Environmentally-friendly Management of Organic Fertilizers in Agriculture

Programme Priority: P2 Sustainable use of common resources

Programme Specific Objective: 2.4. Reduced nutrients, hazardous substances and toxins inflow into the Baltic Sea

Sub-programme: Central Baltic

Duration: 01.09.2015 - 31.08.2019

Total budget: €859 492

ERDF: €730 568

Project Summary:

ENDED. The project GreenAgri aims at reducing nutrient losses from agriculture in Baltic States by introducing and testing environmentally-friendly management of organic fertilizers. As agriculture is one of the sources of nutrients eventually entering from surface waters to Baltic Sea the project’s idea is to amend the situation.

The project is a joint effort of farmers from Estonia and Latvia contributing to the improvement of eutrophication status of the Baltic Sea. During the project period 20 farmers from Estonian and Latvian pilot areas implement innovative technologies and methods in real life using their own financial resources. Experts and researchers gather and analyse nutrient runoff data and provide the farmers with information about the efficiency of different solutions demonstrating real results in reducing nutrient losses from farms. It’s the first time when testing of different technologies in manor management will be arranged in wider area using financial resources and intellectual capital of Estonian/Latvian farmers, farmers organizations and research institutions.

Project main result is reduced nutrient inflows from 20 pilot farms from Estonia and Latvia to surface water entering the Baltic Sea. The sustainability is ensured through dissemination of new knowledge to approximately 300 farmers. The advisors who receive knowledge and experience during the project implementation are able to support farmers from both sides of the border. Additionally, the project results support achieving the HELCOM targets for reduction of phosphorus and nitrogen input in Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Riga, aiming at reaching good ecological and environmental status by 2021.

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Lead Partner

Eesti Põllumajandus-Kaubanduskoda

Country: EE

www.epkk.ee

Partner budget: 431.397 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 366.687 EUR ERDF

Project Partners

Biedrība “Zemnieku saeima”

Country: LV

www.zemniekusaeima.lv

Partner budget: 428.095 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 363.881 EUR ERDF

Expected results

Project main result is reduced nutrient inflows from 20 pilot farms from Estonia and Latvia to surface water entering to the Baltic Sea. It will be achieved through implementation of innovative technology and methods in pilot areas in two countries. The impact of implemented measures to the nutrient content in the soil reveals during longer period of time. First results can be obtained from a minimum 18 months after implementing new measures and practices. Possible measures:works on the field (catch crops,drainage,tillage,nutrient balance etc) and outside the fields (wetlands,dams,drainage etc),buffer zones, ploughing, flooding fields,new technology in manure storage/treating/spreading,precision farming,fertilization planning,treating fields with fiber clay/gypsym/biochar etc. According the information from previous projects, literature an expert opinions the nitrogen inflow from fields can be reduced ca 30% in average.In general losses of phosphorus are not an issue in Estonia and Latvia.Long-term results of agricultural runoff monitoring show that on average only 0.20 kg/ha of phosphorus are lost annually.

The sustainability will be ensured through dissemination of results and new knowledge received during the testing period to ca 300 farmers. The existing national rural advisory systems will be strengthened ensuring that project results have lasting effect beyond project duration. Advisors who receive sufficient knowledge and experience during implementation of GreenAgri project are able to support farmers from both side of the border.
Project results support the achievement of targets set by the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan in reduction of phosphorus and nitrogen input in Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Riga aiming at reaching good ecological and environmental status by 2021. Project contributes to the achievement of country-wise provisional nutrient reduction requirements set for Estonia (220t phosphorus and 900t nitrogen) and Latvia (300t phosphorus and 2560