4CE-MED Training material for students, farmers and agronomists

Abstract

Mediterranean dry-farming systems mostly rely on cereal production, often on sole crops, due to a lack of alternatives. These farming systems are intensive in terms of agronomic inputs, thus highly impacting on the environment, and more vulnerable to the pitfalls of climate change. Conservation agriculture (CA) which relies on the three core principles of i) minimum mechanical soil disturbance, ii) maintenance of permanent or semi permanent soil cover and iii) crop diversification, offers the opportunity to reduce soil erosion and nitrogen leaching, increasing water availability, soil organic matter and biodiversity. CA is still poorly widespread across the Mediterranean due to a lack of knowledge of the benefits associated with its application. In this context, 4CE-MED project has developed innovative solutions to preserve water and soil conservation in Mediterranean dry-farming systems, by including camelina, a promising oilseed crop for Europe and the Mediterranean region, a cash-cover crop, in the cereal-based cropping System. Training of local stakeholders, including farmers, extension workers, , agronomists, and students is one of the key activities under this project, with the aim to transfer practical knowledge on the possible adoption of the 4CE-MED solutions identified in Work Packages 1 to 3. In this context, this easy-to-use training material was developed containing the key information of the new 4CE-MED solutions for distribution to students, farmers, agronomists and other stakeholders.