Corinto – 12 Novembre 2014 The SoilPro project and the plan of measures for soil protection of the Sicilian Region Maria Gabriella Matranga, Fabio Guaitoli

SOILPROSOILPRO

Corinto – 12 Novembre 2014

The SoilPro project and the plan of measures for soil protection of the Sicilian Region

Maria Gabriella Matranga, Fabio Guaitoli

Regione SicilianaAssessorato Agricoltura, Sviluppo Rurale e Pesca Mediterranea

Dipartimento Agricoltura

Role of the Regional Extension Services:

- to implement effective Policies of territorial governance

- to transfer the innovations from research to the enterprises

To promote development the innovations must be strongly connected to the local characteristics:

Local approach of the Regional Services

SOILPROSOILPRORegione Siciliana Assessorato regionale dell'agricoltura, dello sviluppo rurale e della pesca mediterranea


Regional Services in SoilPro Project

CRA-APB of Florence

University of Palermo

University of Atene

Region of Sicily

Region of Peloponnese

Stakeholders

Farmers

Research Regional Administration Territory



Environmental problem

RegionalAuthority

Externalassistance

SolutionProvided

Approaches to environmental issues

Traditional approach Innovative approach

Regione Siciliana Assessorato regionale dell'agricoltura, dello sviluppo rurale e della pesca mediterranea SOILPROSOILPRO

4The SoilPro project and the plan of measure for soil protection of the Sicilian Region

Environmental

problem

RegionalAuthority

Externalassistance

SolutionProvide

d

Traditional approach: the Regional Authorities approve plans set out only by external experts. The solution needs specific dedicated funding. The RA have to look for funding sources.The procedure requires long times for implementation and the feedback is uncertain

Innovative approach: the plans are defined by the Regional Services. The external assistance is conceived as a cooperation (this leads the improvement of the capacity building).The planned actions are included in the local programing with funds already allocated.



The Sicilian Region adopted the innovative approach using the know-how from SOILPRO proiect to define The regional plan of measures for soil protection in agriculture“A set of Integrated actions of sustainable farming aimed at soil protection planned in the Rural Development Program of Sicily”



The regional plan of measure for soil protection in agriculture

Specific actions planned related to soil protection:“Management of the terraced areas aimed at the preservation of the traditional agricultural landscape and contrast the phenomena of soil erosion and hydrological instability ”

“Sustainable Farming, adoption of sustainable farming practices for the good of the land”

“Introduction of conservative management techniques” (Blue Agriculture)





From SoilPro a support to the RDP Sicily 2014/2020

for

Agri-environmental-climate MeasuresThe surveys carried out have been used as scientific basis to propose in the RDP Sicily 2014/2020 effective actions of the RDP 2007/2013 and new actions.(The Program is currently under review by the European Commission)

and

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA procedure) Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment



From SoilPro a support to the RDP Sicily 2014/2020

This Directive requires certain plans and programmes, which are likely to have significant effects on the environment, to be subject to an environmental assessment. This assessment specifically enables environmental considerations to be integrated in the preparation and adoption of these plans and programmes. It also contributes to sustainable development.

In the preparation of the Environmental Report required from SEA procedural overview the maps and databases produced with SoilPro are used for:- description and analysis of the soil component in the regional environment- assessment of the effects of the RDP on the soil- definition of mitigation actions of possible adverse effects

RDP Sicily 2014 -2020 Agri-environmental-climate Measures

“Management of the terraced areas aimed at the preservation of the traditional agricultural landscape and contrast the phenomena of soil erosion and hydrological instability”

This is a successful action of RDP 2007-2013 that will be extended to all the terraced areas of Sicily, including the smaller islands.



Frequently the identification of soil risk areas is very difficult for local administration because of the lack of awareness and tools to understand the magnitude of soil degradation.

