STARTUP LONG-TERM AGROFORESTRY RESEARCH PLOT Walnut in silvoarable alley cropping system © Inagro OBJECTIVE Long-term research • Tree-crop interaction & yield • Ecosystem services (soil, water, biodiversity) • Practical feasibility • Profitability in Flemish agricultural context Demonstration • Need for good-example • Share lessons learned on implementing, managing and functioning of an agroforestry system • Main target group: farmers FIRST RESULTS Yield per ha and quality of leek is unaffected • Average yield of 61 tons per ha is comparable to other fields in region • No differences in terms of distance to tree row • Visual inspections confirm good quality and health Design is based on practical feasibility, profitability and reproducibility in the Flemish agricultural context. Authors: Willem Van Colen1, Thomas Van Loo1, Dieter Depraetere1 1 Inagro vzw, Belgium, willem.vancolen@inagro.be This poster is based upon work from the project REFOREST that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme under Grant Agreement Nr. 101060635. Startup and first results of a long-term practice-oriented agroforestry research field in Flanders, Belgium https://agroreforest.eu Plot design – ‘keep it simple’ • Silvoarable alley cropping system • Conventional farming system • Tree: walnut (Juglans regia ‘Broadview’) • Tree row: perennial flower mix attracting beneficial insects • Intercrop: 6 year crop rotation with arable crops (maize, potatoes, winter cereals, field beans) and vegetables (leeks, carrots, cabbages, celereac) -> In cooperation with local farmers • Mixed hedge: windbreak and habitat for insects and birds Long-term monitoring Improve tailored advice & Increase adoption in Flanders The sampling distance of 10,5 m is considered as the reference situation for now. The number of transects differs per parameter. For some parameters not all distances are included in the transects due to practical considerations. Intercrops • Yield, quality, diseases REGIONAL CHALLENGE Drone picture of the recently established agroforestry research and demonstration plot located on the trial fields of Inagro, West-Flanders. This plot is one of the seven REFOREST living labs across Europe. Trees • Yield, growth, diseases Microclimate • Light (pyranometer) • Rain, wind, temperature & humidity (weather stations) Soil • Chemical soil analysis (0-30 cm) • Organic carbon (0 – 90 cm) • Moisture (20 cm + 60 cm) • Compaction (penetrologger) • Bulk density (Kopecky rings) • Nematods (under development) • Bacteria & fungi (PLFA analysis) • Earthworms Biodiversity • Overwintering soil invertebrates (soil incubations) • Moths (LED buckets) • Surface dwelling arthropodes (pitfall traps) • Flying arthropodes (window traps) • Birds and bats (Audiomoth) Fertile sandy loam soils make the central part of West-Flanders suitable for intensive, highly productive and profitable vegetable growing. As a result, agricultural land prices in West-Flanders are amongst the highest in Europe. Walnuts as high value product. Late-leafing and open crown reduce competition for light with intercrops. Trees need to produce and eventually compensate for relatively high loss of income by loss of cropping area, while impact on yield of intercrops needs to be limited. Financial – ins and outs MONITORING TRANSECTS Establishment costs Loss of cropping area is decisive in early stage • Tree rows and hedge reduce cropping area by 11% • Harvest machinery requires additional uncultivated strips -> 5% extra loss of cropping area • 84% of the plot was cultivated with leek, resulting in a production loss of 13,6 ton = loss of income ± € 2.700 Leeks in (young) agroforestry Impact of tree rows on preparatory soil work and planting of leek is limited WATCH OUR VIDEO! And get inspired… READ MORE? Check our website! STAY UPDATED? Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to receive future results through our article series ‘Digging Deeper’ ! As an active farmer, you can have you