Ardo CSR rapport 2023 - Flipbook - Page 45
We are Ardo
The path to a more
sustainable food system
Minimal environmental
impact
Agronomy
MIMOSA+
Food safety, quality
and innovation
Respect for
our employees
Relationship with
our stakeholders
Good governance
2 Cover crops – Implementing soil cover for more than
240 days a year and optimising cover crop mixes
The power of diversity to feed the soil
As part of our MIMOSA+ programme, we encourage our farmers to
grow cover crops and cover the soil for more than 240 days a year.
These practices offer numerous advantages to soil health and the
resilience of our crops.
In Violaines, France, we have collaborated
with several farmers to sow a range of cover
crop seed mixes. We then evaluated the
different impact of each mix on soil fertility
and carbon sequestration. Growing of cover
Cover crops improve soil health by reducing
- Growing cover crops promotes biodiversity
crops is already a common practice among
erosion, enhancing soil structure and
by introducing more vegetable species,
farmers. However, our pilot farms have
increasing organic matter to ensure stability.
thereby increasing microbiological diversity
demonstrated that further improvements can
More specifically, they add a wide variety of
and reducing pressure from soil pathogens
be achieved through optimised seed mixes.
benefits to field management:
and weeds. Additionally, they provide habitat
We regularly organize workshops with our
for beneficial wildlife.
farmers to exchange insights gained from
- Cover crops provide essential nutrients to
- Furthermore, cover crops could enhance
and root exudates, fostering both aeration,
drought resistance, diversify crop rotations
infiltration and water storage.
and reduce soil compaction.
- They also facilitate nutrient recovery,
- Finally, combined with short-cycle
preventing nitrogen leaching and enhancing
vegetable crops, they stabilise or increase
the availability of elements like potassium,
organic matter, contributing to long-term
magnesium, calcium and ammonium for
carbon sequestration in the soil.
- Certain cover crops, such as legumes,
fix nitrogen, reducing the need for synthetic
“Cover crops have the
advantage that they limit
erosion, provide nitrogen,
reduce the consumption of
mineral inputs and optimise
vegetable yields. The soil
really does have a better
structure and is able to retain
water better. This will play a
big role to ensure soil fertility
in the long run.”
for farmers.
45
6T dry matter/ha
Soil structure
fertilisers and supporting nutrient (re)cycling,
thus offering long-term economic benefits
3T dry matter/ha
these experiments.
the soil through the addition of organic matter
subsequent crops.
2T dry matter/ha
Valentin Cordonnier Agronomist
Selecting an effective cover crop mix can increase dry matter production,
enhance nutrient availability and improve the soil structure of the field.
