A RESEARCH project on Agriculture 4.0 without Chemical Synthetic Plant Protection (NOcsPS) is exploring alternative cropping systems that eliminate the use of chemical-based plant protection products while optimizing the use of mineral fertilizers.
German Agricultural Scientist Enno Bahrs recently presented this research project at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Los Baños, Laguna, under the center's Agriculture and Development Seminar Series.
Bahrs, who heads the Department of Agricultural Business Management at the University of Hohenheim in Germany, explained that social acceptance of chemical pesticides in conventional agriculture is "declining due to concerns about potential residues in food products and negative impacts on biodiversity."
Noting that relying solely on organic agriculture to meet future global food demands remains uncertain, he also underscored that NOcsPS cropping systems could serve as a bridge between conventional and organic farming systems.
NOcsPS stands for the German term "LaNdwirtschaft 4.0 Ohne chemisch-synthetischen PflanzenSchutz" that translates to Agriculture 4.0 without chemical synthetic plant protection products.
The NOcsPS project is a groundbreaking research endeavor within the Agricultural Systems of the Future funding program, supported financially by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) of Germany.
Bahrs also explained that conventional farmers could reduce their use of chemical synthetic plant protection products, while organic farmers may consider alternative fertilization strategies, such as optimized mineral fertilizer use.
The German scientist also presented the four-year yield average of different cropping systems and crops such as maize (corn), soybean, winter wheat 1, winter wheat 2, triticale and spring barley.
Barhs recommended using the grain unit (GU) as a common denominator in comparing the yields of different fruits and systems to make these systems comparable in their sustainability impact.
"The grain unit is an indicator that reflects the energy supply capacity of a product with the calculated energy supply capacity of barley, depending on the structure of the use of the agricultural product in feeding," he said.
Bahrs underscored that in NOcsPS cropping systems, results yields are reduced compared with conventional systems depending on the location and the position of the crop in the crop rotation. Also, yield losses in NOcsPS cropping systems were so far lower than expected.
"There are challenges in pesticide-free farming such as yield loss due to diseases, pest infestation, weeds, economic risk, and marketing challenges due to inconsistent crop quality and limited market opportunities," he said.
However, Bahrs said that pesticide-free farming has advantages, particularly in terms of sustainability and environmental impact.
"Pesticide-free farming has lower toxicity than conventional farming and requires less land per product unit than organic farming," he said.
In addition, Bahrs said pesticide-free farming is a compelling story, sharing that "the system is much easier to explain than using less pesticide terms, which can be considered within the scope of an eco-certified system that may involve a lot of rules and standards."
"For a successful and sustainable application of NOcsPS cultivation systems, it is required that there is effective nonchemical plant protection and fertilization measures using modern technologies and suitable site-adapted crops and crop rotations," he said.
The project's second phase will begin in 2025 to evaluate the long-term effects of these cropping systems on ecosystem services, economic viability and sustainability.
NOcsPS is a multidisciplinary research project involving the University of Hohenheim, the Georg-August-University Göttingen and the Julius Kühn-Institute.
Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), SEARCA said NocsPS is one of the eight consortia under the Agricultural Systems of the Future (Agrarsysteme der Zukunft), as part of the National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030.