cyprus – poultry manure pellets  

Poultry Manure Pellets are made from the organic waste of poultry stabilised into a highly efficient soil amendment. In the Cyprus Pilot Area, these pellets are usually applied to rainfed cereal and other plots. 

Raw manure can be inconsistent and difficult to apply over large areas. Poultry manure pellets, on the other hand, have three benefits. It allows farmers to use their existing machinery (standard fertiliser spreaders and sowing machines) for soil application and incorporation. It is easier to transport, store, and dose precisely. Finally, it reduces labour.

Benefits:

• It uses a poultry‑industry by‑product, turning a potential waste‑management challenge into a valuable input for soil restoration and carbon sequestration.

• It supplies organic carbon and readily available nutrients, improving microbial biomass/activity, nutrient cycling, and soil structure.

spain – almond shell mulching  

Almond shells are applied as a soil cover around young plants to create a protective layer over the soil surface. It is locally available as an agricultural by-product. The almond shells form a porous organic layer that covers the soil, reducing direct exposure to climatic stressors such as solar radiation, wind, and rainfall impact.

This practice was selected based on its alignment with circular economy principles and its potential to address key processes of desertification in Mediterranean drylands, particularly the loss of soil moisture, soil degradation and erosion and the decline in soil organic matter.

Additionally, the use of almond shells responds to the TERRASAFE objective of promoting locally available, low-cost, and scalable solutions, using agricultural waste that would otherwise have limited added value.

Benefits

The expected environmental and agronomic benefits include:

• Improved soil moisture retention, by reducing evaporation losses.
• Reduction of soil erosion, through protection against raindrop impact and runoff.
• Increase in soil organic matter, as the material gradually decomposes.
• Enhancement of soil structure and microbial activity.
• Temperature buffering, reducing thermal stress on young plants.

spain – plastic mulching with inverted ridges (water harvesting)  

The traditional practice implemented by local farmers consists of the use of plastic mulching combined with inverted ridges (caballones invertidos) designed to optimize rainwater harvesting.

In this system the planting row is slightly depressed, plastic mulch is applied over the soil surface, and the surrounding soil is shaped to channel and concentrate runoff water toward the plant. Rainfall accumulates along the planting line, allowing water to infiltrate directly into the root zone of each plant.

This practice is widely used by farmers in semi-arid Mediterranean regions to cope with water scarcity. We wanted to compare innovative solutions with existing farmer practices to assess their relative effectiveness and economic viability under real-world conditions. The practice also directly addresses one of the main drivers of desertification in the region: water scarcity and inefficient rainfall use.

Benefits

The expected benefits of this practice include:

• Increased water availability at plant level, by concentrating runoff.
• Improved water use efficiency, particularly in rainfed conditions.
• Enhanced early plant establishment, especially in dry years.
• Reduction of evaporation losses due to plastic cover.

However, potential trade-offs (to be evaluated within the project) are that there is limited contribution to soil organic matter and soil health and reduced soil biological activity under the plastic cover. There are also long-term environmental impacts associated with plastic degradation to consider if waste is left on the fields.

Romania – Polymer-based hydrogels (conventional practice) & no treatment (traditional practice)

In recent years, Forest Management Units and afforestation companies have sought to improve the survival rate of young seedlings through the use of polymer-based hydrogels (e.g., Zeba). Planting operations are conducted either semi-mechanically, using an auger drill to create planting holes of 10–20 cm in diameter, or fully mechanized, employing specialized tractor-mounted planting machinery that inserts seedlings directly into the soil. Prior to planting, seedlings are immersed in a mixture of hydrogel and water to enhance moisture retention. During the current planting season, no fertilizers were applied to the soil.

The traditional method involves planting seedlings as they are delivered from the nursery, without prior treatments to them or to the soil. Seedlings are inserted in manually prepared square pits measuring approximately 30 × 30 × 40 cm, or in circular holes created using an auger drill.