for all
kind of wastes and that soils can be quite useful as
surfaces for building houses and infrastructure.
However, the human activity is responsible also of
benefits on soils. Some examples are the necessity
of rural population involved in forest control to
prevent uncontrolled fire and agriculture as it has
been assessed in the ALMOND PRO-SOIL project.
The experts determine that soil degradation
processes include several factors1, among them three can be considered as directly targeted
by ALMOND PRO-SOIL activity:
Erosion.
Organic matter decline.
Landslides.
Soil erosion is increasing in Europe2. As precise
estimates are not possible due to the lack of
comparable data, it is difficult to assess the total
area of the EU affected by erosion.
The estimations suggest 115 million ha, or 12% of
Europe’s total land area, to be affected by water
erosion, and that 42 million ha are affected by
wind erosion, of which 2% severely affected.

1 Decision No 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2002 laying down the Sixth Community
Environment Action Programme (OJ L 242, 10.9.2002).
2 EEA, Chapter 7: Soil, in: Europe’s Environment: the Dobris Assessment, 1995.
The Project
Objectives
Most threats to soil are particularly severe in areas with steep slopes and suffering dry
periods followed by heavy rain such as the Mediterranean regions. Severity is aggravated by
lacking or inappropriate farming systems.
The project will therefore focus on demonstrating that land management based on the
cultivation of new varieties of local crops suited to these conditions may result in a
sustainable system to prevent soil degradation.
The LIFE-ENVIRONMENT Project “Soil Protection in Mediterranean Areas through
Cultivation of New Varieties of Almond Tree” - ALMOND PRO-SOIL - LIFE05
ENV/E/000288 started its activities in October, 2005.
The main goal is “to demonstrate the
viability of the cultivation of new
varieties of almond trees as an
environmental approach to protect soil
in areas of the Mediterranean basin and
other similar areas with high risk of soil
degradation due to topographic and
climatic conditions and lack of proper
environmental management”. These
new varieties are obtained from the
local plant genetic resources, trying to
demonstrate that the sustainable use of
local plant genetic resources may
protect soil from degradation.
Activities
The ALMOND PRO-SOIL focused on demonstrating that land management based on
the cultivation of new varieties of local crops suited to these conditions may result
in a sustainable system to prevent soil degradation. The approach is described in the
following pages.
TASK 1 - Selection of orchards
Analysis of climatic and topographic data to select representative
orchards from Mediterranean regions showing endangered soil.
This activity has been carried out by the Spanish beneficiary and
the Italian partners. The steps have been:
Collection and analysis of historical topographic, climatic, and
land management data.
Pre-selection of orchards.
Soil analysis of pre-selected orchards.
Final selection of orchards.
TASK 2 - Cultivation of the orchards with the new almond varieties
Cultivation with new almond varieties with higher suitability to these geo-climatic conditions.
New almond varieties with experimentally (laboratory and greenhouse) proven capability to
withstand harsh climatic conditions have been studied by the Spanish and the Italian research
centre and cultivated in both areas. The steps have been:
 Local varieties of almond tree were grafted in
two rootstocks at orchards during the
summer; at the winter, with the leaf bud on
vegetative stop, they were transplanted to
pots and set on glasshouses.
 When the optimum stage was reached,
cultivation was transferred in the selected
orchards.
 Plots showing three different gradients of
slope defined and cultivation performed
under two different farming systems.
TASK 3 - Comparison of the agricultural performance of the new varieties
A comparison of the capability of the new varieties to grow, bloom and fruit in the selected
orchards, under traditional and organic farming systems and in different gradients of slope
has been set. This activity has been performed by all participants. The steps have been:
Set of objective parameters and corresponding measurements to assess performance of
the trees in respect of its rooting, growth, blooming and fruiting.
Regular assessment of these parameters in the cultivated trees.
TASK 4 -Assessment of the effects of the new varieties
on soil protection
The effects of the different combinations (variety - slope
gradient - farming system) on soil quality have been assessed
by physical, chemical and biological methods. The steps have
been:
Determination of the best set of parameters to define the soil
status in these areas as regards to its content in organic
matter and level of biodiversity, as well as to its physical
features.
