Site description: Mediterranean biogeographic region with mild winters, warm summers and water scarcity due to low precipitation
Challenges: Increased competition for water between different users and conservation of soils that have low organic carbon content.
High farming intensity, livestock concentration in specific areas resulting in high N surplus.
Objective: To close loops within cropland farming – from livestock to cropland farming – and to increase the re-use of manure in a sustainable manner in order to improve soil fertility, increase nutrient use efficiency and reduce emissions.
Selected management practices:
- Livestock: pig manure valorisation (anaerobic co-digestion of pig manure solid/liquid separation, stripping and solar drying). Production of organic fertilisers)
- Cropland: long-term organic fertilisation in soils (assessment of changes in soil organic carbon and phosphorus accumulation in soils)
- Mixed-farming system with ruminants (precision feeding tools) and production of fodder crops
Expected benefits:
- Reduced nutrient surplus per agricultural area and increased nutrient efficiency on a yield scaled basis
- Reduced direct emissions to air and water and reduced indirect emissions
- Increase net stabilisable carbon stocks in cropland.
- Reduction of carbon-and nutrient-rich waste
Leading partner: IRTA
See the case study leaflet: web version (CAT, EN, ES) / print version (recto: CAT, EN, ES; verso: CAT, EN, ES)
See the case study poster