Integrated Management on Sandy for

Masterclass 11, Wageningen Soil Conference Vredepeel, The Netherlands, 28 August 2019 Janjo de Haan 2 WUR  WUR Field Crops and locations

3 Activities WUR Field Crops

Disciplinary Systems research research Comparing Field trials strategies

Lab trials Development of cropping and Desk studies farming systems

Tool Knowledge Development circulation

DSS’s Farmers networks Handbooks Communication Schemes Field days Welcome at

Wageningen University & Research Field Crops Experimental Farm Vredepeel Since 1959

5 Soil Profile

▪ Coarse sandy soil ▪ Organic matter 4-5% ▪ Rooting depth 50-60 cm ▪ Susceptible for drought & wind erosion ▪ Groundwater level ± 1m ▪ Water management: drainage and irrigation Crops

Total area 170 ha ▪ Potato 40 ha ▪ Sugar beet 25 ha ▪ Maize 40 ha ▪ Triticale + Barley 25 ha ▪ Pea and bean 12 ha ▪ Carrots 6 ha ▪ Black Salsify 7 ha ▪ Leek 4 ha ▪ Onions 2 ha ▪ Grass 5 ha Peelkanaal N

19 29 39 49

18.2 28.2

18.1 28.1 38 48

17.2 27.2

17.1 27.1 37 47

16.2 26.2

16.1 26.1 36 46

15 25 35 45

34.2

14 24 34.1 44

33.2

13 23 33.1 43

32.2

12 22 32.1 42

21 11 21 31 41 Vredeweg South East Netherlands: Intensive, productive but vulnerable

9 South East Netherlands Poor water quality

▪ RIVM: Nitrate in groundwater above 50 mg/l, especially arable farming in SE-NL

▪ Deltares: 30-50% exceedance Nitrate in upper ground water in three of nitrogen standards surface sand areas in NL (upper) and for dairy and arable farming on sandy soils (lower) water in NL source: RIVM

Exceedance of nitrogen standard 10 (in red)(source: Deltares) Other sustainability problems

▪ Soil born pests and diseases ● Various plant parasitic nematodes ● Sclerotinia, Rhizoctonia etc. ▪ High use of crop protection agents ▪ Low ▪ GHG emissions and carbon losses ▪ High costs for land and labour ▪ Low margins

11 How do we achieve cost-effective, sustainable cropping systems within environmental limits?

12 Farming systems research

▪ How can a farmer Objectives optimize his goals Crop yield ● Given context Emissions & quality ● Multi objective ● Tool box of farming methods

Farm Nutrient/ Income water use efficency

Ecosyste m quality

13 Farming systems research methodology

Prototyping methodology Farming methods

Analysis & Diagnosis ▪ Coherent strategies ▪ Packages of techniques Design

• Objectives & parameters Integrated/ Multi • Farming methods Ecological Functional Nutrient • Theoretical prototype Crop Rotation Management Testing & Improving Integrated/ • In practice Minimum Soil Ecological Crop Cultivation • Monitoring and evaluation Protection

Dissemination Farm Structure Optimization

14 Testing soil management strategies in Long Term System Experiments (LTSE)

▪ Soil Quality on peaty soils: Valthermond (SQP) ▪ BASIS: Lelystad ▪ Soil Quality on sandy soils & Soil Health Experiment: Vredepeel (SQS)

15 Farming systems research Vredepeel from 1989

Farming Systems 1989 Development of integrated and Research 2000 systems

2001 Farming with Future: How to comply 2003 with the nitrate directive in arable farming

2005 Nutrients Waterproof: How to comply 2008 with the nitrate directive and WFD in arable farming and outdoor horticulture

Soil Quality on 2011 Effects of soil management (input of sandy soils 2020 organic matter, soil tillage) on ecosystem services (yield, nitrate leaching) in arable farming and vegetables Soil Quality on Sandy soils: Farming systems in research (since 2001) ORGANIC STANDARD 3000 kg EOM/ha/year 2000 kg EOM/ha/year

LOW 1000 kg EOM/ha/year

Mineral Pig & cow slurry Farmyard concentrates & and chemical manure, cow chemical fertilizer slurry & vinasse Since 2011 Compost plots on two fields per system Since 2011 Comparison reduced tillage - ploughing Crop rotation Potato

Pea+ grass- ▪ Arable, vegetable and fodder crops clover ● Grown in the region ▪ Relative extensive crop rotation Leek ● Alternation mow and root crops ▪ Green manure crops where possible Spring ● Japanese Oats and Barley Barley ● Grass-clover ● Nitrogen fixation Carrots ● Example for arable-dairy rotations

Silage 18 maize Sugarbeet 2008 STANDARD-LOW

Effect 140 ton compost in potato 2013 N-sensor potato 2016 Nitrate concentrations in groundwater in various project periods (mg NO3/l)

GA = STANDARD, Conventional; GI = LOW, 160 140 120 100 80 60 40

20 Nitrate concentration in concentration Nitrate groundwater (mg (mg NO3/l) groundwater 0 GA GI GA GI GA GI GA GI 1991-1993 2001-2003 2005-2008 2012-2016 Farming systems Farming for a Nutrients Soil quality research future Waterproof on sandy soils

20 Nitrate concentrations in groundwater organic system (mg NO3/l)

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30

20 Nitrate concentration in concentration Nitrate

groundwater (mg (mg NO3/l) groundwater 10 0

21 Relative yield LOW compared to STANDARD 2011-2016

100% = 49 5,1 40 6,9 16,4 16,4 ton/ha 105%

100%

95%

90%

85%

80%

75%

70% Potato Pea Leek Spring Sugar beet Silage Barley maize LOW STANDARD

22 Trends in soil organic matter 1998-2016

6.0 STANDARD LOW ORGANIC 5.0

4.0

3.0

Organic matter % Organic matter 2.0

5.0 1.0 STANDARD LOW ORGANIC

4.5 0.0 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2013 4.0

Organic matter % Organic matter 3.5

3.0 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

23 Nitrogen Use Efficiency

80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% LOW STANDARD ORGANIC Average 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

24 Value of organic matter (2011-2016)

∆ 퐹푖푛푎푛푐푖푎푙 푦푖푒푙푑 (푆푇퐴푁퐷퐴푅퐷−퐿푂푊) ▪ 푉푎푙푢푒 퐸푂푀 = ∆ 퐸푂푀 푖푛푝푢푡 (푆푇퐴푁퐷퐴푅퐷 −퐿푂푊) ▪ Average 0,54 €/kg EOM ● Pea -0,05 €/kg EOM ● Leek 2,24 €/kg EOM

▪ Value or organic matter in NL ● Slurry negative ● Compost 10 €/ton = ca 0,06 €/kg EOM ● Green manure crop 1000 kg EOS/ha, 100 €/ha  ca. 0,10 €/kg EOS

25 And now to the field!