Videos

Below is a list of example videos from SmartSOIL and from multiple different organisations regarding farming and land management. The videos demonstrate and promote better soil carbon management.

SmartSOIL partners own videos

SmartSOIL practices in Hungary

This video demonstrates SmartSOIL practices on a farm in northern Hungary. We take a look at how László, a farmer in Kompolt, engages in SmartSOIL soil practices to improve his soil. He uses both reduced tillage and residue management to keep his soil healthy. Watch to find out more.

SmartSOIL practices in Italy

This video explores the farming practices of Andrea and Nunzio De Angeli. They run a 300ha mixed farm producing apples, peaches, potatoes and maize in Tuscany with both sandy and heavier clay soils, which are managed differently. Using the SmartSOIL practices of cover crops and no-till seeding within their rotations, Andrea and Nunzio aim to improve their soil organic matter. Check out the video for more details.

SmartSOIL practices in Denmark

In this video Bjarne Hansen, a Danish farmer on the West coast of Zealand, speaks about how he spent 20 years improving soil fertility by introducing reduced tillage in combination with a diverse crop rotation scheme. Jørgen Olesen, Professor at Aarhus University explains how the EU project SmartSOIL has studied how the amount of carbon in the soil, but also the flows of carbon are important for soil fertility. Finally, Rene Gislum, Aarhus University, talks about how the project SOILSPEC takes an interdisciplinary approach that includes participants from the university, private companies, consultancy and farmers on the development of new methods for fast, easy and cheap ways to determine soil carbon content and other parameters related to soil fertility.

Soil organic matter - Does it matter?

SmartSOIL experiment about the effects of long-term versus short-term addition of organic matter to the soil.

Tillage experiment

This video shows a case study of a farm using three different tillage methods for establishing wheat: direct drilling, minimum tillage, and conventional ploughing. The farmer explains the various effects on soil organic matter in each of the fields.

4 min.

Links to relevant videos from other sources

Visualising carbon - no mean feat!

This animated film demonstrates the need to protect the long term carbon stored in soils and vegetation as well as reduce carbon emissions. It quite neatly gives you a sense of the quantities of carbon in our atmosphere and soils. Read more...

3 min.

Carbon Accounting for farmers

Farming Futures has created this short film to explain the benefits of using carbon calculators on your farm. Henry Aubrey Fletcher, CLA president and dairy farmer, takes us through his journey using the CLA CALM Calculator and how it helped him identify areas for improvement and efficiency savings on his farm. Read more...

5 min.

Better returns - taking a soil sample

The video provides a short introduction to how to take a soil sample in your field and shows you were to find out more about Eblex's work on improving soils for better returns. Read more...

1 min.

Selwyn's Soil Secrets: Cultivations

Soil scientist, Selwyn Richardson, explains the importance of good cultivation practices. He explains how to avoid compaction with a few handy tips. Additionally, soil organic matter is emphasised as critical for soil structure, drainage, water retention, and microbial activity.

5:30 min.

Carbon farmers: Environmental Atlas of Europe — Italy

The family-run Fattoria La Vialla in Tuscany provides an example of truly sustainable farming. The organic, bio-dynamic farm’s production chain, from preparing the soil through to packaging the produce, is explained regarding its environmental objectives. Read more...

7:30 min.

Climate change and European agriculture

This TV programme shows us the necessity of relating to the current and future climate changes and their effect on agriculture within the EU. Changes, that are already taking place, are affecting farmers, although differently depending on their geographic location within the EU.

Source: www.ag2020.eu