Seminar, discussion: “Project GreenAgri – lessons learned and future challenges”

On May 29, 2019, a seminar - discussion was held at the Ministry of Agriculture “Project GreenAgri – lessons learned and future challenges”.  In the first part of the seminar, agricultural expert Iveta Grudovska of the association “Zemnieku saeima” presented the results of the “GreenAgri” project demo farms in Latvia and Estonia’s experience in the project. In turn, expert Zanda Melnalksne of the association “Zemnieku saeima” spoke about “Environmental compliance and effective organic manure management”.

11 farms in Latvia were involved in the pilot project. Opportunities for improvement were found on all farms. The implemented actions ranged from better planning of manure spreading to changing spreading technology and using innovative additives in manure management.

The most important result was the awareness-raising of all farmers by receiving advice and testing new manure management practices in real life. The project experts hope that the experience and knowledge gained during the project will be used on the farm. It is expected that further implementation of environmentally friendly manure management practices will reduce nutrient leaching from manure storage and spreading. As a result, the nutrient load on surface and groundwater will decrease.

The principles of good agricultural practice, which are also the basis for environmental management on a livestock farm, should be followed. Legal environmental requirements should be followed and, where possible, recommended guidelines should be applied.

It is important to use methods (from thinking to equipment and technology) that ensure at least a certain level of environmental protection. This is recommended for all farms, from the perspective planning of (organic) fertilizer spreading to:

– Regular agrochemical soil analyses to determine the level of nutrients in the soil,

– Regular manure analyses to determine the actual nutrient levels in manure,

– Precisely balance plant nutrients in cultivated fields,

– Spread the fertiliser according to the points mentioned above.

Developing an objective and accurate fertilization plan, taking into account soil and manure analysis, is an important step in the field of balanced and sustainable agriculture. It allows farmers to achieve the expected yield not only at the farm level, but also individually in individual fields.

When spreading manure, it is important to find a way to ensure that as many nutrients as possible remain usable by plants and are accumulated in the soil, and as few as possible are released into the environment where they cannot be used (leaching into groundwater, emission into the air).

Organic fertilizer should be applied using technologies that result in very little nutrient loss. The best technological solution is to incorporate manure into the soil immediately.

Reducing nutrient losses can also be achieved by moving fertilizer application activities from autumn to spring, when vegetation is active.

To reduce nutrient leaching during periods when there is no intensive plant growth, such as in autumn, it is recommended to sow winter crops or catch crops. If this is not possible, leaving crop residues in the winter also reduces nutrient leaching.

From a water management perspective, farms should conduct a full inventory of their drainage systems to determine the current situation and problems. For example, drainage collector outflows can become clogged or fall below the water level over time, which significantly impairs the functionality of these systems.

Elevated nitrate concentrations in water samples could be reduced by using individual or combined water management tools, one of the most effective of which is buffer zones with intensive vegetation.

As interest in new technologies increases, it is recommended to contact research institutions, thereby improving mutual cooperation and ensuring a comprehensive and full-fledged flow of information, as well as achieving the most optimal results and appropriate solutions.