Planned Research Cooperation with the Technische Universität München

Mewael Kiros, ASSEFA

Nov. 2012

Conservation Agriculture and Cover Crops: A Choice for

Sustainable Cropland Management

Process of acquiring the innovative approach (August 2011)

Dr. Jörg Peter BareselResearcher, Agronomist at TUM.

Me: TUM assitant researcher working on conservation agriculture

Problem identified Over coffee discussion: use

and enhancement of crop biodiversity in order to improve sustainability of cropping systems.

Discussion continued:• Conservation agriculture

(CA) and use of cover crops • OSCAR

Optimizing Subsidiary Crop Applications in Rotations

Making conservation agriculter work by:

Disturbing the soil as little as possible

Kepping the soil covered as much as possible

By mixing and rotating crops

Contract period: 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2016 

Project webpage: http://ec.europa.eu/research/bioeconomy/agriculture/projects/oscar_en.htm

Main funder: EU Framework Programme

Conventional Agriculture

CTDMC

Conservation Agriculture

Direct planted Ploughed

Expected Impact Reduced green house gas emission Increased biodiversity Reduced use of herbicides and pesticides Reduced losses of nitrogen and phosphorus Reduced erosion Improved water use efficiency Lower production costs Social impact: reduction of time

consumption for tillage leaves more time for other reproductive acitivities

Farming situation in Ethiopia

CoNEt : Ethiopian

Conservation Agriculture and Introduction of Cover Crops in

Northern Ethiopia (CoNEt)

Submission date : June 15, 2012

Result notification: Dec., 2012

Partners:

1. Aksum University, Ethiopia

2. Technische Universität München, Germany

3. Best Practices Association (BPA) , Ethiopia

4. Aksum Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia

5. University of Nairobi, Kenya

6. ESASODECOTON/IRAD Project, Cameroon

7. Friedrich Wenz GMBH, Germany

8. Yirga Engineering PLC, Ethiopia

CoNEt initiative presented during OSCAR kick-off meeting

OutcomesCoNEt will be closely related to OSCAR

Impact 1. Research2. International

cooperation

Impact

1. Researchi.e localization of conservation

agriculture in Ethiopia

Testing cover crops

Jab planter: Brazil Maresh Testing direct planters

Testing Rippers and planters

Zimbabwe

Testing an animal-drawn knife-roller

Brazil

2. International and national cooperation

CoNEt

Cross

inte

rnat

iona

l

coop

erat

ion

with 2

1

partn

ers

4 international

and 3 national

cooperation

partners

THANK YOU