IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v10y2020i12p603-d457212.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Adapting Syntropic Permaculture for Renaturation of a Former Quarry Area in the Temperate Zone

Author

Listed:
  • Moritz von Cossel

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Heike Ludwig

    (endstufe—Konzeption und Gestaltung, Reuchlinstraße 31, 70176 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Jedrzej Cichocki

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Sofia Fesani

    (Alma Mater Studiorum—Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy)

  • Ronja Guenther

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Magnus Thormaehlen

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Jule Angenendt

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Isabell Braunstein

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Marie-Luise Buck

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Maria Kunle

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Magnus Bihlmeier

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • David Cutura

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • AnnSophie Bernhard

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Felicitas Ow-Wachendorf

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Federico Erpenbach

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Simone Melder

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Meike Boob

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Bastian Winkler

    (Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany)

Abstract

In Southwest Germany, the renaturation of quarry areas close to settlements is usually based on the planting of native species of trees and shrubs, which are then neither cultivated nor used. This study investigates whether a species-rich agroforestry system based on Ernst Goetsch’s syntropic agriculture approach would be suitable for both renaturation in the form of soil fertility improvement and diverse food crop production under temperate climate. The quarry syntropy project was launched in summer 2019. Two shallow stony sections of a spoil heap of the quarry in Ehningen, Southwest Germany were available for demonstration plots. An interdisciplinary project team was set up both to obtain the official permits from five governmental institutions and to begin the study. The demonstration plots were each divided into three broad strips, which differ in three vegetation types: trees, shrubs, and annual food crops. The tree and shrub areas are mainly used for biomass production for a continuous mulch supply on the entire cultivated area in order to rapidly increase soil fertility. The food crops and also partly the trees and shrubs were intended to provide organically produced food (vegetables, fruit, berries and herbs). Most of the trees (eleven species) were planted in November 2019. In March 2020, soil samples were taken (0–30 cm), and a solar-powered water storage system was installed. Currently, the shrub and annual food crop strips are under preparation (pre-renaturation phase). In this initial phase, the priority is fertility improvement of the topsoil through intensive mulching of the existing grassland stock dominated by top grasses and the legumes hybrid alfalfa ( Medicago × varia Martyn) and common bird’s-foot trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus L.). The food crop strip should then start in 2021 after one year of mulching. Depending on the success of growth, the tree strips should then also gain in importance for mulch application in the following years. The strategy is to gradually build up food crop cultivation under organic low-input agricultural practices while simultaneously enhancing the biophysical growth conditions guided by natural succession.

Suggested Citation

  • Moritz von Cossel & Heike Ludwig & Jedrzej Cichocki & Sofia Fesani & Ronja Guenther & Magnus Thormaehlen & Jule Angenendt & Isabell Braunstein & Marie-Luise Buck & Maria Kunle & Magnus Bihlmeier & Dav, 2020. "Adapting Syntropic Permaculture for Renaturation of a Former Quarry Area in the Temperate Zone," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:10:y:2020:i:12:p:603-:d:457212
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/10/12/603/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/10/12/603/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jonathan P. Sheppard & Rafael Bohn Reckziegel & Lars Borrass & Paxie W. Chirwa & Claudio J. Cuaranhua & Sibylle K Hassler & Svenja Hoffmeister & Florian Kestel & Rebekka Maier & Mirko Mälicke & Christ, 2020. "Agroforestry: An Appropriate and Sustainable Response to a Changing Climate in Southern Africa?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-32, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mariusz Jerzy Stolarski, 2021. "Industrial and Bioenergy Crops for Bioeconomy Development," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-5, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Theodrose Sisay & Kindie Tesfaye & Mengistu Ketema & Nigussie Dechassa & Mezegebu Getnet, 2023. "Climate-Smart Agriculture Technologies and Determinants of Farmers’ Adoption Decisions in the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Lelde Timma & Elina Dace & Troels Kristensen & Marie Trydeman Knudsen, 2020. "Dynamic Sustainability Assessment Tool: Case Study of Green Biorefineries in Danish Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-23, September.
    3. Ndlovu, Nicholas P. & Nzuma, Tendai M., 2024. "The implementation of agroforestry in Namibia: A street-level bureaucracy perspective," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    4. Ndlovu, Nicholas. P. & Borrass, Lars, 2021. "Promises and potentials do not grow trees and crops. A review of institutional and policy research in agroforestry for the Southern African region," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    5. Mulatu Fekadu Zerihun, 2021. "Agroforestry Practices in Livelihood Improvement in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-13, July.
    6. Roger R. B. Leakey & Marie-Louise Tientcheu Avana & Nyong Princely Awazi & Achille E. Assogbadjo & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi & Prasad S. Hendre & Ann Degrande & Sithabile Hlahla & Leonard Manda, 2022. "The Future of Food: Domestication and Commercialization of Indigenous Food Crops in Africa over the Third Decade (2012–2021)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-75, February.
    7. Wen Lv & Xining Zhao & Pute Wu & Jialong Lv & Hailong He, 2021. "A Scientometric Analysis of Worldwide Intercropping Research Based on Web of Science Database between 1992 and 2020," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-14, February.
    8. Ockert Rudolf Pretorius & Johannes Ernst Drewes & Trynos Gumbo, 2022. "Evidence to Inform Resilience Policy in the SADC: Current Limitations and Future Research Areas," World, MDPI, vol. 3(3), pages 1-21, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:10:y:2020:i:12:p:603-:d:457212. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.