Tenders Are Invited For Research And Development Services And Related Consultancy Services – Demonstration Project For Cover Crops

Research And Development Services And Related Consultancy Services – Demonstration Project For Cover Crops. As Part Of The Baltic Sea Protection Action Plan 2030 And The Agriculture Target Agreement, The State Of Schleswig-Holstein Is Pursuing The Goal Of Further Reducing Nutrient Inputs From Agriculture Into The Baltic Sea. Cover Crops Make An Important Contribution To Reducing Nutrient Discharges Because They Absorb Residual Nitrogen, Increase Soil Cover Over The Winter And Can Therefore Reduce Both Nitrate Leaching And Erosion-Related Phosphorus Inputs. In Addition, Cover Crops Help To Improve The Soil Structure And Build Humus. In Agricultural Practice, Catch Crops Are Primarily Integrated Into Crop Rotations With A High Proportion Of Summer Crops, Especially In Maize Crop Rotations. In Market Crop Rotations With A High Proportion Of Wintering, However, There Are Often Practical Challenges For The Integration Of Cover Crops, For Example Due To Short Time Windows Between Harvest And Sowing, Labor Bottlenecks Or Operational Uncertainties Regarding Their Benefits. Against This Background, There Is As Yet Untapped Potential For Greater Integration Of Catch Crops Into Existing Crop Rotation Systems, Particularly In Cash Crop Regions Of The Baltic Sea Catchment Area. The Present Demonstration Project Is Intended To Show How Catch Crops Can Be Successfully Integrated Into Market Crop Rotations And What Contribution They Make To Nutrient Retention And To Improving Soil Properties.