FertiBioSol Project - Massive Carbon Fertilization Trials by MSV Normandy
As part of a previous call for projects (EIP, 2017 call for projects), three partner organizations came together around the SOCLE Innovation AB project to experiment with and disseminate innovative techniques adapted to market gardening and vegetable farming operations in Normandy. The objective was to provide technical and economic benchmarks on techniques for soil fertility management based on biological methods and on reducing the hardship mainly linked to manual weeding tasks in market gardening. The FertiBioSol project continues SOCLE Innovation AB’s work on biological soil fertility management by proposing a broader scale of work at the farm level and adopting a prophylactic approach to pest management.
Objective
The objective of this project is to provide technical and economic benchmarks on massive carbon input routes and fertilization at the farm or even territorial scale. The results are intended for vegetable producers in Normandy practicing organic farming or in conversion, as well as future market gardeners. The actions proposed within this project, stemming from field observations, address several priority themes mentioned in the European Innovation Partnership. In particular, regarding environmental preservation and anticipation of climate change, the tested actions will focus on restoring and maintaining the biological fertility of the soil. The challenge is to achieve resilience of the production system in the face of climatic hazards and constant pressure from diseases and pests. Furthermore, on the economic and technical side, the tested production systems aim to control production costs, notably through seeking autonomy in fertilization and cost reduction linked to technical choices.
The humic balance method, a tool to monitor massive carbon fertilization strategy
It is important to master key concepts about fertility cycles, especially the humic balance. Fertility partly depends on the humic balance, and a tool to manage this fertility is the humic balance. One of the principles of market gardening on living soil is to add fresh organic matter (i.e., not fully composted) to rebuild a stock of organic matter in the soil, this stock of organic matter being assimilated to humus. Humus acts in the soil as a food reserve for the plant, which is stored like in a refrigerator and mobilized (through soil life activity) gradually as the plant needs it. Humus
is therefore an essential component for maintaining and restoring soil fertility. Moreover, this humus is non-leachable, provides structural resilience, and increases the available water capacity.
This article was written thanks to the kind contribution of Maraîchage Sol Vivant Normandie & Ile-de-France.
