EU a 'laggard’ in conservation agriculture
"The Common Agricultural Policy is not fit for purpose, the CAP pays farmers more euros to retain the status quo than to change practice."
Ireland, along with other EU member states, is a “laggard” when it comes to implementing conservation agricultural practices.
Speaking about conservation agriculture and its benefits on a recent webinar, South East Technological University lecturer John Geraghty said that EU and Irish agriculture “is not ready” for a fossil fuel-free transition.
“The Common Agricultural Policy is not fit for purpose, the CAP pays farmers more euros to retain the status quo than to change practice,” he said.
“The tillage industry has a strategic interest in retaining the business as usual model as well, and whether we realise it or not, formal, academic research has fallen way behind farmer best practice in the field.”
He said that agricultural knowledge and information systems in member states across the EU are in “too poor a state” to deliver knowledge-intensive support, which is required for farmers to adopt conservation agricultural practices.
“The EU is a laggard in conservation agriculture adoption and development. That needs to be addressed if we’re serious about de-fossilising
European agriculture in the years to come,” he said.
Mr Geraghty works in the area of developing conservation practices including minimum tillage and no tillage on farms with cropping enterprises.
He told attendees at the recent webinar that a reduction in input costs such as labour, machinery, and agri-diesel consumption, and increased profits can be achieved on farms where conservation agricultural practices can be adopted.
With it estimated that between 60% and 70% of EU soils are unhealthy, the target of reaching 75% of soils being in a healthy condition by 2030 “is going to be difficult to achieve”, Mr Geraghty said.
But it’s a target that conservation agriculture can play a large part in, he added. With conservation agriculture, there are three guiding principles.
“The first is minimal soil disturbance for crop establishment,” Mr Geraghty said.
“The third is diverse crop associations and rotations.”
The best results with conservation agriculture happen when they are “implemented concurrently, at the same, in the same production cycle”, he added.
With a move to conservation agriculture, a “far better scenario” with the “least amount of fossil fuel input” would be seen.
“If we look at mouldboard ploughing, non-inversion tillage, chisel ploughing, this is where we get increased fossil fuel inputs. Not just in terms of agri diesel, but also in terms of fertiliser usage and consumption and agri chemical input,” he said.
“And we also need the highest level of horsepower in these situations as well.”
A “significant aspect of fossil fuel inputs” is chemical fertilisers, and Mr Geraghty noted Ireland's high dependence on these fertilisers.
He added that in conservation agriculture, farmers are doing some “interesting pioneering things”, including integrating clover.
“The idea that you actually cover the soil with these crop associations, but also fix nitrogen so you can decrease the amount of dependence on fertiliser nitrogen," Mr Geraghty continued.
“You can do this in such a way that you improve nutrient cycling and recycling for subsequent crops also.”
With conservation practices, Mr Geraghty said that a de-fossilised agriculture can be achieved, along with more efficient energy use; optimised agricultural production; reduced emissions; and economic, agronomic, and environmental benefits.
