This document summarizes an activity aimed at identifying and verifying measures to increase soil water holding capacity through agricultural practices. The activity involves field experiments in several countries comparing traditional ploughing, subsoiling, composting tillage, no-tillage farming, and organic matter application. Progress includes setting up new cross-subsoiling experiments in Slovakia, soil sample analysis in Poland, observing existing experiments in the Czech Republic, and evaluating field results in Slovenia. The work is proceeding as planned with no expected changes or problems in continuing experimental, observational, and evaluative activities toward a final report on proposals for agricultural practices.

1. Activity title:
Drought management by agricultural practices and
measures increasing soil water holding capacity.
Activity number: 5.1.
Activity leader: Pavol Bielek (SK)
2nd IDMP CEE Workshop, Ljubljana, 8 – 9 April 2014

2. Partners & Outputs
Brief overview of activities:
-to targets
a) to identify and practically verify measures increasing soil water holding
capacity by agricultural practices
-to theoretical backgrounds:
a) there are a real possibilities to achieve of targets
-to methods:
a) field experiments (traditional ploughing, subsoiling, composting tillage,
no-tillage farming, organic matter application)
Participating countries: CZ,PL,SK,SL
Expected final outputs:
proposals to agricultural practices

3. Progress Report (October 2013 – April 2014)
Set up of new field experiments (cross-subsoiling – SK)
Analysis of soil samples (PL)
New observations of existing field experiments (CZ)
Field results evaluations (SL)
Milestone 2 national reports (December 2013)
We are working under accepted plan
In this time no problems to continue
No critical changes of our original working plan we expect

4. to continue in our experimental works - to perform our field
observations – to evaluate results - to start results wrap up
activities - to work together on Milestone 3 report
Challenges:
- to participate on capacity building report
- to work on another common project activities
Thank you!
Plans