STRIP CROPPING ▶▶▶
The Farm of the Future – a different perspective on crop growing
BY LEO THOLHUIJSEN T
his year has seen Wageningen Uni- versity and Research Centre (Wagen- ingen UR) launch Boerderij van de Toekomst (the Farm of the Future).
The farm will reflect current practice as much as possible but, instead of monoculture it will work with strip cropping, a robot, drones, and precision technologies, with minimal addition of artificial fertiliser and crop protection prod- ucts. The Farm of the Future was developed for the following reasons: • Robots now really need to be put through their paces
• Human excrement constitutes the greatest leak in the nutrient loop
• There is significant demand for solutions
Sewage sludge as fertiliser As part of this project, consideration is being given to the potential for making agriculture a greater contributor to the loop than is current- ly the case. This means including human waste streams, i.e. sewage sludge, in fertiliser. “The greatest leak in the agricultural loop is when human excrement disappears down the sew- er,” explains project manager Chris de Visser. “We will be working out how we can create greater circularity. We will also be working in collaboration with a cattle farm: we will grow grain and clover, and receive manure in return. We will also generate solar and wind power to replace diesel.”
Transition to circular agriculture Pressure on the cost price of products is no longer a determining factor. Instead, the aim is to achieve a permanent reduction in the con- sumption of raw materials and to reduce the impact of agriculture on the living environ- ment. This approach is ultimately intended to improve the farmer’s earning power, while
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Over the next four years, the Farm of the Future will provide a practical setting for seeking a sustainable alternative to current monoculture-based agriculture. The cost price will not be the determining factor.
reducing harmful emissions into the soil, air and water, and improving biodiversity. The food supply urgently needs to be both economically and ecologically efficient.
While the agriculture sector has already taken some steps in the right direction by perfecting chemical control of diseases and pests, and paying attention to improving the resilience of soil, these measures have proven to be insuffi- cient. “In order to truly become more sustaina- ble, we need a shift in our thinking,” says De Visser. “We need a systemic change, a com- pletely different perspective on crop growing. I don’t think it will be possible to salvage the sit- uation on large plots with monocultures, even
using state-of-the-art technology. These large plots provide the ideal conditions for diseases and pests to thrive. You might achieve a 20% reduction in the use of crop protection prod- ucts, but you won’t manage a reduction of 80 or 90%.”
Strip cropping as an alternative For this reason, it is necessary to test out a dif- ferent approach. Initially, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality will fund the project for four years. Strip cropping is a key technique, which is where the Agroecolo- gy & Technology Fieldlab, located a few hun- dred metres away, comes in. It’s an important testing centre for cultivation techniques and
Left to right: Jan Tolhoek, Koen Klompe en Bram Veldhuisen. Daily management of the Farm of the Future is in the hands of this trio of young WUR researchers. All three sons of farmers, with a focus on data, mechanization and agronomy.
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 22 May 2020
PHOTOS: WAGENINGEN UR
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