Work package 5: Co-assessment of novel crop genotypes and management innovations in farmers networks

Description

In farmer networks across European pedo-climatic zones, in conventional, organic and conservation agriculture systems, SolACE partners involved in work package 5 assessed the impact of the innovations identified in work packages 3 and 4 on single crop and agroecosystem resource use efficiency for water and N or P.

The assessment of such innovations and their combinations included agronomic (e.g. yield, quality, resource use efficiency), economic (e.g. profit, resilience, stability) and environmental (e.g. land use, energy demand, climate impact, acidification, eutrophication) criteria on both single crop and rotational scales.

Activities involved SolACE partners and other stakeholders at all phases of the work, from treatment selection and experimental design for evaluation of the efficacy and acceptability of innovations.

Special attention was dedicated to promote the exchange of knowledge and practices among actors of the various sectors, from conventional to organic agriculture, including conservation agriculture, and vice-versa.

Ultimately, work package 5 provided feedback and inputs to work packages 1 and 6 on those novel traits, genotypes and management strategies that prove to be effective and acceptable on-farms for improving resource use efficiency at the single crop and rotational scales within specific agroecosystems.

Objectives

• Ensure efficient exchange of knowledge and data between farmers and scientists as well as between farmer network partners and experimental and dissemination activities in other work packages of SolACE.
• Assess the impact of the innovations identified in work packages 3 and 4 on single crop and system-scale N, P and water use efficiency in real world situations, i.e. in on-farm trials.
• Assess the impact of the innovations identified in work packages 3 and 4 on economics (profit, resilience, stability) and the environment on both single-crop and system-scale levels.