The technical visit provided participants with first-hand insight into the latest advances in reduced tillage, cover crops, double cropping, strip tillage (strip till), and the robotisation of dairy farming operations.
On 2 and 3 July, Agrotecnio, the University of Lleida (UdL), FERTIPLAN and the Cooperativa de Almacelles organised a technical workshop focused on conservation agriculture practices and innovations in intensive dairy production in the central Ebro Valley. The event was coordinated by agronomist and agricultural and livestock advisor Lluís Xanxo Doria.
The initiative brought together agricultural companies and intensive dairy farmers from Albacete (Los Llanos de Tinajero), Valencia (More Holstein), and the provinces of Lleida and Huesca, including Finca Rifé (Esplús), AGRIPURZA-SALERGAN, Badia Farm (Almacelles), Cal Espinal (Bassella) and Vilalta Farm (Tamarite de Litera).
During the workshop, FERTIPLAN technicians presented experiences with new maize row spacing systems featuring 50-centimetre row widths adapted to short-stature maize hybrids. In addition, Ángel Arcaia, manager of the Cooperativa de Almacelles, shared practical experiences on the use of cover crops in the region.
Researchers from the Agronomy and Environment Group at Agrotecnio and the University of Lleida also presented the results of research projects focused on reduced tillage, no-till farming, double cropping and cover crops. This work is being carried out within the framework of the GEIMED, DISOSMED and SINTMED projects, funded by the Spanish State Research Agency.
The programme included technical meetings and visits to crop fields and livestock farms, where participants were able to observe innovative production systems based on reduced tillage, strip tillage (strip till), double cropping, cover crops and forage preservation using microsilos in intensive dairy farming systems.
One of the highlights of the workshop was the application of strip till techniques and the integration of robotic technologies for milking and feeding, demonstrating the rapid pace of innovation in modern dairy farming.
The outcomes of the workshop highlight the high level of innovation being adopted by the agricultural and livestock sectors in the Ebro Valley, with solutions that contribute to improving the sustainability, efficiency and competitiveness of Mediterranean farming systems.