Usually the environmental policies are defined using the administrative boundaries, often at the municipality level. The delimitation of the area of AEM is not based on territorial limits due to environmental characteristics . Consequently the financial resources are distributed on a wide territory, not only to the targeted area. This causes a waste of resources and the loss of effectiveness of the environmental protection objectives. The SoilPro project and the plan of measures for soil protection of the Sicilian Regione

Regione Siciliana Assessorato regionale dell'agricoltura, dello sviluppo rurale e della pesca mediterranea SOILPROSOILPRO

The results of the project SoilPro have been used by the Regional Department of Agriculture as the scientific support to define and localize two new agri-environmental actions of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 aimed at the protection of the environment, the recovery and the conservation of the traditional landscape.

Action 214/1G – Contrasting the hydrogeological instability and recovery of traditional agricultural landscapeAction 216/A2 – Non-productive investments in farms (associated with Action 214/1G)



Vigilance Committee of RDP approved the use of Soil Erosion Map of Sicily produced with SoilPro as the scientific support for the new actions.The map is also used for the environmental monitoring of RDP 2007-2013

Soil Erosion Risk



Delimitation of the eligible areas of the action 214/1G Homogeneus area for type and intensity of land degradation

Map overlay by GIS

igh soil erosion risk

High risk of soil erosion High proportion of orchards High number of terraced area




The actions 214/1G and 216/A2 have been applied only in Nebrodi and Peloritani mountains for the terraced areas cultivated with hazelnuts, citrus, olive, vine and orchards.

Delimitation


Landscape actions 216/A2 - 214/1G



Action 216/A2 and 214/1G - Compliances

0.5 hectares is the minimum farm area Reconstruction of damaged terraces and recovery of the surface water drainage to enhance water infiltration and reduce runoff and soil erosion

Planting and pruning of local tree species and Mediterranean maquis, not only species of agricultural interest

Maintaining cover crop in orchards, without the use of herbicide

Interdiction of burning crop residues

Chopping the crop residues and burying



Abandoned terraces with landslides in

Messina province (Sicily)


Crop (€)

Hazelnut 400

Citrus 370

Vines 340

Olive 380

Orchards 360


Action 216/A2: up to a max of 5,000 € at the beginning to restore the terracesAction 214/1G:

Subsidies per year and per hectare

• About 1,800 applications for accession

• About 1,650 applications financed

• About 10,000 hectares of beneficiary


Effectiveness of the Actions



Recovered terraces



Actions supported by the informations coming from the Project:

“Sustainable Farming, adoption of sustainable farming practices for the good of the land”based on:

cross plowing, water furrows, crop residues burying, crop rotations with leguminous in arable land with high slope

green manure with leguminous or mixture of leguminous and cereals in orchards and vineyardsThe main purposes of this action are: reducing soil erosion and increasing the organic matter and carbon sequestration of the soil.



L'attività di ricerca e trasferimento tecnologico alle istituzioni regionali: L'esperienza della Regione Siciliana

L'attività di ricerca e trasferimento tecnologico alle istituzioni regionali: L'esperienza della Regione Siciliana


Actions supported by the informations coming from the Project:

“Introduction of conservative management techniques ” based on sod-seeding or no tillage, soil cover with crop residues and crop rotations” (Blue Agriculture) The main objectives of this new action are: increasing the organic matter and carbon sequestration in the soil and reducing the CO2

emissions and soil erosion.It involves a radical change in the growing techniques so it needs a massive activity of dissemination to inform the farmers



Triticum durum

ConclusionThe cooperation between the Research and the Regional Administration with the development of a spatial data infrastructure for soil monitoring improved the awareness of land degradation problems related to bad agriculture and increased the capacity building of the Regional Services. This allowed us to target the funds and to act primarily where the environmental risks are higher. The actions conceived have been tailored to local conditions so as to be effective and well accepted by the stakeholders.



Thank you for your attention !

Documents

Corinto – 12 Novembre 2014 The SoilPro project and the plan of measures for soil protection of the Sicilian Region Maria Gabriella Matranga, Fabio Guaitoli