A project aimed at reducing soil mobilization, using direct seeding and the introduction of organic fertilizers and cover crops, is being developed by the Portalegre Polytechnic University (UPP), the institution announced.
These guiding factors behind the project, titled “CoverPlus”, are “very important” to ensure the reduction of soil erosion due to the weather phenomena the region has faced in recent years, said today to the Lusa agency the coordinator of the initiative, Luís Alcino da Conceição.
The responsible person recalled that the region has experienced “some meteorological accidents,” with periods of very hot summers or “heavy rainfall in a short period” in winter, which “forces the search for solutions” for direct seeding fertilization, crop monitoring and weed control.
“We will ensure that there is the introduction of an intermediate crop [over a period of two agricultural years] so that there is soil cover, in addition to the crop residue left from the main crop,” he indicated, adding that it is necessary “to reconcile this with organic-based fertilizers.”
In this phase of the project, which runs until August 2028, the selection of species and varieties that are common in the region for forage crops is being carried out, in terms of the production of grass plants.
Oats, triticale, fodder maize, Sudan grass and sorghum are some of the varieties that will be used in soil rotation, in this project focused on the rainfed farming regime.
“The soil rotation will be carried out, precisely, by introducing grass plants that can also be grazed, potentially in the spring/summer period,” he said.
The research, which follows other studies developed over several years by the UPP, will take place at Herdade da Comenda, in Elvas, with the support of the National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV).
“This project involves around six hectares” in different plots, in which results will later be compared with the traditional pilot plot that the UPP has had since 2017, he said.
The use of drones in part of the management of cover crop fertilization is another objective of the investigation.
In a statement about this study, the UPP emphasized that the technological component plays “a central role,” with the development of a three-dimensional (3D) model for production predictability planned.
“CoverPlus also includes a digital training program aimed at farmers, combining practical training, accessible technologies and technical support, with the aim of facilitating the adoption of new tools and contributing to the modernization of the sector,” the academy added.
Financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the project involves an eligible investment of €49,025.70, co-financed at 85%.
