Improvement of soil fertility, effective disease and pest control, but also an efficient use of fossil fuel constitute the starting point in the search for a good soil management in organic agriculture. The project focuses on management of these agro-ecological service crops using the new “roller-crimper”. This new farm implement both rolls and crimps the ASC in its generative (blooming) phase, after which the main crop can simply be planted or seeded through the crop residue of the ASC. The final goal is to maintain and improve European agricultural soils and the general use of natural resources in organic vegetable cropping systems.
ASCs is the general name used to describe crops that are used as cover crops, catch crops or green manures. These are crops without any direct commercial function but which provide other important services such as increasing soil fertility, reducing weed pressure and reducing disease and pest pressure. With the right management, ASCs can also contribute to higher carbon storage in the soil and less energy use when working the land.
The research partners will optimize the use of ASCs to increase the positive influence of these crops on the entire agro-ecosystem. SOILVEG focuses on management of these agro-ecological service crops using the new “roller-crimper”. Using the roller-crimper in vegetable husbandry is still in the experimental phase. During various experiments the use of the roller-crimper will be compared with the traditional methods of destroying and ploughing green manures.
The main goal of the project is to create appropriate guidelines for the use and management of ASCs in organic vegetable cropping systems. The researchers will explore to which degree:

• the yield and quality of the vegetables is maintained
• the quality of the soil is improved;
• the use of fossil fuels diminishes;
• the disease-resistance of the soil increases; and
• nutrient losses and greenhouse gas emissions diminish

when the roller-crimper is used to destroy ASCs.
The first field trials in Flanders start this fall with sowing the ANG’s. In the other countries, the experiments start this year as well. Results will be communicated to the stakeholders, primarily organic vegetable farmers. In the future the results of this project may also be of interest to conventional farmers.