{"id":38826,"date":"2023-08-25T13:11:53","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T11:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/?post_type=project&p=38826"},"modified":"2025-07-29T15:29:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T13:29:17","slug":"the-sattra-method","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/en\/projects\/the-sattra-method","title":{"rendered":"The S\u00e4ttra Method \u2013 a Simpler Approach Towards Increased Soil Carbon Sequestration?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One key indicator for soil health is soil organic carbon, which can be improved through certain agricultural techniques.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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The Issue<\/h2>\n
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It is well known that healthy soils are essential for the provision of ecosystem services, and soils\u2019 importance for mitigating and adapting to climate change is increasingly being acknowledged. One key indicator for soil health is soil organic carbon, referring to the carbon stored in the organic matter of soil, which can be improved through certain agricultural techniques. However, which techniques farmers in Sweden should use and how well these contribute to an increase in carbon sequestration is still debated.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Our Solution<\/h2>\n
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In order to evaluate the effects of one such carbon sequestration technique, Axfoundation teamed up with the farmer Mats Eriksson, who had practiced a light version of Conservation Agriculture<\/a> for over 20 years – starting with one small field in 2000, and implementing it in over 120 fields two decades later.<\/p>\n

The method ensures that the ground that will be used for spring crops is undisturbed from the threshing in the fall to the cultivation in the spring. This differs from the traditional farming system where the land is plowed or cultivated in the fall, even in fields that will be sown in the spring. According to Mats, the fields where the S\u00e4ttra-method has been used show, among other things, maintained or even increased crop yields, lower carbon emissions from machinery, and reduced hours worked per hectare.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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The S\u00e4ttra Method<\/h2>\n
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The S\u00e4ttra Method could be classified as a \u201clight version\u201d of Conservation Agriculture<\/a>. The method ensures that the ground is either planted directly after the harvest or left undisturbed until the cultivation in the spring. No plowing is done in the fall so there is no bare soil during winter. The straw from the crop is left on the field and contributes to building carbon storage in the soil.<\/p>\n

According to farmer Mats Eriksson, who developed the method, the initial results show increased fertility and biological activity, reduced problems with soil erosion, increased mineralization, improved drainage and a maintained or increased harvest. This combined with reduced fuel consumption and fewer hours worked per hectare indicates that it is a method worth exploring further.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n

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Conservation Agriculture<\/h2>\n
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Conservation Agriculture is a combination of different sustainable farming methods that promote maintenance of a permanent soil cover, minimum soil disturbance and diversification of plant species. Methods the farmer can use include:<\/p>\n