Dr. Volker Laabs Global Sustainability & Product Stewardship - Crop Protection BASF S.E.

1. Dr. Volker Laabs Global Sustainability & Product Stewardship - Crop Protection BASF S.E. EU Stakeholder Workshop, 26 April 2012, Brussels Introduction of Best Management Practices (BMPs): Mitigation Measures for Runoff

2. Best Management Practice Mitigation measures follow risk diagnosis • Runoff risk diagnosis • Basic runoff risk • Soil management • Cropping practices • Landscape factors and concentrated flow issues • Mitigated runoff risk • Optimized soil management • Adapted cropping practices • Use of buffers and/or retention structures • Optimized crop protection practices Selection of suitable measures… …from toolbox of mitigation measures Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3. Key Mitigation Challenge for Runoff: Increase infiltration of water Picture: Jeremy Dyson, Syngenta

4. General BMP Structure Harmonized approach “Statement” “Specifications” What to do? How to do it? A clear communication in form of a general recommendation statement, which will form the core of the harmonized EU BMP. A detailed description of requirements, materials, conditions, and parameters to consider in order to realize the recommendation goal (Subject to country-specific modifications in national BMP toolboxes)

5. Example BMP Runoff mitigation • Statement: • Manage tramlines to avoid concentrated runoff. • Specifications: • Whenever possible, tramlines should run across the slope. • If possible, shift tramlines in field from year to year • Minimize soil compaction by low-pressure tires • Tramlines where runoff occurs should be- disked after passing of the tractor OR- vegetated OR- equipped with bunds. • A deep soil compaction under tramlines should be broken up mechanically.

6. RunoffMitigationMeasures Category: Soil Management • Reduce tillage intensity • Adopt lowest possible tillageintensity • Improving aggregation andpore continuity • Reducing slaking/micro-erosion due to mulch • Do contour tilling/disking • Soil cultivation followscontour lines in fields • Enhances infiltration dueto across-slope ridges • Manage surfacesoil compaction • Break soil crusts • Maintain residues onsurface • Maximizing infiltration intopsoil • Manage tramlines • Position tramlines across slopes • Shift tramlines from year to year • Disk or vegetate tramlines • Break deeper compactions • Avoiding concentrated runoff in tramlines • Prepare rough seedbed • Maintain clods on soil surface by adapted tillage • Improving infiltration on rough surface • Manage subsoil compaction • Avoid working too moist soils • Break compaction by mechanical means or improve with deep-rooting intercrops • Optimizing deep infiltration of water to subsoil • Establish in-field bunds • Build bunds in vulnerable areas • Avoiding concentrated runoff

7. RunoffMitigationMeasures Category: Croppingpractices • Use crop rotation • Design crop rotation to increase soil organic matter and optimize soil structure and cover • Improving soil aggregation • Use annual cover crops • Maximize cover crop use to avoid bare soil • Reducing rainsplash erosion, increasing soil organic matter content, improving aggregation • Do strip cropping • Position field strips across slopes • Alternate row and broadcast crops • Breaking up long slopes • Use perennial cover crops • Use suitable plant species to vegetate rows in plantations • Protecting soil fromrainsplash erosion • Improving aggregationof soil and surfaceroughness

8. RunoffMitigationMeasures Category: Vegetative buffers • Use in-field buffers • Position buffers to break up long/steep slopes • Stopping and infiltrating water at source • Manage field access areas • Vegetate field access areas • Stopping formation of linear runoff towards roads • Establish talweg buffers • Position buffer in areas of concentrated runoff formation • Avoiding runoff in talweg positions • Establish hedges • Position at downslopeedge of field • Stopping runoff from exiting field; providing wind shield and biodiversity benefits • Use riparian buffers • Position buffers alongsidewater bodies • Stopping runoff beforeentering ditches/streams/lakes • Establish/maintain woodlands • Position at downslope/riparian landscape position • Stopping runoff in landscape; providing wind shield and biodiversity benefits • Use edge-of-field buffers • Position buffer at downslope field edge • Stopping runoff from exiting field

9. RunoffMitigationMeasures Category: Retention structures • Use edge-of-field bunds • Construct at downslope position where water tends to exit the field • Stopping runoff from exiting the field • Establish retention ponds/artificial wetlands • Position at locations where runoff is unavoidable and occurs regularly • Capturing, retaining and slowly infiltrating runoff in the landscape; additional biodiversity benefits • Establish vegetatedditches • Position at locations whererunoff is unavoidableand occurs regularly • Capturing, retaining, andslowly infiltrating runoffin the landscape

10. RunoffMitigationMeasures Category: Adapteduseofpesticides • Adapt application timing • Apply pesticides only when no significant rainfall is forecast (e.g. for ≥2 days) • Reducing pesticide concentrations in potential runoff • Adapt product and rate selection • Chose products according to crop protection requirements • If water contamination does not improve in spite of other mitigation measures (point, diffuse) … • Optimize product choice with regard to- seasonal timing- use rate- substance properties • If possible, minimize treated area via band or sensor-based spraying • Reducing pollution of known water contaminants • Optimize seasonal timing • Apply pesticides outside of main groundwater recharge / drainflow season • Reducing pesticideconcentations inrunoff and drainflow

11. RunoffMitigationMeasures Summary: Toolbox for flexible mitigation Mitigation measure toolbox: Soil management • Reduce tillage intensity • Manage tramlines • Prepare rough seedbed • Establish in-field bunds • Manage surface soil compaction • Manage subsoil compaction • Do contour tilling/disking Cropping practices • Use Crop rotation • Do strip cropping • Use annual cover crops • Use perennial cover crops Vegetative buffers • Use in-field buffers • Establish talweg buffers • Use riparian buffers • Use edge-of-field buffers • Manage field access areas • Establish hedges • Establish/maintain woodlands Retention structures • Use edge-of-field bunds • Establish vegetated ditches • Establish Retention ponds/artificial wetlands Adapted use of pesticides • Adapt application timing • Optimize seasonal timing • Adapt product and rate selection Optimized irrigation • Adapt irrigation technique • Optimize irrigation timing and rate

12. RunoffMitigation Last step: Catchmentriskmanagement plan Example: Risk management plan for Fontaine du Theil, FR (Arvalis) Most difficult part: Making implementation of measures happen

13. Thank you for your attention!