The ‘LIFE Innocereal EU’ Project to Participate in Upcoming Direct Seeding Field Days Organized by AEACSV

The LIFE Innocereal EU project, co-financed by the LIFE program of the European Union (EU) and focused on the sustainable production of cereals, will be present at the Direct Seeding Field Days organized by the Spanish Association for Conservation Agriculture and Living Soils (AEACSV).

“These field days will be an opportunity for farmers and field technicians who still have doubts about the benefits of Conservation Agriculture principles in cereal-legume-oilseed crop rotations. This event will encourage more farmers to implement direct seeding on their farms, aiming for greater social, economic, and environmental sustainability,” says Antonio Conde, technical director and a member of the coordinating team at the University of Córdoba (UCO).

Field Day in Cuarte (Huesca)

Under the general theme "Conservation Agriculture in Extensive Crops," the first event will take place on September 19 at Finca Castillo de Orus in Cuarte (Huesca). Attendees will have the opportunity to witness firsthand a successful case of farm management with over 21 years of Direct Seeding experience.

This farm is considered a regional benchmark in Conservation Agriculture, practicing a legume-cereal-cereal crop rotation. The event will cover topics such as soil management, crop rotation, ground cover, nitrogen fertilization, and the environmental benefits of these practices in agricultural ecosystems.

Additionally, the event will include four thematic stations and a live machinery demonstration:

• Station 1: No-tillage – Effects on soil Jesús Ángel Betrán Aso, Director of the Agro-environmental Laboratory, Government of Aragón.

• Station 2: Conservation Agriculture – A Paradigm Shift Carlos Molina Pitarch, Technician at the Aragonese Association for Conservation Agriculture (AGRACON).

• Station 3: Farmer’s Experiences – Challenges and Solutions Pablo Villamayor Tomás, Agricultural Engineer and Owner of Finca Castillo de Orus.

• Station 4: Private Sector Solutions to Support the Development of Direct Seeding Eco-schemes

Field Day in Alpera (Albacete) – Ayora (Valencia)

A second field day will take place on September 25 at Finca Casa Roig, located on the border between Alpera (Albacete) and Ayora (Valencia). This event will showcase a farm with over 27 years of Direct Seeding experience, covering approximately 436 hectares—300 hectares dedicated to extensive crops, with the remaining area used for lavender and vineyards with ground cover.

Renowned experts will discuss key topics such as soil management, crop rotation, ground cover, nitrogen fertilization, and the environmental benefits of these techniques for agricultural ecosystems.

Like the previous event, this field day will feature multiple thematic stations, including:

• Station 1: 30 Years of Direct Seeding in Rainfed and Irrigated Land in Albacete Miguel Barnuevo Rocko

• Station 2: From Direct Seeding to Cover Crops Vicente Bodas, Agronomic Director at Agrisat

• Station 3: Farmer’s Experiences – From Theory to Practice Juan José Puertas Toboso, Farmer and Owner of Finca Casa de Roig

• Station 4: Private Sector Solutions to Support the Development of Direct Seeding Eco-schemes

These free field days require prior registration, which is now open at www.portalformativoac.es.