Measures Favorable to Beneficial Organisms and Biodiversity
Arrangements in favor of biodiversity are essential landmarks for auxiliaries of crops and small wildlife in plains.
The ideal arrangement does not exist. The important thing is to favor a diversity of arrangements spread across the entire territory. A mosaic of refuges and crops is the most favorable for the conservation of many species such as butterflies or
birds.
Objectives
These arrangements will provide shelter and food for a diversity of species during transition periods (harvest, soil work, latency between two bloomings, etc.). They also constitute a breeding place for some of them. There are several types of possible arrangements such as herbaceous covers, wildlife fallows, melliferous crops, crops with an energy objective, hedges and bushes, or even stone piles.
Expected benefits
The positive effects of arrangements are multiplied when they are spread across the entire parcel network. They can be varied:
- Contribute to the beauty of the landscape.
- Create a multitude of landmarks, refuges, and food resources for the entire biodiversity[1]: birds, insects, reptiles, small mammals, etc.
- Increase the natural pest regulation potential[2].
- Limit the transfer of active substances.
Expert insight
"90% of auxiliaries need at some point in their biological cycle an uncultivated environment: field edge, bush, hedge, flower strip... Against 1 pest out of 2." Jean Pierre Sarthou, Agro Toulouse INP, INRAE AGIR
Methodology
For operational implementation, there are 2 types of arrangements: strip and islet.
| Type of arrangement | Strip | Islet or plot |
|---|---|---|
| Advantages | Increase the territory's capacity by the edge effect. Easy to implement via GPS. | Create zones with more tranquility. Increase the functionality of fixed or heterogeneous elements already present on the parcel network. |
| Disadvantages | Possible visitation by locals, confusion with paths. | Access problem for the farmer when crops are tall. |
| Advice | Leave the width of a sprayer passage between the field edge and the strip. Placing arrangements on slope breaks helps limit erosion. | Place arrangements in plot corners, around electrical pylons or any fixed element of the parcel network. |
How to implement this practice on my farm?
The location of the future arrangement must be considered according to the width of the widest tool present on the farm (for example, the sprayer width). The optimal width is the width that will facilitate the farmer's work. The objective is to obtain an integer number of sprayer passes so as not to have additional headlands or turning areas.
Photo credit: Charles Boutour.
Strip or islet: to be defined according to the farm context and your expectations.
To limit diffuse pollutant transfers and soil erosion or gully formation phenomena, it may be possible to locate specific arrangements in these areas:
- On transfer routes and water paths,
- At the foot of slopes greater than 5%,
- In field corners sensitive to erosion,
- Perpendicular to runoff axes,
- In sensitive areas to protect dwellings or roads.
For anti-erosion arrangements, grasses have been identified as the most effective plants (so-called strong plants): fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) or miscanthus (Miscanthus (x) giganteus) provided it is not harvested. However, it is possible to associate them with flowering plants (low retention power) such as achilleas (Achillea ptarmica L.) without altering retention capacity. Indeed, to stop a 20 cm water sheet, at least 30 cm of aerial biomass must be maintained. High maintenance (30 cm from the ground) is necessary. For perfect efficiency, rolling with equipment is discouraged[3].
Advice
To identify suitable locations and types of arrangements, a farm-scale diagnosis can help:
- Determine the least productive and least efficient areas to cultivate: veins of stones, heavy soil, false plot corners.
- Identify talweg axes to curb erosion and runoff phenomena.
- Locate spaces with high ecological stakes such as wetlands.
When planting on property edges, it is advisable to carefully check boundaries and avoid accidentally planting on neighboring property. This avoids possible future issues.
There is no bad arrangement; the farmer must choose the one best suited to their system and motivations.
For crawling insects, the maximum distance they can travel from an edge or fixed element is estimated at about 75 to 80 m.
Methodology
There are different cover compositions for arrangements: herbaceous cover, shrub cover, or biomass cover.
Photo credit: Charles Boutour
Regulatory limits
New arrangements must not be "locked down." Flexibility in location and movement of an infrastructure must be possible. Indeed, with equipment evolution, an arrangement may become a hindrance to the farmer's work. It should then be possible to move it a few meters to limit inconvenience, ensuring compliance with current regulations on the subject. Regarding hedges, the French CAP regulation (BCAE 7[4]) strictly limits their relocation possibilities. This French overtransposition is the main obstacle to new plantings.
Further reading
- These arrangements also play a role in limiting diffuse pollution towards aquatic environments. For more information.
Sources
- ↑ Sirami C. et al.; 2019. Increasing crop heterogeneity enhances multitrophic diversity across agricultural regions, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, INRA.
- ↑ Boller E.F., Häni F., Poehling H. M.; 2004. Ecological Infrastructures: Ideabook on Functional Biodiversity at the Farm Level. IOBC-OILB. 212pp.
- ↑ AREA-asso.fr
- ↑ [https://www3.telepac.agriculture.gouv.fr/telepac/pdf/conditionnalite/2020/technique/Conditionnalite-2020_fiche-technique_BCAE7_particularites-topographiques.pdf BCAE 7 Sheet - Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Appendices
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