The Walloon OA sector needs local references to assess the feasibility and benefits of reduced tillage, quantify the positive externalities of organic production systems and combat soil organic matter loss and erosion risks in arable farming regions.
The SolAB project aims to provide answers to these questions through an integrated soil quality analysis for a selection of organic fields representative of the diversity of organic farming systems in Wallonia and the evaluation of the effects soil management practices on soil properties
The main strength of the project lies in the association of key players in the development of OA in Wallonia (BIOWALLONIE, CRA-W) with different soil specialists with complementary expertise (ULiège, UCLouvain, CRA-W).
The project aims to monitor two types of experimental setups :
1) field trials comparing innovative cropping systems (mostly organic without ploughing) with a control system. These trials will make it possible to test practices with a high level of economic risk for farmers in order to assess their benefits for soil quality as well as their technical feasibility in Walloon organic farms;
2) an enlarged network of on-farm fields, to encompass a diversity of real situations at the regional level and therefore support the representativeness of the references provided to the agricultural sector.
Measured soil parameters are related to three types of ecosystem services provided by soils, complementary to biomass production: climate regulation (soil organic carbon stock and quality), water regulation (soil structural quality), and habitat for biodiversity (microbial abundance, activity and diversity). Results are expected for September 2027
Financing: Walloon Recovery Plan (PRW)
