GROUND2LIVE

Projekt GROUND2LIVE v okviru EU programa “Agroecology Partnership”

IZBOLJŠANJE POKRITOSTI TAL NA ZELENJADARSKIH KMETIJAH:

Živi laboratoriji za ohranjanje virov in gospodarsko trajnost v agroekoloških sistemih “GROUND2LIVE”

Trajanje projekta: 31. maj 2025 – 30. april 2028

Spletne strani projekta: https://www.agroecologypartnership.eu/en/projects/ground2live

Ground2Live

Slika 1: Uvodno srečanje projektnih partnerjev – Ghent (Belgija)

Cilj projekta GROUND2LIVE

Cilj je reševanje izzivov v realnih pridelovalnih pogojih in raziskati učinkovite tehnike upravljanja prekrivnih posevkov in vpeljati pristop t. i. “živega laboratorija” (Living lab – LL) z vključitvijo ključnih deležnikov – tako konvencionalnih kot ekoloških pridelovalcev zelenjave (kot končnih uporabnikov rezultatov raziskave in novega znanja), kmetijskih svetovalcev in raziskovalcev. S tem pristopom, ki vključuje več akterjev, si bo skupina raziskovalcev prizadevala povečati sprejemanje in uspeh agroekoloških (AE) praks, katerih cilj je izboljšati kakovost tal, optimizirati izkoristek hranil in povečati hranilno vrednost zelenjave. Te AE prakse vključujejo integracijo prekrivnih posevkov v kolobar zelenjave, kot podsevke, kot tudi izvajanje metod obdelave tal za hitro prekritje tal s (Cover Crops – CC). Z izvajanjem poskusov v različnih talnih in podnebnih razmerah bodo vzpostavljeni živi laboratoriji v sedmih evropskih državah (Nemčija, Belgija, Danska, Nizozemska, Estonija, Italija in Slovenija), ki bodo prispevali k preobrazbi v bolj trajnostno in odporno kmetijstvo.

Ključni cilji v okviru projekta:

  1. Skupna opredelitev ustreznih raziskovalnih vprašanj in možnih agroekoloških praks pri uvajanju in raznoliki uporabi pokrivnih posevkov s pridelovalci zelenjave, svetovalci in raziskovalci (pristop z več deležniki) s pristopom živega laboratorija (LL) v prvem letu projekta na 7 lokacijah v Evropi (večlokacijski pristop).
  2. Povečati sprejemanje in uporabo AE praks med kmeti in kmetijskimi svetovalci za 10 % v prvem letu izvajanja projekta, merjeno z anketami in intervjuji pred in po projektu.
  3. Razviti in razširjati obsežen nabor orodij za izvajanje procesa soustvarjanja v pristopu LL, ki omogoča uporabo AE praks na ravni kmetije in širše v kmetijski krajini (v 18 mesecih od začetka projekta).
  4. Zmanjšati negativni socialno-ekonomski in okoljski vpliv pridelave zelenjave za vsaj 15 % v prvih dveh letih izvajanja projekta, merjeno s celovito oceno učinkov z večkriterijsko analizo AE praks v LL.
  5. Razviti in prilagoditi AE prakse pogojem, specifičnim za posamezno lokacijo s pristopom z več akterji in več lokacijami ob koncu projekta.
  6. Promovirati AE prakse preko LL s ciljem vključitve AE  praks na 20 % zelenjadarskih kmetij ob zaključku projekta. 

V okviru projekta pod razpisano tematiko izboljšanje agroekoloških (AE) praks na ravni kmetije bodo v projektu obravnavane:

  • Upravljanje s tlemi in vodo za izboljšanje zdravja tal in znatno zmanjšanje erozije, ohranjanje ogljika, optimiziranje ciklov hranil, zmanjšanje uporabe kemikalij;
  • Spodbujanje diverzifikacije pridelkov: diverzificiranje vrst in sort na ravni polja in kmetije,
  • Razvoj kmetijskih praks, ki služijo povečanju odpornosti, ohranjanju vode in zmanjšani uporabi kemičnih vložkov (prekrivni posevki in vmesni posevki, kolobarjenje, pridelava tal),
  • Izboljšanje ekosistemskih storitev, biotske raznovrstnosti in koristnih bioloških interakcij med različnimi komponentami v pridelovalnem sistemu in v okolici.

