Results

Results

After more than four years of project execution, and based on the results achieved both in the implementation and follow-up actions, as well as in the communication and dissemination actions, it is possible to affirm that the initially set objectives have been satisfactorily fulfilled.

Climate Change Mitigation

  • Reduction of GHG emissions from the ground: Plots with a greater number of implanted GAPs have reduced CO2 emissions by 48% and N2O emissions by 2 to 10% compared to plots without GAPs.
  • Increase in carbon sequestration: Soils in plots with a greater number of implanted BMPs (Best Management Practices) have increased their carbon content by 8% compared to conventionally managed plots. This has meant an average annual increase of 1.16 t/ha of carbon, which is equivalent to a 5-ha big farm to offset the amount of CO2 emissions equal to that one produced by a car which would make 10 round trips between Madrid to Moscow.
  • Reduction of CO2 emissions linked to energy consumption:The plots in which a greater number of BMPs have been implemented have achieved annual reductions of up to 35% compared to the plots in which no BMP has been carried out, so the average annual reduction in this case was 32%, after 4 analysis campaigns. This means that, after four agricultural campaigns, in the plots with a greater number of BMPs, 15,11 t CO2/ha less have been emitted than in the plots with a conventional management system. Comparing this amount to the previous example related to the carbon sequestration, it would compensate the emissions of a vehicle that made the round trip between Madrid and Moscow 7 times.

 

Climate change adaptation:

  • Impacts of climate change: Demonstrative trials in which future climatic conditions have been reproduced have served to detect that, with high temperatures, there is a phenomenon of asynchrony in flowering, complicating pollination and grain formation, which leads to a drastic reduction in the number of crops.
  • Effectiveness of adaptation measures:
    • Advancing the sowing date will allow the crop to avoid high temperatures while flowering and grain filling, which are the most critical periods of the crop, ensuring the correct development of the grain and therefore higher yields for the farmers.
    • The use of short-cycle crops, what means, crops with a shorter development period than conventional varieties, makes it possible to avoid high temperatures and high evapotranspiratory demand, especially in the most critical crop phases.
    • Measures based on the decrease in irrigation, if applied, should be very controlled, since it can cause crop reduction if special attention is not paid to the critical phases of the crop, such as flowering or grain filling.

 

Economic and energy profitability:

  • Economic profitability: In plots with a greater number of BMPs, total costs were reduced by 12.4% (€ 142 /ha) compared to plots managed with conventional management techniques without any BMP. Besides that, production increased, what meant that, on average, the profitability of the crop managed with BMPs has increased by € 358 / ha.
  • Energy efficiency: Energy efficiency is a balance between the energy obtained and the energy consumed in a productive process. In the case of plots with implanted BMPs, energy efficiency has increased on average compared to plots without BMPs, 15.4% in the first campaign, 41.9% in the second campaign and 63.3 % in the third campaign. That means that plots with a greater number of implanted BMPs were more energy efficient.
  • Energy productivity: Productivity is a parameter that measures the kgs produced per unit of consumed energy. If the energy productivity is higher, this will mean that less energy has been required to obtain 1 kg of product. In the case of corn managed with BMPs, energy productivity increased by 31%, and in the case of cotton under BMPs, energy productivity increased by 57%. This means that, for the same amount of energy, both in plots with implanted BMPs and in conventionally managed plots, 31% more production was obtained in the case of corn and 57% more in the case of cotton.

 

Dissemination and training sessions

The project has carried out an intense communication, training and dissemination sessions aimed at agents of the agricultural sector (farmers, technicians and researchers of Public Administrations, professional associations, agricultural organizations and companies related to the sector). These sessions have been seminars and training courses (face-to-face and online), a conference at European level, press and media releases, technical and scientific articles, and presentations of the project in various forums both nationally and internationally. Some of the most relevant figures resulting from the project communication are:

  • 1.5 million impacts
  • More than 4,000 attendees at conferences and courses organized within the framework of the project
  • More than 20 events during which the project was presented
  • 8 TV reports
  • 5 radio interviews
  • More than 40 releases in written and Internet media.
  • 23 articles published in technical journals related to the sector, scientific journals and congresses.