SolAB: Minimising tillage and assessing soil fertility in organic farming

In organic farming, maintaining soil fertility is essential, as the soil is the cornerstone of the production system. The SolAB project (2009–2011), involving 22 partners, focused on soil management and its impact on fertility in crop production systems. Using an experimental network of 18 sites, the feasibility and sustainability of various innovative soil management methods were investigated: simplified cultivation techniques (SCT) in arable farming, permanent beds and other SCTs in market gardening, and alternatives to mechanical weeding between rows in fruit growing and viticulture. In addition, four simplified diagnostic tools were proposed to assess soil fertility in arable farming, market gardening, fruit growing and viticulture: the spade test to assess soil structure, and three bio-indicators related to earthworm populations or activity.