Climate action through increased plant cover

Extra one year in circulation

Renewal of meadows is an energy-intensive and expensive process. It is desirable to introduce other crops into the rotation before establishing a new meadow. Variation in the crop rotation provides many benefits for the soil and subsequent crops. If it is possible to postpone renewal of the meadow for one year, this results in less tillage and reduced costs over the years. When meadow crops are allowed to stand longer, they will also accumulate more carbon that can be stored in the soil and develop better soil structure than is the case with more frequent tillage.

Winter plant cover

After annual crops, it is common to plough in the fall, leaving the soil exposed to the elements in the fall and winter. This leads to a great risk of soil erosion and loss of nutrients. Phosphorus is transported away with the soil particles, and much nitrogen will follow the leachate down into the soil. Spring ploughing gives better results than autumn ploughing. It is best to have plant cover on the soil all year round. In grain production, an undercrop can be sown that continues to grow throughout the fall after the fallow. The plant roots will hold the soil in place and thus protect against soil erosion, and take up plant nutrients that would otherwise be washed out. The content of organic matter in the soil will increase over time, and the structure of the soil will improve.

Direct sowing of grain

There are seed drills that make it possible to sow directly into corn stubble or older meadows without prior tillage. By omitting tillage, the soil is left to lie dormant and a better soil structure is developed than with frequent tillage. The potential for storing carbon in the soil is also much greater, and energy is saved and greenhouse gas emissions from tillage are avoided.