Malta networking visit 8th and 9th October 2013

A follow up of this meeting was held in Malta between the 8th and 9th October 2013, which was attended by three Israeli researchers from the Volcani Centre. During the meeting held at the Government Research Centre in Għammieri, four presentations on water application and results obtained on NPK studies were delivered by the Israeli partners. Various officials from the Directorate of Agriculture and PARKS joined in discussions with the Israeli partners, particularly on nitrogen application and the use of wastewater in agriculture as well as landscaping.

A discussion on the application of natural manure in soil cropped up and the Israeli partners argued that since the nitrogen present in dry livestock manure is not soluble, it is not available for the plant before it passes through mineralisation process. Nitrates in manure are released only after being irrigated and initial breakdown by micronutrients starts to take place. Once available to the plant, nitrogen is immediately taken up and excessive nitrate application at that stage may become critical. If manure is applied during the summer months, 50% of the nitrogen is lost through volatisation of ammonium by winter. To be more effective, application of manure must be done in a similar manner as inorganic fertilizer, to ensure nitrogen uptake by the plants through the roots. Moreover, when irrigating, it is important to take into account the amount of fertilizer applied, the plant requirements and the season during which this is done.

In a presentation on the water resources in Israel, it was explained that a large emphasis is being placed on the use of recycled waste water since there is an issue with water scarcity, low precipitation and high water consumption. Nevertheless there is evidence that long-term use of treated water for edible crops results in a decreased yield and an increase of chloride and nitrate pollution. Thus, one has to properly follow  waste water management guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation.                                                                                            

Apart from using recycled water for irrigation, desalination is a novel and effective means to maximize water use efficiency and crop productivity in Israel. In another presentation, the importance to consider water salinity in soil and available to the plant was discussed. By using lysemeter experiments on banana plants, Israeli researchers are finding that salinity may not be dependent solely on chlorine but also on root volume, plant type and water quality. It is interesting to note that difference in fruit yield and salt uptake by plants relate to water quality.                                                              

A presentation on Israeli regulations for manure recycling and nitrogen application was delivered by one of the Israeli partners. Such regulations are in place to balance plant requirements with environment needs and regulate the composting of manure to negate odours and food contamination. Moreover, Israeli regulations dictate that only class A sludge may be used in agriculture while the maximum permitted Nitrate application is that of 500kg/ha/year, which is high when compared with the 170kg/ha/year in the European Union.  In Israel, compost facilities are permitted but are regulated to be located at a minimum of 300 metres from residential areas.

During this meeting, a discussion on the Nitrates Action Plan took place and the Israeli partners argued that rainwater leaching in Malta is not as great an issue as in other northern European countries. Malta, with its dry summers and low levels of precipitation in Winter, should not literally apply a legislation applied for countries with high rainfall and restricted to a growing season in summer. Crop rotation is also another important factor in that certain crops fix nitrogen in the soil and may require far less nitrogen application, as well as contributing to improvements in soil structure. They suggested that research using lysemeter should be conducted in Malta to determine local needs and effects of nitrates and other minerals on crops.

Another presentation was delivered on the application of sludge as fertilizer substitutes for field crops. Research in Israel has shown that sludge can replace fertilizers, improve soil structure, and its use in agriculture is the best method to deal with its disposal, reducing incineration and placement of sludge in landfills. Nevertheless, sludge application in agriculture should follow strict regulations as its application is dependent on acceptable levels of metals and nutrients which may be used in agriculture.

Following the meeting at the Government Research Centre in Għammieri, the Israeli partners visited a greenhouse farm in Imġarr, in which the farmer cultivates fresh tomatoes for the local market. They discussed various technical issues with the farmer on fertilization methods, experimentation with various tomato varieties and irrigation methods. This field visit was followed by a visit to a dairy farm in San Ġwann, where the farmer invested in robotic milking technology and explained the farm management practices in Malta as well as compared to that being applied in Israel.