Tramont-Lassus: Experimental sowing to preserve water quality

The over-sowing experiment, in conjunction with four volunteer farmers, took place on Wednesday, September 3, on communal plots cultivated as meadows, within the protection areas of the Moiré spring in Tramont-Lassus and the Puits de Beuvezin.

It involves sowing new seeds in an existing meadow while working the soil very superficially. The aim is to improve the productivity of the grassland, which goes hand in hand with the quality of groundwater, by optimizing the meadow's filtering role with regard to possible pollutants.

The choice of this technique is adapted to the situation in the close protection perimeters of sources where their suppression and plowing are in fact strictly regulated.

This test is part of a collective activity on the management of the plateau's forage systems, led by the plateau's "water" mission as part of a sponsorship with Nestlé Agrivair. By calling on organizations with complementary skills, the APAL' breeders' association, the technical office of Dairy Promotion and the chambers of agriculture of Meurthe-et-Moselle and Vosges, the aim is to provide farmers, in support of land actions, with an external and comprehensive perspective on the possibilities of developing their meadows, according to their predominant sector, milk or meat.

The demonstration took place in the presence of farmers, mayors of the municipalities concerned, and the facilitator in charge of catchments. It was led by Amélie Boulanger, grass and fodder advisor at the Meurthe-et-Moselle Chamber of Agriculture, with the support of Agrivair, which provided a seeder, operated by Rémi Bernard.

Different mixtures of grasses and legumes were sown on different plots to compare results. Monitoring these trials will help assess the effectiveness of this method and identify ways to strengthen the sustainability of the plateau's agricultural systems.

In Tramont-Lassus, a farmer for 0.5 hectares benefits from a suitable mixture sown at 30 kg/hectare with variation in soil preparation conditions.

In Beuvezin, three farmers per 1.5 hectares benefit from a suitable mixture with varying over-sowing densities (between 20 and 40 kg of seeds/hectare).

The sowing depth is 1.7 cm.