Introducing oats as an energy catch crop in maize monocropping in Bearn (France)

Problem

In Bearn, maize monocropping is the standard cropping system. Yet, this system must cope with the risk of price volatility as well as with the evolution of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) regulations, which require the diversification of crop rotation. Besides agronomic aspects, profitability can also be improved with the valorisation of the intercrop period. In the current system, the soil is left bare.

Solution                                                   

To break maize monocropping, an innovative system based on the introduction of oats as an energy catch crop (ECC) for methanation was introduced (picture 1), in order to harvest two crops in a year instead of one. It has proved to enhance agronomic, economic and environ-mental performances.