“Day of the Plow” – (unfortunately) every year…

When plowing in cover crops, erosion protection is practically plowed in – the disadvantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages! © BWSB/Wallner

How many companies in Upper Austria currently choose greening option 3?

The importance of greening option 3 is decreasing. Currently, 474 companies have chosen variant 3 as part of the ÖPUL measure “Greening of arable land – cover crop cultivation”. In the fall 2021 application, for example, there were still 1,895 companies in Upper Austria. It is striking that variant 3 is chosen even more frequently, particularly in those districts in which the contamination of surface waters with nutrient inputs (phosphorus) is high or in regions outside the “GRUNDWasser 2030” area backdrop. In Upper Austria, participants in the ÖPUL measure “Preventive Groundwater Protection Fields (GRUNDWasser 2030)” are not allowed to apply for ZWF greening variant 3. This is also one reason why this greening variant no longer has any significance in the area’s scenery.

Protect surface waters – year-round soil cover and high-quality cover crop cultivation and mulch or direct sowing help!

Large amounts of valuable soil can be lost in just a few minutes and subsequently pollute our waters with nutrients, especially phosphorus. The European Water Framework Directive sets “good status” for our lakes and rivers as its central goal. Erosion-related inputs of phosphorus, nitrogen, etc. endanger this “good condition” in some bodies of water in Upper Austria. These substance inputs into water bodies are linked to substance discharges from agricultural land and the loss of soil, the valuable basis for agricultural production. The aim of every agricultural measure must be to achieve a reduction in the input of nutrients, especially phosphorus and nitrogen, but also pesticides, into surface waters. Unfortunately, some bodies of water are in moderate condition. The aim must be to bring these waters into good condition and to achieve long-term improvement. It is striking that, particularly in regions where ÖPUL greening variant 3 is increasingly used, the nutrient pollution of surface waters is higher, as the following illustration shows.

Goal: Maintain soil structure!

The catch crops have largely developed well again this year, formed a lot of root mass and built up good soil structures.

Plowing in the catch crops now in autumn means, on the one hand, stress for the soil, especially for soil life, because the low soil temperatures mean that the organic material can no longer be converted (“silage” & plow sole compaction), and on the other hand, in the following crop, especially in the case of maize, Millet, soy and sugar beet increase their susceptibility to erosion enormously in spring, depending on the slope inclination, slope length and soil type. The primary goal must therefore be to maintain the established soil structure in the long term.

Conclusion

Cover crops in autumn fulfill a variety of tasks. They enrich the landscape, increase biodiversity, protect against nutrient losses “in all directions” and guarantee comprehensive erosion protection in spring. Greening variant 3 of the ÖPUL measure “Greening of arable land – cover crop cultivation” can be changed from November 15th – but it doesn’t have to be!
The aim must be to comprehensively protect our soils through sufficient ground cover, especially with regard to the unforeseeable events associated with climate change.

Information from Soil.Water.Protection.Consultation, (050/6902-1426); www.bwsb.at.