Service crops in conservation agriculture
Description
COURSE PRESENTATION
Service crops in conservation agriculture are incorporated with the aim of improving soil health, biodiversity and the yield of main crops without necessarily being harvested for commercialization, and can be an opportunity to include them in the products obtained on the farm.
Service crops perform multiple functions beyond the actual cover of agricultural soils. These crops regenerate agricultural soils and ecosystems. They perform various beneficial functions for the agroecosystem and agricultural soils, contributing to sustainability and efficient resource management. They improve soil structure and health, prevent erosion and loss of soil and fertility, help control spontaneous plant species, improve the biodiversity of agroecosystems and therefore their balance, contribute to better water management and reduce pollution, increase organic matter in the soil, provide a greater annual quantity and stability of flowers for pollinators.
Service crops are an integral part of conservation agriculture, as they allow for efficient resource management, conserving soil and reducing the use of external inputs. This management facilitates the transition to regenerative agriculture. Service crops, or cover crops, respond to compliance with the eco-regimes of the CAP regulatory framework.
RECIPIENTS
Agricultural engineers, master's degrees in agricultural engineering, agricultural technical engineers, degree in agri-food and rural engineering, as well as master's degrees and degrees related to agricultural engineering and professionals in the field of engineering.
GOALS
Understand the fundamentals of service crops, what they are, their importance in conservation agriculture, and how they contribute to soil health and biodiversity. Know the multiple functions they perform such as improving soil structure, preventing erosion, controlling invasive species, and increasing organic matter, improving biodiversity in agroecosystems and ecological balance. Develop skills to implement sustainable agricultural practices that reduce the use of external inputs and favor soil conservation. Provide tools and knowledge to help adopt a regenerative approach in agricultural practices.
