Sötåsen is an agricultural college with an educational farm that is managed completely organically since 1998. The farm is located outside Töreboda in the south west of Sweden, and has 202 ha arable land, 105 ha forest, dairy cows, approximately 35 sows with piglets, sheep and a number of small animals.
The farm has a large share self-produced feed. It also features experimental cultivation of protein crops such as lupine and field bean.
Sötåsen has previously been working with training in economical driving, installation of solar panels and other energy-saving technology.
Climate friendly practices applied
- Improved on-farm nutrient management
Anaerobic treatment (biogas) of liquid and solid manure
Manure is subjected to anaerobic fermentation to generate and capture CH4. This is burned in an engine to generate electricity and heat energy so that the use of fossil fuels is replaced. Liquid and solid residues are brought back to agricultural land and because of a higher percentage of mineral nitrogen, yield increase is likely.
- Optimised crop rotations with legumes
Maintenance of existing grain and forage legumes
Cropping of forage legumes and grain legumes is maintained, both contributing to nitrogen fixation (reduction of N2O emission) and carbon sequestration.
- Optimised tillage systems
Reduced tillage and undersown crops
Farm avoids ploughing after grain legumes. Furthermore, basic tillage operations are avoided for grass-clover due to undersown clover in oats. By employing these practices diesel consumption will be reduced along with humus accumulation in soil (carbon sequestration).
Hedgerows and tree strips along agricultural fields
The farm is making a new installation of one or two windbreaks hedges. Species selection will be based on the somewhat challenging establishing situation with heavy rodent population. To minimize costs bulk plants produced from seed or cuttings will be used primarily. Hedgerows and tree strips lead to carbon sequestration in above- and belowground biomass and in soil. Part of the woody biomass is used for heating and thus replaces fossil fuel (CO2 mitigation). New tree strips on grassland/arable land are in planning.