TASK 5 -Analyses of the applicability of the project results: socio-economic and
policy aspects
Specific technical, socio-economic and policy combinations to support the sustainable
application of the results of the project have been identified at regional, national and
European scale. This has been based on the establishment of an Economic and
Technological Intelligence (ETI) system combining IT tools and human expertise from
the partners to produce strategic knowledge.
The ETI system is a tool designed in order to facilitate the technical management of the
project and the dissemination of the project results by means of an efficient arrangement of
the resources used for these two activities.
It is located between both tasks by implementing
complementary activities, such as:
Acquisition, treatment and analysis of technical and
socio-economical data.
Continuous updating related to the technological
approach within the project, to provide with
solutions, as well as with contingency measures.
Identification and needs analysis of potential users, for
the national and international transfer of results.
Technical advances and adaptation of tendencies for the
dissemination of results.
Analysis of current policies and effect on the results
obtained.
An external expert company, Zurko Research, provided technical
assistance to the beneficiary to set-up and run the ETI system.
The steps followed have been:
Establishment of an Economic and Technological Intelligence (ETI) system focused on the
socio-economic and techno-economic factors influencing the results of the project.
Survey of regional, national and EU policies influencing the viability of the results of the
project.
TASK 6 - Suggested policy and regulatory elements for improving the legal framework
on soil protection
This task intended to produce suggestions of elements for future policies and regulations
relevant to soil protection. These elements initially identified through the ETI system have
been complemented with a survey among potential stakeholders (farmers, authorities, and
research and education institutions, NGO’s). A list of 784 stakeholders has been itemized by
the consortium and used to diffuse the communication plan involving all participants. The
steps followed have been:
Identification of stakeholders to broaden and deepen the applicability of the project.
Appropriate discussion channels with these stakeholders will be established and their
opinions on policy measures required for soil protection collected and analyzed.
Suggestion of elements to improve the existing regulatory frameworks related to soil
protection.
The results have been disseminated through a dissemination strategy which included
different media such as: press articles, bulletins, leaflets, project website, congresses,
conferences, CDROM, videos, public presentations, designed according to the contents and
the targeted stakeholders.
The partners
CARM - IMIDA (Beneficiary)
Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario
Consejería de Agricultura y Agua de la Región de Murcia
IMIDA is a research public body, with the status of autonomous body of administrative
character. It posses legal personality and own patrimony as well as full capacity to operate
aiming at the implementation of its objectives and according to Law 8/2002, October 30th,
BORM nº 272 of November 23rd, 2002.
Contact details:
Eulogio Molina Navarro
Tel: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected] – [email protected]
Website: www.imida.es
CSIC - CEBAS (Partner)
Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
CEBAS is a research centre located in Murcia and belongs to the Spanish Council for
Scientific Research (CSIC). Its Plant Breeding Department has developed the new almond
varieties as part of its research activities aimed to develop new varieties of fruit crops suited
to grow under harsh climatic and soil conditions. The department of Soil and Water
Conservation has a proven record of expertise in analysis and modeling of soil degradation
and development of processes to recover degraded soil.
Contact details:
Carlos García Izquierdo
Dpto. Conservación de Suelos y Agua
y Manejo de Residuos Orgánicos
Tel: [phone]
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.cebas.csic.es
CNR - ISE (Partner)
Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistema
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
The Department of Soil Chemistry of the ISE (Institute of Ecosystem Study) is part of the
Italian National Research Council (CNR). Its members have a great expertise in the
chemical, biochemical and physical aspects related to soil quality, with particular emphasis
placed on the role of organic matter in soil fertility.
Contact details:
Grazia Masciandaro
Department of Soil Chemistry
Tel: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.ise.cnr.it
ALSIA - Azienda Pantanello (Partner)
Azienda Agricola Sperimentale Dimostrativa “Pantanello”
Agenzia Lucana di Sviluppo e di Innovazione in Agricultura
The Azienda Agricola Sperimentale Demostrativa “Pantanello” is a farm dedicated to
demonstration and dissemination of agronomic, phytosanitary, and environmental measures.
It is part of a network of demonstrative agricultural farms in the Basilicata region (ALSIA),
being also involved in regional climatic data collection and analysis. They have collaborated
with a great number of agriculture institutes and universities.
Contact details:
Carmelo Mennone
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.alsia.it