Sestava projektne skupine UM FKBV:

  • Red. prof. dr. Martina Bavec – raziskovalka
  • Doc. dr. Martina Robačer – raziskovalka
  • Mag. Manfred Jakop – raziskovalec / tehnični sodelavec
  • Tatjana Navršnik – tehnična sodelavka
  • Alen Ploj – tehnični sodelavec

Sodelujoče organizacije:

  • UM – University of Maribor – Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Slovenija)
  • KU – University of Kassel (Nemčija)
  • CREA – Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (Italija)
  • AU – Aarhus University (Danska)
  • ILVO – Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Belgija)
  • VOEL – The Association of Organic Farming in Hesse (Nemčija)
  • EMU – Estonian University of Life Sciences (Estonija)
  • LBI –  Louis Bolk Institute (Nizozemska)
  • INAGRO – Research and advice in agriculture and horticulture (Belgija)

ENHANCING GROUND COVER ON VEGETABLE FARMS: Living labs for resource conservation and economic sustainability in agroecological systems “GROUND2LIVE”

Project duration: 31 May 2025 – 30 April 2028

Project websites: https://www.agroecologypartnership.eu/en/projects/ground2live

Ground2Live

Project Overview

GROUND2LIVE is an international research project funded under the EU Agroecology Partnership Programme. The project promotes the adoption of innovative agroecological practices by implementing the Living Lab (LL) approach, bringing together vegetable growers, agricultural advisors, researchers, and other relevant stakeholders to co-create practical solutions under real farming conditions.

The project focuses on enhancing soil cover management by integrating cover crops into vegetable production systems. By evaluating innovative management practices across a range of environmental conditions, GROUND2LIVE aims to improve soil health, increase nutrient use efficiency, enhance the nutritional quality of vegetables, and strengthen the environmental and economic sustainability of vegetable farming.

Living Labs will be established in seven European countries – Germany, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Italy, and Slovenia – providing a collaborative platform for testing, adapting, and validating agroecological practices under diverse soil and climatic conditions. The knowledge generated will support the transition towards more resilient, resource-efficient, and sustainable agricultural systems across Europe.

Project Objectives

The main objectives of GROUND2LIVE are to:

  1. Co-design research priorities and identify locally relevant agroecological practices for the implementation and diversified use of cover crops through collaboration between vegetable growers, agricultural advisors, and researchers within Living Labs established at seven European locations.
  2. Increase the adoption of agroecological practices among farmers and agricultural advisors by at least 10 % during the first year of the project, as assessed through surveys and interviews conducted before and after project activities.
  3. Develop and disseminate a comprehensive Living Lab Toolbox that supports co-creation processes and facilitates the implementation of agroecological practices at both farm and landscape scales within the first 18 months of the project.
  4. Reduce the socio-economic and environmental impacts of vegetable production by at least 15 % during the first two years of the project through a comprehensive impact assessment based on multi-criteria analysis of agroecological practices implemented within the Living Labs.
  5. Develop, evaluate, and adapt agroecological practices to site-specific conditions using a multi-actor and multi-site approach by the end of the project.
  6. Promote the wider uptake of agroecological practices through the Living Lab network to increase their implementation on vegetable farms participating in the project.

Project Activities:

GROUND2LIVE addresses the implementation of agroecological practices at the farm level through activities that include:

  • Improving soil and water management to enhance soil health, reduce soil erosion, increase carbon sequestration, optimise nutrient cycling, and minimise the use of chemical inputs.
  • Promoting crop diversification through the introduction of diverse crop species and varieties at both field and farm levels.
  • Developing resilient farming practices that improve water retention while reducing dependency on external chemical inputs through the use of cover crops, catch crops, crop rotation, and appropriate soil tillage strategies.
  • Enhancing ecosystem services, biodiversity, and beneficial biological interactions within vegetable production systems and the surrounding agricultural landscape.

Project team UM FKBV:

  • Prof. Martina Bavec, PhD – Principal Researcher
  • Assoc. Prof. Martina Robačer, PhD – Researcher
  • Manfred Jakop, MSc – Researcher and Technical Associate
  • Tatjana Navršnik – Technical Associate
  • Alen Ploj – Technical Associate

Project partners:

  • UM  –  University of Maribor, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Slovenia)
  • KU –  University of Kassel (Germany)
  • CREA – Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (Italy)
  • AU – Aarhus University (Denmark)
  • ILVO – Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Belgium)
  • VOEL – The Association of Organic Farming in Hesse (Germany)
  • EMU – Estonian University of Life Sciences (Estonia)
  • LBI –  Louis Bolk Institute (Netherlands)
  • INAGRO – Research and Advisory Centre for Agriculture and Horticulture (Belgium)
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